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Digitalization and Inclusive Social Development in Fiji: Remarks by Fiji's Permanent Representative to the 59 Session of the C

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Digitalization and Inclusive Social Development in Fiji: Remarks by Fiji's Permanent Representative to the 59 Session of the C DIGITALIZATION AND INCLUSIVE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN FIJI: REMARKS BY FIJI’S PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE 59TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT New York, 16 February 2021 Madam President and Chair, Ni sa bula Vinaka and good morning to you. Allow me to share our thoughts and condolences with all those who have lost loved ones – here in our host country and across the World to the dreadful COVID 19 Pandemic. Fiji is a small island state in the Pacific. Its distance and relative isolation have not protected it from the COVID 19 pandemic. Sadly, we too have lost lives. But through determined national action; coordination and extreme care the community spread of COVID has remained contained. President we have a few days ago marked 300 days of zero community spread of the COVID-19. A remarkable feat for a small country – one that demonstrates that sound leadership; determined community action and the best of science when combined is a great force for social development. But the price is high. For a tourism dependent economy and society; Fiji has suffered a brutal blow to its social and economic progress. Fiji’s economy has contracted by -19 percent over the last year – highest in the Pacific and one of the highest across all of SIDS. In spite of this scale of devastation and the need for extreme prioritization of resources arising from COVID-19; the Fijian Government has taken extreme care in ensuring that all its social protection programs are fully protected during this period. Cash transfers to its elderly; to families in extreme poverty and to households with disability has been protected. These will remain protected. Income support continues to be provided to tens of thousands of Fijians who have lost their jobs in the tourism and in other sectors of the economy. But this is not the sole catastrophe that Fiji has confronted during the period of the COVID pandemic. Climate crisis has been relentless. Since the start of the COVID Pandemic, Fiji has faced three climate catastrophes – first the Category 4 Cyclone Harold in February last year; followed by the Category 5 monster Cyclone Yasa in December. This was followed by Cyclone Ana less than 2 weeks ago. This is not normal - that we know. What we know less about is how the relentlessness of the climate crisis impacts on the poorest and the most vulnerable; and especially on women and disabled. Poorest families are most likely to lose their homes or suffer severe damages to their homes during these cataclysmic events. Women, children and disabled are more likely to be wounded 2 during cyclones or fall victim to post cyclone diseases. These families are more likely to be furthest away from urban centers; from health centers and from other support services generally. Just as COVID 19 has wiped away years of social progress and SDG progress; these three cataclysmic events have wiped away years, if not decades of social progress – all in full view of the global community. However dark the journey ahead looks; we as you are embolden that we have the SDG’s as our rock solid lighthouse. That will and must remain our pathway forward. As I speak today, Fiji’s Prime Minister is on the Island of Vanua Levu in Fiji – my home island. He met Nabavatu villagers yesterday – a village near the epicentre of Cyclone Yasa in December. Its elders have called on him to relocate the whole village now. Not far from this is Cogea – a village at the epicentre of Cyclone Yasa. Irs elders have also requested the Government to commence their relocation. Both these villages are added to the 45 already identified by the Government. How many villages and how many communities must we relocate before we attract international attention? Madam President I draw your attention to three issues especially. Often those villages and communities most in harms way are those who are already amongst the poorest and most socially and economy vulnerable. 3 Secondly, relocations are always difficult. Protecting the disabled; and the most vulnerable and especially elderly are extremely difficult measures. In the same way as in each of the climate catastrophes; the most severely impacted by the COVID pandemic is also the most vulnerable across the country – exactly the same sub-community. This is a difficult reality. We draw the attention of the whole of the UN system and the international community. Madam President, We know we cannot reboot our progress to the SDG’s and advance the protection of our most vulnerable if we remain at the backend of the global supply chain for the COVID19 vaccines. Even if this were corrected overnight, tourism will take years to recover. We too want to build back better. But we cannot do so if access to concessionary finance on scale and speed remains unavailable. We know we cannot advance social protection and secure SDG’s if we remain largely frozen from climate adaptation funds on the scale on which it is needed. Madam President and Excellencies, Across both the COVID and the climate crisis; digital technologies offer enormous potential to help to advance social development and inclusion. 4 We have seen for the first time the private sector offer free internet coupons; rather than food and other emergency response measures for all those affected by climate catastrophes. This has helped to map and speed up recovery. The digital Fiji Care app remains the backbone for containment of COVID 19. It will be crucial to fully reopening the Fijian tourism sector. Digital platforms are now being used routinely across the country for cash transfers for vulnerable households and families. As Fiji’s builds on its efforts; there is a clear approach to placing digitalization at the heart of the our recovery and of our SDG story. Fiji has already achieved 100 percent school enrolment rates. Girls and boys are able to complete 15 years of education for free and able to complete university/college education should they wish to do so – for rich, middle income and the poor alike. This most fundamental human right will be firmly protected. This is a remarkable story of the determination of a small island state. The Fijian Government has opened exciting opportunities for private sector to lead in shaping a networked and digitalized economy; including for provision of education. There is sustained progress on digitalization of social services; and expanding access to services especially for women and vulnerable families across a country of hundreds of island. I am very pleased that the UN funds and programs have responded favorably to support these efforts as well; from 5 supporting Government to extend services to communities especially across our remote island communities; to supporting innovation hubs to develop and incubate new technologies that can help speed up the SDG’s including climate and oceans action; including in areas such as forestry, biodiversity and coral reef protection and traceability of marine foods. The three cyclones that are we recovering from concurrently have demonstrated the central role of digital technologies in disaster response and relief. A socially just transformation has to place digital technologies at its heart – in Fiji and across the PSIDS region especially. Thank you. Vinaka vakalevu. 6 .
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