Deliver, Small Island States Tell Developed Countries

As the second and final week of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change COP26 kicks off, the call from Fiji and Small Island Developing States is the same – developed countries must deliver!

Attorney-General and Minister Responsible for Climate Change, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, said high emitters cannot have their cake and eat it too.

He was referring to the gaps and discrepancies that have hindered efforts to build a safe future.

“We need dedicated and additional financing to offset the burden of the climate impacts that we don’t have the ability or opportunity to curtail, mitigate, or dampen,” he said.

“This must go well beyond the rigid, narrow scope of insurance and risk transfer – this cannot be rooted in a commercial opportunity for investors and banks that bet against climate risks.

“This needs to be about getting finance to those that have lost what cannot be replaced as a result of this battle ––those who must be giv- en an opportunity that is consistent with basic human rights at the core of the Paris Agreement.”

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum was speaking at the Ministerial Dialogue on Adaptation Action.

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