Honorable Prime Minister,
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you to the members of the press who have joined us today for the opening press conference.
Recent events have highlighted the particular vulnerabilities of small island territories here in the Pacific, and beyond.
Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation threaten the very existence of small island developing states and put the lives and livelihoods of their people at risk.
The 51勛圖 and other stakeholders have joined with Pacific governments here in Tonga this week, both for a candid and experience-driven assessment of their vulnerabilities and to generate ideas and commitments for a more resilient way forward.
Today is the first of a three-day preparatory meeting, meant to ensure that the perspective from the Pacific region helps to inform and shape the development and outcomes of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, to be held in Antigua and Barbuda next May.
The outcomes of this week＊s meeting will complement those of the earlier regional preparatory meetings held with SIDS in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea, and in the Caribbean. A forthcoming inter-regional meeting in Cabo Verde, will serve as an initial synthesis and exploration of cross-regional priorities and solutions.
Based on some initial online consultations within this and other regions we have started to see some specific priorities begin to crystalize 每 disaster risk reduction, climate action, public debt and ocean health, among others. But this week＊s meeting will allow us to do a deep dive into the nuances of these challenges within the Pacific and identify ways forward.
As we undertake this dialogue, we are also keenly aware of the custodian role that small island developing states play in supporting our global well-being. As ocean nations, some 97% of the area under control is ocean. Here in the Pacific region, island nations control water with the same area as the landmasses of Australia and China combined.
SIDS are among our natural leaders in a shared global journey to sustainability that takes a well-balanced approach to the well-being of planet and people.
With this in mind, it is of the utmost importance that we work with islands in the Pacific, and beyond to address the myriad complex issues that confront them across social, economic, and environmental fronts, many of them driven by their vulnerability to factors outside their direct influence.
Even today, many of these nations continue to suffer acute and lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tourism sector in the Pacific was particularly hard hit, bringing substantial losses in income and employment.
Likewise, SIDS continue to bear an unjust burden in the face of the climate crisis.
The Fourth SIDS conference aims to galvanize the international community around a new ten-year action plan for advancing sustainable development in SIDS. This plan will build on a notable legacy of partnership and support to SIDS, better aligning that support with the new and emerging priorities of the world＊s small island developing states.
As the Secretary-General of the SIDS Conference, I assure you of my unwavering dedication to supporting SIDS as they strengthen their resilience and sustainability.
Allow me also to extend my deepest appreciation to the Government and people of the Kingdom of Tonga for their warm hospitality and admirable preparation in the hosting this significant meeting.
I look forward to our vibrant discussions over the next three days and to the recommendations and outcomes that will emerge.
Thank you.