Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on Saturday that the country will be pledging over $450 million to aid Pacific island nations over the next three years in dealing with the effects of climate change.
Abe made the announcement at the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting with the aim of fostering resilient capabilities that will not give way to disasters or climate change. Held at the Spa Resort Hawaiians leisure complex in northeast Japan, the two-day meeting brought together the 17 members of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).
To better address natural calamities and climate change, Abe called for communities to be committed to upholding equality before the law, placing a premium on democracy and treating human rights with great regard.
"It is a commitment to make our ocean a sea that is both pacific and prosperous and a place that brings a promising future to each and every person living there," he said.
On top of its pledge, Japan will also be increasing people-to-people exchanges between the country and the region's other nations to a scale of about 4,000 people. According to the prime minister, this is to assist in cultivating technical skills and expertise.
When the summit ends, PIF member-nations will be adopting a leaders' declaration that will maintain order in the seas in line with international laws. To further discuss maritime concerns and other common issues, PIF leaders will meet again in the fall when the United Nations General Assembly convenes.
The declaration is envisioned to implement seven pillars of cooperation: trade, investment and tourism; maritime issues and fisheries; sustainable development; people-to-people exchanges; environment; climate change; and disaster risk reduction. It is also planned to include a new training program for young Pacific island leaders, which will complement the Pacific Climate Change Center that Japan will be establishing to train people as well.
The Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting occurs every three years. Since 1997, Japan has been hosting the summit. PIF members include Japan, Australia, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and New Zealand.
At the last summit in 2012, Japan also pledged assistance to island nations in the Pacific amounting to about half a billion dollars. At the time, concerns about China's growing presence in the region's waters were already present. This year, China was also in mind as Abe revealed a new vision for diplomacy involving Tokyo and the rest of the region.
Photo: Chatham House | Flickr
