The UN Special Rapporteur highlighted that Vanuatu’s tropical cyclones and other climate-related events severely damaged the island’s infrastructure and destroyed villages. This has limited the population’s access to vital government services and displaced many people who fled disaster-stricken areas in search of shelter and job opportunities. Morgera also pointed out that climate change impacted the rights of women, disabled people, and children who faced an increased risk of violence and discrimination during emergency evacuations and struggled to meet their essential needs. Additionally, she stated that climate change is undermining the right to education for children in Vanuatu as schools often close or are converted into evacuation centers, leading to interruptions in education for extended periods.
Morgera urged the Vanuatu government to strengthen the protection of its population’s human rights during climate disasters by ratifying the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.
Moreover, she emphasized the need for support from the international community, especially industrialized countries, for developing countries that have contributed the least to the global climate crisis but are the most affected by climate change. She called on high-emission countries to fulfill their international obligations under the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These obligations include increasing their mitigation efforts and providing financial assistance to nations severely impacted by climate change. Morgera also recommended that international support be tailored to local needs by funding community-driven projects that take into consideration Vanuatu’s cultural and geographical context.
Elisa Morgera’s statement comes a few days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) opened the hearings on the obligations of states concerning climate change based on a request initiated by the Vanuatu government. Vanuatu is an island archipelago in the South Pacific that is ranked as a high disaster-risk country and considered one of the most affected states by climate change.
In recent months, the issues of human rights and climate justice have garnered significant global attention and advocacy from various rights groups. The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) adopted a new agreement to enhance indigenous peoples’ role in biodiversity preservation efforts. However, developed countries continue to face increasing pressure and criticism for not providing sufficient funding to compensate for the losses and damage caused by climate change which infringe upon the rights of vulnerable populations. Furthermore, this year’s UN climate conference COP29 focused primarily on climate finance but was perceived as a disappointment by developing countries, which deemed the finance proposals as inadequate to address the damages suffered by their nations.
Palau's president invites Donald Trump to 'visit the Pacific' to see climate crisis impacts
lydia.lewis@rnz.co.nz
Surangel Whipps Jr, left, wants US President-elect Donald Trump to see firsthand the impacts of climate change. Photo: RNZ Pacific / PICRC
Palau's President Surangel Whipps Jr is inviting United States President-elect Donald Trump to "visit the Pacific" to see firsthand the impacts of the climate crisis.
Palau is set to host the largest annual Pacific leaders meeting in 2026, and the country's leader Whipps told RNZ Pacific he would "love" Trump to be there.
He said he might even take the American leader, who's often criticised as a climate change denier, snorkelling in Palau's pristine waters.
Whipps said he has seen the damage to the marine ecosystem.
"I was out snorkelling on Sunday, and once again, it's unfortunate, but we had another heat, very warm, warming of the oceans, so I saw a lot of bleached coral.
"It's sad to see that it's happening more frequently and these are just impacts of what is happening around the world because of our addiction to fossil fuel."
Bleached corals in Palau. Photo: Dr Piera Biondi / Palau International Coral Reef Center
"I would very much like to bring [Trump] to Palau if he can. That would be a fantastic opportunity to take him snorkelling and see the impacts. See the islands that are disappearing because of sea level rise, see the taro swamps that are being invaded."
Whipps said Americans were experiencing the impacts in states such as Florida and North Carolina.
"I mean, that's something that you need to experience. I mean, they're experiencing [it] in Florida and North Carolina.
"They just had major disasters recently and I think that's the rallying call that we all need to take responsibility."
However, Trump is not necessarily known for his support of climate action. Instead, he has promised to "drill baby drill" to expand oil and gas production in the US.
Palau International Coral Reef Center researcher Christina Muller-Karanasos said surveying of corals in Palau was underway after multiple reports of bleaching.
She said the main cause of coral bleaching was climate change.
"It's upsetting. There were areas where there were quite a lot of bleaching.
"The most beautiful and pristine reef and amount of fish and species of fish that I've ever seen. It's so important for the health of the reef. The healthy reef also supports healthy fish populations, and that's really important for Palau."
Bleached corals in Palau. Photo: Palau International Coral Reef Center
University of Hawaii Manoa's Dr Tarcisius Tara Kabutaulaka suspects Trump will focus on the Pacific, but for geopolitical gains.
"It will be about the militarisation of the climate change issue that you are using climate change to build relationships so that you can ensure you do the counter China issue as well."
He believed Trump has made his position clear on the climate front.
"He said, and I quote, 'that it is one of the great scams of all time'. And so he is a climate crisis denier."
It is exactly the kind of comment President Whipps does not want to hear, especially from a leader of a country which Palau is close to, or from any nation.
"We need the United States, we need China, and we need India and Russia, to be the leaders to make sure that we put things on track," he said.
Bleached corals in Palau. Photo: Palau International Coral Reef Center
For the Pacific, the climate crisis is the biggest existential and security threat.
Leaders like Whipps are considering drastic measures, including the nuclear energy option.
"We've got to look at alternatives, and one of those is nuclear energy. It's clean, it's carbon free," he told RNZ Pacific.
By AFP
December 5, 2024
Lai's Pacific tour has angered Beijing
Akio WANG
Taiwan’s largest coast guard patrol ship took part in a joint rescue drill in Palau on Friday, as visiting President Lai Ching-te fortifies ties in the Pacific where China has been poaching its allies.
Palau is among 12 nations that still recognise Taiwan’s claim to statehood, after China convinced others to sever diplomatic relations with Taipei in favour of Beijing.
Lai’s Pacific tour, which has included two stops on US soil, has drawn a barrage of criticism from China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes any international recognition of the island.
Lai arrived in Palau on Thursday after visiting the American territory Guam where he spoke with Republican US House Speaker Mike Johnson — the highest-level US contact the Taiwanese leader has had during his week-long trip.
China bristles at any official contact between Taipei and Washington, which is Taiwan’s most important backer and bigger arms supplier.
A 2022 visit to Taiwan by then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi prompted China to launch military drills around the self-ruled island.
Beijing on Thursday urged the United States to “stop sending wrong signals” following the Lai-Johnson call, warning of the “serious danger that separatist acts of Taiwan independence pose to peace and security across the Taiwan Strait”.
Taiwan faces the constant threat of a military attack by China, which regularly deploys fighter jets and warships around the island to press its claims, and Beijing has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control.
On Friday, Lai and his Palau counterpart Surangel Whipps Jr watched a joint rescue exercise involving the 4,000-tonne Yulin, Taiwan’s largest coast guard patrol ship in service, and two vessels donated by Taiwan to Palau.
As part of the drill, several people were plucked from the water and brought for treatment to the Yulin, which is equipped with an operating room, X-ray machine and other medical equipment.
Earlier, Lai attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new “one-stop” government services building in Palau that Taiwan helped fund.
Lai hailed the building project “a model of successful bilateral cooperation” and said the Taiwan-Palau alliance was “rock solid”.
China and Taiwan have been governed separately since 1949, when Chiang Kai-shek’s nationalist forces were defeated by Mao Zedong’s communist fighters and fled to the island.
In his first public speech of the trip in the US state of Hawaii, Lai said Saturday there was a need to “fight together to prevent war”, warning there were “no winners” from conflict.
From Palau, Lai will fly to Taipei on Friday, wrapping up a trip that also included visits to Taiwan’s other Pacific island allies the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.
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