Prime Minister and COP 23 President Voreqe Bainimarama says they hope to infuse COP negotiations with the Pacific Talanoa Spirit of understanding and respect.
Bainimarama highlighted this while assuming the Presidency of COP in Bonn Germany.
He says the need for urgency is obvious as the world is in distress from the extreme weather events caused by climate change such as destructive hurricanes, fires, floods, droughts, melting ice, and changes to agriculture that threaten our food security.
Bainimarama says the only way for every nation to put itself first is to lock arms with all other nations and move forward together.
He says a leaders job is to respond to that suffering with all the means available which includes the capacity to work together to identify opportunities in the transition.
Bainimarama says by aiming for 1.5 degrees, they are setting themselves a serious challenge but it provides them with a mission.
The Prime Minister says that is why Fiji has been so determined to help build a Grand Coalition of governments at every level, civil society, the private sector and faith‑based organisations to connect this effort to as many of the 7.5 billion citizens of the planet as possible.
