The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has announced its strong support for the People’s Coalition Government’s national development priorities.
This was conveyed to Prime Minister Hon Sitiveni Rabuka while receiving a courtesy call from the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.
Assistant Minister for Office of the Prime Minister, Hon. Sakiusa Tubuna, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Fiji, Mr. Dirk Wagener and Head of the Subregional Office for the Pacific for the ESCAP, Ms. Andie Fong Toy, were also in attendance.
Prime Minister Rabuka welcomed Ms. Alisjahbana and acknowledged ESCAP’s ongoing collaboration with Fiji and the Pacific to advance sustainable development, assuring the delegation of Fiji’s full support for the work undertaken by ESCAP.
In her remarks, Ms. Alisjahbana said she was honoured to pay a courtesy call to the Prime Rabuka on her first official visit to Fiji.
She assured Prime Minister Rabuka that ESCAP stands ready to support strengthened regional cooperation and to respond to Fiji’s development priorities.
“We are deeply appreciative of the support extended to ESCAP over the years by Fiji including as host government for the ESCAP Subregional Office for the Pacific,” Ms. Alisjahbana said.
“During our meeting today, I discussed with the Honourable Prime Minister the development priorities of Fiji and the region.”
Ms. Alisjahbana extended an invitation for Prime Minister Rabuka to attend the next ESCAP Commission session to be held in Bangkok, Thailand in April 2024.
ESCAP works closely with the Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other sectoral ministries on the Regional Climate Mobility Framework, trade facilitation, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7) roadmap, women’s entrepreneurship and financial inclusion, and strengthening data and statistics systems to support the adoption of the ESCAP National Tracker Tool on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
