‘Whole-of-society’ disaster approach urged as Pacific gathers in Palau

Fiji has called on Pacific nations to embrace a whole-of-society approach to disaster risk management that brings together governments, communities, and partners to protect lives and livelihoods in an era of intensifying climate threats.

Delivering Fiji’s chairmanship handover remarks at the 2nd Pacific Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Ministerial Meeting in Koror, Palau today, National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO) director Napolioni Boseiwaqa said inclusivity and community engagement were central to Fiji’s resilience agenda.

Mr Boseiwaqa said investments in disaster preparedness were key to minimising the impact of disasters on Pacific communities and economies.

“Our disaster risk management arrangements and actions must reflect a whole-of-society approach that integrates gender, disability, and youth perspectives,” Mr Boseiwaqa told regional leaders.

He said Fiji’s journey as inaugural chair of the DRM Ministerial Meeting had been defined by reform and collaboration, from enacting a modern DRM law to leading the implementation of early warning systems and coordinated humanitarian response structures.

“Our collective strength lies in collaboration,” Mr Boseiwaqa added.

“Let us commit to concrete steps of policy reform, inclusive planning, and sustained investment to build a resilient Pacific.”

Fiji, which hosted the inaugural ministerial meeting in 2022, used its tenure to advance regional priorities, including the Nadi Declaration, the establishment of a Pacific Ministerial Champion for DRM, and a biennial cycle of ministerial and technical meetings to coordinate regional disaster responses.

Mr Boseiwaqa reaffirmed Fiji’s commitment to working with the incoming chair and regional partners in continuing the important work of resilience building in the Pacific, saying that no country can stand alone in the face of increasing climate-induced disasters.

The meeting in Koror, hosted by the Government of Palau, brings together Pacific ministers, senior officials, and partners under the theme “Strengthened Political Leadership for Disaster Risk Management in the Pacific.” 

Over the next two days, ministers will consider mechanisms to strengthen disaster coordination, review progress on the Nadi Declaration, and endorse new regional tools including the Pacific Humanitarian Response Coordination Mechanism (PResCoM) and the Pacific Humanitarian Warehousing Programme.