Pacific Islands Forum – Secretary General Mr Henry Puna
High-Level Statement
COP28 – Dubai
(09 December 2023 – 3.00pm Dubai Time)
Mr President,
Excellencies,
We have heard the strong voices and advocacy of our Pacific Leaders
1. I stand before you today to amplify and reaffirm their message.
2. The 1.5-degree goal in the Paris Agreement represents a critical threshold in our fight for survival.
3. The urgency of this situation is why our Members initiated the Port Vila Call for a Just Transition to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific.
4. The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent reflects our collective determination to address our most pressing challenges.
5. Our Leaders’ recent Declaration on Statehood is a powerful statement of our sovereignty and resilience, in the face of adversity.
6. We and our future generations should not pay the price for the comfort of the bigger developed emitters today.
7. We demand urgent climate action and commitments now.
8. Mr President;
9. The Pacific Resilience Facility, recently endorsed by Pacific Leaders, represents our commitment to securing our future.
10. I wish to thank Saudi Arabia and Australia for their generous commitments to the Facility.
11. We invite support from other Partners to make the Facility a success, and to give us a fighting chance.
12. Our commitment to a sustainable, just, and resilient future is unwavering. A Fossil Fuel Free future, the 2050 Strategy, the Statehood Declaration, and the Pacific Resilience Facility, are all interconnected threads in the tapestry of our shared vision, for a world where the 1.5-degree pathway is safeguarded.
13. Yes– 1.5 degrees is the answer to the climate crisis.
14. We cannot do it alone. Act with us now
15. I thank you.
–ENDS
