Pacific civil society representatives are calling for their voices and the experiences of frontline communities to shape climate negotiations as they gather in Tuvalu ahead of the Pacific Pre-COP31 process.
Tuvalu’s Minister for Climate Change and Environment, Maina Vakafua Talia, opened the regional dialogue in Funafuti with a blunt warning about the stakes facing Pacific communities.
“This is not a romantic issue. It’s about the very survival of our people,” Talia said.
The Minister was speaking at a welcoming dinner for civil society representatives, regional organisations, development partners, faith-based organisations and community representatives ahead of the two-day Civil Society Regional Dialogue for Pacific Voices Ahead of Pre-COP31.
The dialogue brings together civil society voices from across the Pacific to discuss regional priorities and develop recommendations for the Pacific Pre-COP process and wider COP31 engagement.
Representing Tuvalu’s civil society organisations, Filiga Taukiei said Pacific communities were not asking others to speak on their behalf but wanted their experiences to be heard in global climate decision-making.
“We are not asking the world to save the Pacific.
We are asking the world to listen to the Pacific, stand with the Pacific and fulfil its responsibility to our people and future generations,” Taukiei said.
Regional civil society representative Joey Tau thanked Tuvalu for hosting the dialogue and said bringing together different Pacific civil society networks was critical.
“Tuvalu is the juncture where we ground ourselves,” Tau said.
The two-day dialogue will focus on sustaining the 1.5°C temperature goal, the ocean-climate nexus and access to climate finance.
The recommendations from the dialogue are expected to feed into the Pacific Pre-COP process and the region’s wider engagement ahead of COP31.
The meeting comes as Pacific countries push for stronger action on climate change, greater access to climate finance and recognition of the particular vulnerabilities facing small island developing states.
The gathering is hosted by the Government of Tuvalu and jointly coordinated by the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office, International Organisation for Migration, Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations Alliance, Pacific Conference of Churches, Pacific Community and Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.
