Ritika Pratap 
[Source: Regional Pacific NDC Hub]
Nauru has granted citizenship to its first new citizens through the Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program.
This program, which was announced at COP29, allows investors to gain a second citizenship while supporting climate adaptation and sustainable development in the South Pacific.
Nauru is considered the world’s fifth most vulnerable nation to be economic and environmental shocks, according to the United Nations’ Multidimensional Vulnerability Index.
According to Program Chief Executive Edward Clark, the first approved applicants are a German family of four.
Having recently sold their family business and now living in Dubai, the family was seeking a second citizenship as a “Plan B” due to global political instability.
They chose Nauru’s program because their investment would directly contribute to the island’s climate change efforts.
Clark, who has a background in international banking and compliance, noted that the application process took less than four months.
He assured that all applicants undergo strict due diligence, including checks with international law enforcement, to ensure that only individuals of the “highest calibre” who can help shape Nauru’s future are granted citizenship.
This new citizenship program is part of Nauru’s long-term plan to address economic challenges and climate change.
This plan includes tackling issues like food and water security and launching the “Higher Ground Initiative,” which aims to relocate nearly the entire population from the coast to higher ground.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
