Excellencies, 

Development Partners, 

Colleagues,  

Distinguished Guests

Kasahlelie, bula vinaka to you all. 

It is a pleasure and honour to participate and launch this first Pacific Climate Security Experts Network meeting under the Climate Security in the Pacific Project.  

But first and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the donor, the UN Secretary General's Peacebuilding Fund, for its commitment to enhancing climate-security in the region.  

Respected colleagues/participants, as recognized by Pacific leaders in the Boe Declaration and its Action Plan, climate change represents the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security, and well-being of Pacific people. 

While the nexus between climate change and security has been recognized, more needs to be done to understand and map the drivers and dynamics of potential insecurities and conflicts, and how they exacerbate existing inequalities for women and men. 

Climate security is a key priority for the UN and more specifically UNDP. Following  the visit of the UN Secretary-General to the Pacific in 2019, during which he witnessed first-hand the impacts of climate change to the security of Pacific Island States and defined it as an “existential threat”, this project was designed to provide specific support to assess the climate-security risk and mainly help countries and regional organizations to design risk management solutions that are sustainable and inclusive. 

A key element of this project is indeed the establishment of this Pacific Climate Security Experts Network, which will allow inclusive cross-disciplinary information sharing and dialogue, effective partner collaboration and expert advice on climate-related security issues to governments and partners. 

Providing technical and policy advice, ensuring that activities are aligned with global and regional initiatives, and giving guidance on how to increase the understanding of climate security to support national and regional responses are just some of the objectives of this newly established expert network.  

It will play a decisive role in helping set the direction on climate-security risk management for the Pacific region and support the governments to continue increasing the advocacy and present climate change as the most significant security threat for our region's countries.  

The ambitious work that the Pacific Climate Security Experts Network is expected to accomplish can lead the way forward to build resilience and address the climate-related security risk challenges and take decisive climate action to secure a peaceful and sustainable future for all.  

In fact, the interaction between climate change and international peace and security has been increasingly recognized at the highest level of global negotiations.  

Addressing the concurrent risks of social and political instability, insecurity and conflict that arise from the interaction of climate change with social, economic, demographic and political factors is indeed a priority of the UN Security Council, which acknowledged security risks related to climate change and called for appropriate risk assessment and management in specific geographic contexts. 

During this year only, for example, the UNSC convened a high-level open debate on climate security in February and the members of the Security Council held an open debate on conflict and food security in March organised by the United States, which has also informed of its desire to join the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. Finally, in September, during another high-level open debate on climate security under Ireland’s Presidency, several Council Members requested a thematic resolution on climate and security.  

Similarly, at COP26, Pacific leaders highlighted the existential threat that climate change is posing to their countries and underlined the impacts of the climate crisis on peace and security. As an example, I would mention Simon Kofe, Tuvalu's Foreign Minister, who gave his speech standing knee-deep in seawater to show how his low-lying Pacific Island nation is on the front line of climate change.  

Before I conclude, let me also acknowledge the intricate interconnections between climate change and gender justice. During and after disasters, women are affected more significantly than men, due to gender inequalities and power imbalances in access to resources and relevant information. In particular, global evidence shows that sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) increases during and after crisis, including climate-related disasters. The Pacific region, where SGBV rates are already high by global standards, is no exception to this trend. The Pacific Climate Security Experts Network is an opportunity to improve capacity of prevention and response systems at the local, national, and international levels to support women in disaster response and adaptation strategies., in line with COP26 commitments. 

Esteemed guests, UNDP is truly honored to join forces with IOM and regional partners to achieve this decisive step, which is taking us closer towards the successful implementation of this decisive project.  

I wish all the participants of the workshop fruitful discussions. 

Vinaka vakalevu and thank you very much.