India Pacific Islands Sustainable Development Conference hosted by the Government of India in Suva, Fiji on the 25th & 26th May 2017, represented by all the 14 Pacific Islands nations, marked yet another crucial step in India’s pioneering initiative in engaging with the Pacific Island Countries. The objective of the meeting was to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience and initiate partnerships and collaborations for the benefit of all participating countries. Issues discussed include blue economy, international solar alliance initiatives and climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster preparedness:
Blue Economy with its wide range of valuable resources and potential is recognised as top priority for generating employment, food security, poverty alleviation and ensuring sustainability in business and economic models. There is commitment to establish a common vision that would make this sector a driver for balanced economic development; research and development; investment, technology transfer, with capacity building being crucial in exploring the full potential of the oceans for the socio-economic benefit in the region.
The importance of the national green development aspirations and national plans to provide secure, affordable, widely accessible, high quality, clean energy initiatives and incentives in nation that are commonly addressed by the Paris Declaration on the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was stressed upon with emphasis on the opportunity to look at ISA initiatives on energy development as key drivers of sustainable development in the global context of the ‘2030 Sustainable Development Agenda’ and the regional frameworks for resilient development in the Pacific Nations.
India and the Pacific region faced similar challenges in terms of natural disasters; such as floods, droughts, cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes and in this context the government of Tonga expressed appreciation for assistance provided by the Government of India particularly in enhancing of the Tonga’s Information, Communications & Technology (ICT) Infrastructure, Disaster Early Warning system and monitoring equipment for the government’s communication sector.
Forum for India-Pacific Islands cooperation (FIPIC) launched during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Fiji in November 2014 is a multinational grouping for cooperation between India and 14 Pacific Islands nations which include Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
India’s focus has largely been on the Indian Ocean where it has sought to play a major role and protect its strategic and commercial interests. The FIPIC initiative marks a serious effort to expand India’s engagement in the Pacific region.
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