Vanuatu’s director of women relishes her role as a technical co-ordinator for negotiators on gender and climate change for PSIDS
By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Sharm El Shiek
Apart from the tough negotiations going into its final stages, one of the Pacific negotiators is not only relishing the experience and lessons learnt from the tough environment in the negotiating room, she is already thinking of what she can take away from COP27.
Rothina Ilo Noka is the director of women’s...
Global inaction pushes Tuvalu to take innovative steps to prepare to become a digital nation
By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Sharm El Sheikh
Tuvalu like the rest of the Pacific is not standing idly by, waiting for the world to act – we’ve taken precautionary steps to protect and preserve our statehood and sovereignty, says Simon Kofe, the islands foreign affairs minister.
He joined delegates at COP27 virtually from an island in Tuvalu that’s predicted...
Marshall Islands ask for a place their future generations can call home
By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Sharm el Sheikh
With a history of being fought over bitterly in the last century, the Marshall Islands continues the next onslaught that the extraction of fossil fuels is unleashing.
The Marshall Islands were the testing grounds for the most destructive weapons ever known, and today the island nation is threatened by the rising seas...
Global NGOs frustrated at the pushback and stalling tactics on key Pacific negotiating priorities
By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Sharm El Sheikh
Mid-week through the negotiations and global civil society organisations are frustrated at the stalling tactics and snail’s pace of the negotiation on key issues like loss and damage and the 1.5-degree Celsius temperature goal that’s facing some push back.
Harjeet Singh of Climate Action Network is particularly angry with the fossil fuel...
Fiji raises 1.5-degree ambition and decisions in the Glasgow Climate Pact
By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Sharm El Sheikh
Fiji joins other Pacific Island nations in strongly advocating for the 1.5-degree threshold, that it says, now hangs in a balance.
“As it hangs in the balance, so does the future of small island states, warns Fiji’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Satyendra Prasad.
He reminded the High Level Panel Tuesday to uphold...
Pacific youth lead campaign to support Vanuatu’s bid to get ICJ clarification
By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Sharm El Sheikh
Pacific youth movements led by the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change have thrown their support behind the government of Vanuatu as it takes up the fight to get an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on obligations of States under international law to protect the rights of...
Vanuatu’s golden yam, a successful climate resilient foot crop developed over 15 years
By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Sharm El Sheikh
Vanuatu’s locally developed and trialed root crop, the Golden Yam has been described the most successful root crop created after 15 years of research, according to the director of the country’s department of agriculture, Antoine Ravo.
The successful story was shared with a global audience that attended the side event organised by...
Support for gender and climate change gaining traction at COP27
By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Sharm El Sheikh
Pacific negotiators and political champions have rallied support and used every opportunity at side events and bilateral discussions to hone in on the six priority issues that all the Pacific Island Countries are collectively pushing for at COP27.
The new priority issue of gender and adaptation has gained a lot of traction...
Oceans yet to make it to formal climate talks agenda here at COP27
By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Sharm El Sheikh
Fiji and other Pacific Small Island Developing Countries (PSIDS) continued their push to include oceans on the agenda of the global climate talks in Sharm El Sheikh this week despite very little movement on the issue in week one of the negotiations.
It hasn’t dampened the interest for countries like Fiji who...
Vanuatu to announce at COP27 its draft proposed UNGA Resolution on rights of people against the adverse impacts of climate change
By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Sharm El Sheikh
Vanuatu’s much awaited UN General Assembly Resolution that is seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to protect the rights of people against the adverse effects of climate change will be announced this week, at the COP27 meeting in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.
Minister Ralph Regenvanu, the...