THE Pacific Disability Forum has demanded the governing board of the Loss and Damage Fund to establish a dedicated, non-negotiable window for disability inclusive reconstruction and recovery.
Speaking at the pre-COP31 Summit in Nadi, forum CEO Sainimili Tawake said loss and damage assessments must account for the specific socioeconomic and physical costs incurred by persons with disabilities.
“We will no longer accept a system where global funds are distributed to national governments, only to disappear into macroeconomic silos while the most marginalised communities on the outer islands are left to rebuild with their bare hands,” said Ms Tawake.
“Inclusion must be an upfront, legally binding eligibility criterion for any state seeking drawing rights from the fund.”
She said discussions around climate finance must move beyond cross cutting tokens.
“The Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and bilateral regional mechanisms must move past the patronising practice of labelling disability as a vague, ‘cross-cutting issue’.
“Labelling without budgeting is tokenism.
“We demand that all future climate project approvals require an explicit, ring-fenced budgetary allocation for universal accessibility, reasonable accommodation, accessible digital communication, and assistive technologies.”
She added the gatekeeping inherent international funding structures must also be addressed.
“The bureaucratic hurdles required to access major climate funds are designed for large multinational entities, effectively blocking smaller, national, and community-level Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs).
“We call for the immediate creation of direct-access, simplified small grant facilities.
“These pathways must empower local OPDs to design, manage, and deploy resources directly where they are needed most.”
