Mosese Raqio 
[file photo]
Fiji is leading the world in disaster law as international rules increasingly call for stronger protection of communities.
Head of the Pacific Subregional Office Gabrielle Emery told participants at a National Disaster Risk Management Act awareness session that the new Act already reflects key international legal responsibilities, including the recent International Court of Justice ruling on climate change.
“Fiji should be confident that its disaster law is cutting-edge, and places people’s safety and rights at the centre of national response and preparedness.”
The ICJ ruling emphasises that governments must act proactively to protect people and build resilience, rather than wait for disasters to strike.
Emery also highlighted an incoming global treaty on disaster protection, which for the first time creates a legal duty to reduce risk a standard Fiji’s law already meets.
She adds that the Act aligns with the Sendai Framework and goes beyond natural hazards, recognising threats such as health emergencies, slow-onset climate change, and technological risks.
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