Fiji

Fiji is a multi-ethnic nation of more than 800 volcanic islands and islets located in the South Pacific Ocean, with a population of 889,953 people (World Bank, 2019). A former British colony, Fiji achieved independence in 1970, but has faced decades of political, economic, and social instability. Most of the population resides on the islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, and rapid urbanisation has led to the emergence of more than 200 squatter settlements in and around the urban centres of Suva and Nasinu.

Fiji has a relatively high level of human development; although a third of the population live below the basic needs poverty line, and hardship and inequality are rising. Fiji has an informal social protection system (veiwekani), which helps provide basic needs to individuals and groups. However, high levels of internal and overseas migration and the transition from a subsistence to market-based economy are undermining traditional support systems. The Fijian economy has had a period of sustained growth, and is primarily reliant on tourism, overseas remittances, transport, and sugar exports. More than half of Fijians are employed in the informal sector, predominantly in agriculture, and there are high rates of youth unemployment. 

Fiji is disproportionally affected by climate change and was the first country to ratify the Paris Agreement in 2015.

Fiji has a mixed record on promoting gender equality, despite ratifying The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Most women are employed in the informal sector and earn less than men. Fiji has one of the highest proportions of elected female representatives, with 10 women national Members of Parliament. Two out of three women report experiencing gender-based violence.

UN presence in Fiji

The UN has been present in Fiji since 1984, with 18 agencies implementing programs: FAO, IFAD, ILO, IOM, OHCHR, UNAIDS, UNCDF, UNDP, UNDRR UNESCAP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNODC, UNISDR, UNOCHA, UN Women, WHO and WMO.

Development goals and objectives 

The United Nations Pacific Sustainable Development Framework 2023-2027 is a five year strategic framework that outlines the collective response of the UN system to the development priorities in 14 Pacific Island countries and territories, including Fiji, and supports governments and peoples in the Pacific to advance a localised response to the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The UN Pacific Sustainable Development Framework complements the Fiji National Development Plan 2017-2036: "Transforming Fiji"; particularly in the areas of environment and natural resource management, gender, social and community development, health, education, governance, and human rights.