Statement by SPREP Director General Mr Sefanaia Nawadra during the High-Level Segment of the Twenty-ninth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Baku Azerbaijan.
"Distinguished Heads of State and Excellencies, Salam, and warm Pacific Island greetings,
Ilham aliyev President of COP 29, Your government, and people are so kind and friendly, it has made Baku feel like home though a bit colder than we are used to.
I remind us of the urgency of our mission for 1.5 to stay alive and to continue to thrive, in solidarity for a green world. What we do here determines the world we leave our future generations. For Small Island Developing States these negotiations are existential and we cannot afford to leave any stone or barrier unturned.
The success of this COP depends on our determining the New Collective Quantified Goals. The NCQG is not merely a climate investment target; it is fundamentally about enabling us as the most vulnerable to have easy access to the long-term resources and financing necessary to address the impacts of climate change that we are experiencing now and will increasingly experience into the future.
I express my deep concern over the dilution of the special circumstances of SIDS through the introduction of new language and additional references to other regions within the NCQG, which are inconsistent with the foundations laid in Rio and principles of the Paris Agreement. The establishment of the NCQG must encompass adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage, while also providing for readiness, capacity building, and technology transfer.
Distinguished delegates,
A COP29 package must ensure that the 1.5°C target remains within reach, accompanied by a mitigation outcome that facilitates just transition to the fossil fuel free future we all need.
This imperative has been emphatically conveyed by Ministers at the High-Level Ministerial Roundtable on Pre-2030 Ambition, therefore, the COP29 decisions must follow through with the continued calls advocated by the Parties of the Paris Agreement as a demonstration of leadership and commitment.
Adaptation continues to be an essential element for Island States and the Global Goal on Adaptation will bolster SIDS adaptive capacity, strengthen their resilience, while reducing their vulnerabilities, to aide countries in this pursuit will be the means of implementation and the indicators to help measure adaptation interventions.
Your Excellencies,
Let us remember once more the urgency of our mission to 1.5, in solidarity for a green world, and the impact of our decisions on future generations. For Small Island Developing States their survival is non-negotiable.
I thank you for your time and attention."
COP29 is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan from 11 - 22 November, 2024