THE MINISTER FOR YOUTH AND SPORTS HONOURABLE PARVEEN KUMAR BALA
 Radisson Blu Resort, Denerau, Nadi
Friday, 16th October, 2020, 12:30PM

• Master of Ceremonies
• His Excellency-United Kingdom High Commissioner to Fiji
• Officer-in-Charge for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Director for the United Nations Population Fund in the Pacific- Ms.Jeniffer Butler
• Youth Participants
• Members of the Media
• Ladies and Gentlemen

Bula Vinaka and a very good afternoon to you all,
It is an honour to be here with you all today to officially close the 3-day workshop on Pacific Youth Engagement: Human Rights and Climate Change in the Pacific.
At the outset, I wish to express my appreciation to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Regional Office of the Pacific for organizing this event, let me assure you that our government understands and appreciates just how important this type of engagement is for our youths.
This is a timely event given that this week, on the 13th of October, marked the International Day for Disaster Reduction.
Ladies and Gentlemen, our Fijian youths account for 34 percent or about three hundred thousand (300,000) out of the total national population. The Fijian Government recognizes that the active engagement of youth in sustainable development efforts is central to achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals.
We also recognize the active participation of youths is vital to avert the worst threats and challenges to sustainable development, including the impacts of climate change, such as unemployment, poverty, gender inequality, conflict, and migration.

Climate emergency directly and indirectly threatens the full and effective enjoyment of a range of human rights throughout the world, including the rights to life, water and sanitation, food, health, housing, education, self-determination, culture and development. Indeed, the global climate emergency presents perhaps the most profound planet-wide threat to human rights that we have seen since World War II.
My ministry has its plan in place which is aligned to the National Development Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals, outlining our goals, objectives and strategies, crosscutting in almost all areas on the National Development Plan and Sustainable Development Goals.

This workshop has come in the middle of challenging times for us all. Globally, we have been badly affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. At this point, I must acknowledge the sadness it has swept across the world to so many families due to illness and death.

However, despite the impact of climate change as well as the pandemic, it has also enabled us to rethink how we do things and how we approach new and innovative ways of moving forward. I use the word enabled, but it has also forced many of us to re-think how and why approach pathways to move us forward. I know during discussions through this workshop, you will no doubt have extended discussions along these lines.

I trust that the 30 youth leaders from the Pacific region have converged here both in person and virtually have had a productive 3 days.
Ladies and Gentlemen, guided and united by the promise of the 2013 Constitution, our nation especially our youths, stand among the most profound examples in the world of the power of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to inspire and motivate people across borders, across oceans and across societies. Fiji has embraced of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in transforming lives in our country, through an agenda of impactful and innovative policies. And our international advocacy in defence of the rights of all vulnerable people especially our youths continues to be amplified from the highest echelons of global leadership.
Around the world, and in the Pacific, youth organizations are leading movements to raise awareness, advocate and guide the political debate on climate change and call for urgent climate action. Youth organizations in the Pacific have started to advocate at the global, regional and local level for a right based approach highlighting the linkage between climate change and the negative impacts on Pacific islanders’ human rights… I know during discussions through this workshop, you will no doubt have extended discussions along these lines.
With climate change being one of the greatest challenge facing humanity, the Fijian Government prioritizes the issue in its development agenda. The Ministry has set in place a 10-months program on ‘Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction’ at the Youth Training Centers in Nasinu and Labasa.This will ensure the youths are trained and empowered to tackle Climate Change issues and impacts.

And we are committed to our Fijian youths and are continually assisting in combating issues arising from climate change such as those related to food security and sustainability.By providing farm implements, access to expert advice and by monitoring our grants – MYS is committed to creating a structure that will continue to incentivize this sector well beyond the pandemic.
Under the Ministry, our recent efforts have been to register and put into place a systemic manner independent and accessible youth groups across Fiji. In the past year, we have appointed 29 youth officers and a good part of their field and outreach work is in this area. This outreach programs feeds into our youth network, and as you will know, the National Youth Council forms the apex body for Fiji.
The Ministry is committed to more research and development work in this area to improve consultations and reporting on these, as a means of empowering youths in the process towards a systemic culture of independent youth groups across Fiji.
On that concluding note, allow me to thank the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
And I look forward to seeing the enabling pathways that will lead to a better future for our youths – and that means a better future for all Fijians.
-Thank You and Vinakavakalevu-