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Climate change, the battle of our lives; UNSG addresses Parliament

May 16, 2019 3:30 pm

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama

UNSG Antonio Guterres today taking a page out of Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s book, calling climate change the battle of our lives.

Addressing Parliament and the nation, Guterres reaffirmed the UN’s position to standby Fiji and the Pacific given the evident impacts of climate change on our people.

“And climate change is the defining issue of our time, the Prime Minister just told me in our meeting that it is the battle of our lives. It is the reason for my visit to the Pacific region, here in Fiji, thousands of people have suffered cyclones, floods and droughts lost their homes, schools or crops to rising seas and storms, the poorest and the vulnerable are always disproportionately affected.”

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The UNSG also urged developed countries to fulfil their commitments to raise US$100 billion annually to support mitigation and adaptation measures for those countries at the forefront of climate change.

Guterres also commending Fiji as a climate change champion, highlighting Fiji’s many milestones in leading the global fight which is beginning to fall on keen ears elsewhere in the world.

The UNSG will wrap up his official visit to Fiji today before travelling to Tuvalu tomorrow and on Saturday to Vanuatu as part of his Pacific mission.

The main focus of his visit to build consensus in the lead up the UN’s climate action summit which is scheduled for September in New York.