PINA

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai, UAE UN Climate Change chief, Simon Stiell Friday stressed the urgency of finding solutions to address the climate crisis on a global scale. “COP28 must be about solutions to get all countries out of this climate mess. That is my central focus: solutions, acceleration, the highest ambition here at COP, and a springboard for the...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai, UAE The Director of Programmes and Initiatives at the Pacific Islands Forum, Zarak Khan Friday expressed his exciting response to Australia's announcement of a major AUD$100 million pledge to the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF). "It's an emotional moment for all of us. We've been involved almost seven years with the support of leaders and...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai, UAE Fiji's Ambassador to Indonesia and lead climate change negotiator, Amena Yauvoli, Friday laid out the priorities for Fiji as the COP28 negotiations enter their final stages. In a media interview, Ambassador Yauvoli stressed the broad nature of Fiji's concerns, with everything deemed a priority from their perspective. “See from the Fijian perspective, everything is...

She has created history for her nation as the first and only woman of 195 district representatives across the Fiji Islands – now Lavenia Naivalu is making waves across the spaces she is in at her first global climate meeting. Naivalu is Fiji’s first female mata-ni-tikina of Nacula district in the Yasawa Island group. She is part of a traditional...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai, UAE Fiji's Ambassador to Indonesia and lead negotiator on climate change, Amena Yauvoli, has provided a frank assessment of the current state of play at the COP28 negotiations in Dubai, emphasising the importance of effective communication on critical issues. Ambassador Yauvoli acknowledged the completion of the first week of COP28. He highlighted both progress and...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai The SPC Deputy Director for the Disaster and Community Resilience Programme Exsley Taloiburi has provided an update on the Loss and Damage Fund at the COP28 negotiation in Dubai. “This is an issue that, as we all know, is also really, really critical to us in the Pacific. "Fortunately, this is an issue that...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) brace for an uphill battle as a key negotiator issues a warning about remaining unresolved issues and financial hurdles as COP28 negotiations pass midway. Exsley Taloiburi, SPC Deputy Director for the Disaster and Community Resilience Programme, in a media briefing in Dubai gave an update on the...

By Pita Ligaiula at COP28 in Dubai Fiji’s former Ambassador to the UN, Satyendra Prasad, has stressed the critical role of oceans in the fight against climate change at COP negotiation. Advocating for the integration of oceans into the main climate change agenda at COP, Ambassador Prasad emphasised the urgency of addressing the ocean and climate nexus. “The ocean provides one...

The Australian government has pledged AUD$150m (US$99.04 million) climate finance for Pacific countries but has not contributed to a newly created global loss and damage fund. Nearly 200 countries reached an historic consensus agreement on the first day of the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai to set up the loss and damage fund to help the world’s poorest and most...

By Elenoa Dimaira Tuvalu, a nation heavily reliant on tuna fishing for revenue, is hopeful that the 20th session of the Western and Central Pacific Fishing Commission (WCPFC) will address key issues related to longline fisheries. Samuela Finekaso, the Director of Fisheries in Tuvalu, has emphasised the need to address the compliance gaps in purse seine fishing and long line fishing,...