Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
Fiji is calling for a less transactional and more embedded United Nations development system that fosters genuine partnerships and strengthens local leadership.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad pointed this out while addressing the UN Leaders Planning Meeting in Lami today.
“The Blue Pacific is the world’s climate change frontier. It is the frontier of adaptation, of resilience, of innovation,” he said. “And I’m glad that the UN development system is increasingly part of this story. But we are still falling short. The Blue Pacific must become the frontier of hope—and for that, we need the UN system to stand with us.”
Prof Prasad said the Pacific carries a disproportionate burden of development costs with aid often hindered by fragmentation, high transaction costs and inefficiencies largely beyond the region’s control.
The Minister stressed that global governance must work for the most vulnerable particularly Small Island states facing climate crises.
He said the UN development system was increasingly part of the Pacific story but more must be done to support adaptation, resilience and innovation.
UN Fiji Resident Coordinator Dirk Wagener reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to align reforms with Pacific priorities and remain a trusted partner.
As the Pacific intensifies its campaign to co-host COP31, Fiji’s message reiterates that the region is not merely a recipient of aid but an active architect of a more just, resilient and sustainable multilateral future.
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