UNRC Remarks at Joint High-Level Government-Development Partners Roundtable Meeting for Fiji

This Round Table provides a unique platform for fostering collaboration, dialogue, and exchange to support the sustainable development agenda here in Fiji.  

I extend my gratitude to the Deputy Prime Minister for his leadership and commitment to advancing Fiji's development agenda and for inviting all development partners to join this important dialogue. 

Excellencies, partners, colleagues, in order to address the complex and interconnected challenges facing Fiji, it is essential we work together in a coordinated and harmonized manner to ensure our partnership is an effective and accountable one, one that delivers results, results for the people of Fiji.  

It is a partnership that focusses on increasing resilience, that aims to address long-standing development issues but also one that discusses new opportunities and innovations to overcome a complex set of challenges. 

Many of you have asked the United Nations to support this aim and here we are today, with appreciation to the Deputy Prime Minister and the coalition government for inviting us to co-chair this important consultative event.  

We have just passed the midway point of the 2030 agenda and Fiji, like many countries, is not fully on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.  

The global climate emergency that disproportionately affects Pacific Islands Nations and other SIDS, the COVID-19 pandemic that we just left behind us, and ongoing development challenges have all hampered efforts. 

While Fiji has made laudable progress on many SDGs, two SDGs are regressing:  

• SDG 8 – which aims to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth. 
• And SDG 9, focused on infrastructure, industrialization, and innovation. 

We are here today, to discuss on how the pursuit of these and other lacking SDGs can become square and center of the national development efforts of Fiji and to commit our support to this endeavour. 

The Fiji Government is focused on macroeconomic management, key growth sectors, human development and service delivery, infrastructure development and other priorities and has now embarked to develop a new National Development Plan.  

At this point I would also like to commend the government for its country-wide engagements and consultations, down to many local communities, on the needs and priorities ordinary Fijians would like to see reflected in the new National Development Plan. 

Indeed, this new Plan - and opportunities for development partners to coalesce around it - is a key focus of today’s Roundtable.  

Alignment and collaboration are not just buzzwords; they are a necessity if we are to overcome the multifaceted challenges we face and deliver on Fiji’s sustainable development priorities.  

We must leverage our respective strengths, expertise, and resources. We must share knowledge and best practices, listen, and learn, and foster innovation. We must coordinate, collaborate and support nationally led and owned development.  

As we embark on this journey, it is essential we center our efforts on the principles of inclusivity, leaving no one behind. This means prioritizing the needs of marginalized groups and communities, empowering women and girls, youth, and upholding the rights of every individual.  

Furthermore, it requires us to adopt a holistic approach that integrates social, economic, and environmental dimensions of development, ensuring a balanced and equitable future for all.  

For Fiji, it also means dealing with issue of social cohesion and reconciliation that have affected Fiji’s development pathway. 

As the United Nations, we are committed to supporting Fiji in facilitating dialogue, catalyzing innovation, and mobilizing resources and expertise to advance national priorities and the SDGs.  

We are keen to lend our impartial and neutral convening role in the pursuit of Fiji’s development aspirations.  

Here in Fiji, more than 30 UN agencies, funds, and programmes are working with Government and the development partners here in the room on priorities for planet, people, prosperity, and peace – which are the pillars of our cooperation framework.  

And as you can see, the UN Country Team is here in full force, participating in this most important round table dialogue. 

As we delve into today's discussions, I urge all participants to approach our deliberations with open minds, empathy, and a spirit of collaboration.  

We envisage this as the first in a series of regular annual high-level development coordination roundtables in Fiji, where we track our commitments and progress on working better together, in support of Fiji’s development aspirations as well as regional commitments.  

May our collective efforts today lay the foundation for a more resilient, prosperous, and inclusive future for all Fijians. 

Vinaka Vakalevu, Dhanjavaad, Thank You!