Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity can be strengthened by deepening the focus areas of the Pacific regional priorities in the 2050 Strategy.

PIANGO Executive Director Emeline Ilolahia in a pre-recorded video, echoed these words at the First Preparatory Committee Meeting on January 23 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

As the regional network representing civil society bodies across 24 Pacific Island countries and territories, PIANGO continues to focus on giving voice to public policy formulation centered on Pacific values and development effectiveness principle.

In her statement Ilolahia urged for inclusive and accountable political leadership with specific focus on participatory governance recognising safe civic space to development.

She said there's a need for resources and economic development where Small Islands Development State prosperity is more than economic development and financial mechanisms to be locally led.

"Climate crisis, is a humanitarian crisis with climate justice as core to our survival and development,"Ilolahia added saying that anticipatory action is the most practical way that address loss and damages and should ensure communities’ access to resources for climate adaptation, mitigation, relocation, resettlement and human security amidst the climate emergency.

She said Ocean and Environment are the pillar of our Pacific resilience and the need to safeguard our Ocean and natural resources and to better articulate the economic paradigm that promote exploitation and extractive practices rather that long-term conservation of biodiversity.

The two-minute video concluded with a powerful call for People Centered Development that embraced traditional culture and knowledge that is transformational and inclusive. This should guide SIDS development and must be for all SIDS people with a strong emphasis on human rights, addressing systems and structural drivers of poverty, inequality and injustice that reinforce family centered approached to wellbeing as our resilience and development is grounded on people.

You can view the video statement on https://youtu.be/EbcAhWsuV40

Acknowledgment

PIANGO acknowledges the tremendous support of our following partners with whose help our work is possible in the Pacific. Vinaka sara valevu, Shukriya, Ko rabwa, Meitaki Maata, Malo ‘Aupito, Fa’afetai lava, Fakaaue, Fakafetai lasi,Tangkyu tumas, Si Yu'os ma'åse', Kom̧m̧ooltata, Kalahngan, Ke kmal mesaul and Thank you to Brot für die Welt, Forus international, CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness, European Union in the Pacific, AFD - Agence Française de Développement

#Action4SD, Commonwealth Foundation, UNDP in the Pacific, UNICEF Pacific.

The Pacific Islands Association for Non-Governmental Organisations (PIANGO) has worked to give a voice in policy formulation, and directly contributes to the development and strengthening the capacity of the civil society sector in the Pacific for more than 30 years. The PIANGO network represents National Liaison Units (NLU) that serve as national Civil Society Organisations (CSO) platforms in 24 member countries and territories from the Pacific. By focusing on the theme “Rethinking Development and Reshaping the Pacific We Want By 2030”. PIANGO is currently working on the following priority areas: strengthening CSO platforms in the Pacific, development effectiveness, evidence-based policy advocacy and Pacific development leadership and decolonization and self-determination. To learn more about PIANGO and its members, visit www.piango.org.

Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Nanise Volau, Communications Officer, PIANGO.

Phone: +679 3300060

Email: [email protected]