Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lenora Qereqeretabua delivered Fiji’s national statement at the High-Level segment of the United Nations High Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2023 on Sustainable Development.
This High Level Meeting is currently held at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Under the theme, ‘Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels,’ the HLPF 2023 is held from Monday, 10 July, to Wednesday, 19 July 2023.
The Forum provides an opportunity for the UN Member States to discuss effective and inclusive recovery measures to address the impacts of the pandemic on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) at national level.
Qereqeretabua affirmed Fiji’s commitment to ensure sustainable and inclusive development that prioritizes the wellbeing and welfare of our communities in Fiji.
“In our commitment to the 2030 Agenda, we are presenting our 2nd Voluntary National Review Report this week. Ensuring that Fijians have water in their taps, better health facilities, better roads, undisrupted electricity, improved transportation, affordable housing and improvement in living standards, is a top priority.
“To fully realise this, collaborative efforts across all levels of society, and in partnership with development partners is key,” Qereqeretabua said.
The Deputy Speaker said Fiji continues to forge ahead, in ensuring that the needs of the most vulnerable of our communities, are met, despite the global challenges of multiple and ongoing crises in one form or another.
In acknowledging that, ‘Climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of our people and ecosystems,’ she informed the Forum that the Pacific is proactively engaging as a region, to plan the way forward to beyond 2030.
Qereqeretabua informed the Forum on the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent which is Pacific’s collective vision and our blueprint for a safe and prosperous Blue Pacific, in our future.
She called on the Member States, saying “What more, can we do together to ensure that our children, and their children, have a chance to live in a safe and prosperous world?”
“The transformative and accelerated action needed must address inequalities and debt burden, leverage technologies, create economic opportunities, and promote partnerships and most of all support vulnerable developing countries,” she added.
