Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism Faiyaz Koya said the African, Caribbean and Pacific regions must place climate change at the heart of their planning for the future.

Addressing the recent 104th ACP Council of Ministers Meeting in Brussels Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Faiyaz Koya told a gathering of ministers that all future development strategies must urgently focus on the permanent and lasting impacts of climate change.

“As a champion for greater mitigation ambition and scaled up climate financing, Fiji wishes to suggest that a more explicit reference be made to the far reaching and lasting impacts climate change will have on all three of our regions – which will threaten the foundation of all our planning and strategies of this ACP group,” Mr Koya said.

Mr Koya was expressing concern at the lack of clear reference to climate change in the three priority pillars of the ACP’s post 2020 work plan.

“Fiji views it as prudent, that Climate Change be an important strategic area that needs to be clearly sign-posted to guide the work of the ACP, post 2020.

“Climate assessments and proofing of all of our strategies and plans should be our central pre-occupation as a Group,” Mr Koya said.

“As planners and leaders we need to have in our sights the sobering reality, that the future, beyond 2020 will be extremely harsh and that climate impacts will hamper all our development pursuits.”

Mr Koya said the group had contributed much to situating climate change as a priority area, and this needed to be reaffirmed and strongly supported in discussions and agreed strategies going forward.

He assured the ACP Council of Ministers of Fiji’s support and commitment towards to the ACP Group.

He also urged on the ACP Group to tackle climate change related issues in the post-2020 work agenda.

Mr Koya said that many ACP nation states were in fact most vulnerable to the adverse effects of the climate such as the occurrence of severe cyclones and hurricanes, intense droughts and floods and salt-water inundation from sea level rise.

He impressed the need for ACP countries to work together with development partners to consider climate proofing its critical infrastructures to safeguard against the climate hazards that may hinder national economic growth agendas.

The 104th session of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States Council of Ministers was held at the ACP Secretariat Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium from 29-30 December, 2016.

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