Fiji Calls on Global Community to facilitate Climate Finance Support for National Implementation Strategies
28/05/2019
UN recognizes the service and sacrifice of the Late RFMF personnels staff sergeant Penieli Racolo, Sergeant Savenaca Bulivakacegu and Warrant Officer Class II Semiti Korovavala
28/05/2019Published On: 28/05/2019
On Thursday, 23 May 2019, Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Dr. Satyendra Prasad participated in a panel hosted by the Permanent Mission of Romania to the UN on Partnerships, Early Warning and Conflict Prevention.
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania, Honourable Teodor Melescanu informed the UN that EU and UN partnerships for peace need to be strengthened and better supported. UN cannot deliver “on securing peace alone”.
Ambassador Dr. Satyendra Prasad in his address highlighted that Fiji’s participation in UN Peacekeeping was a large commitment for a small country. It demonstrated Fiji’s commitment to fulfilling its international obligations. Fiji learns from all its peacekeeping operations and systematically feeds lessons into preparation for future operations. The UN needed to do this more systematically as well.
He stated that the UN reforms and focus on early warning and prevention of conflicts is welcomed. Early warning and prevention is both a better investment in saving lives; but it is also cost effective.
Ambassador Dr. Prasad used RAMSI in the Solomon Islands as an example of partnerships between the UN, and the Pacific Regional countries. The lessons learnt from this experience are significant. RAMSI demonstrated how a regionally led approach to restoring peace and stability can be supported by both the UN, EU and regional countries in a cohesive manner. The results have been impressive and Solomons has returned to stability and peace.
He also told the EU, Africa and other member states that UN Peace operations needed to be far better supported. Securing peace and restoring stability takes time – sometimes decades. Ensuring that peace operations have predictable and medium term financial support is therefore essential. Member States need to understand this point.
Fiji’s Permanent Representative also told the UN that insights from peacebuilding and conflict prevention are very relevant for shaping responses to climate induced insecurities and conflicts. The UN needed to be on the front foot in responding to climate and security challenges. New skills and competencies will be needed for effective responses to climate induced insecurity. UN, EU and regional partnerships will need to innovate to formulate their responses.
Dr. Prasad also called for women to be brought to the center stage in designing peace operations. When women are involved at the top levels of decision making, peace is more likely to be enduring.
