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Tonga attending the 2023 Regional Conference on Preserving Statehood and Protecting Persons
Apr 08, 2023
Legal Options and Institutional Responses to the Impacts of Sea-Level Rise, in the context of International Law. 27 - 30 March 2022, Hilton Hotel, Denarau, Fiji.
The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) jointly with the Pacific Community (SPC) funded participants from the Government of Tonga to take part in a regional conference on preserving statehood and projection of Pacific people that are affected by sea level rise from an international law perspective held at Hilton Hotel, Denarau, Fiji during 27-30 March 2023.
The delegates were welcomed by the Secretary General of PIF, Mr. Henry Puna, and opening remarks by The Honourable Mark Brown, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, followed by the conference keynote from Tuvalu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Simon Kofe, a Pacific Champion on Climate Change. The Conference is Chaired by the Cook Island’s Ambassador to Fiji, His Excellency Jim Armistead.
The objectives of the Conference are to identify relevant international legal and policy instruments governing statehood and the protection of persons affected by sea-level rise; analyse and unpack the challenges/complexities in these instruments, in the context of the threats posed by sea-level; and prioritise, policy and legal options and institutional responses to addressing these challenges, and ultimately to promoting the preservation of statehood and the protection of persons affected by sea-level rise.
The Conference is attended by Pacific Island States, Development Partners, and Experts in the Law of the Sea, including, Tuvalu, FSM, RMI, Kiribati, PNG, Cook Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Australia, New Zealand. Tonga was represented by a delegation formed by the Prime Minister’s Office, Deputy Secretary, Ms. ‘Olita Tupou; Attorney General’s Office, Legal Counsel, Ms. Madelene Lavemaau; and led by the Ministry of Lands, Survey, Planning and Natural Resources, Head o Tonga Geological Services, Taaniela Kula.
Published Apr 08, 2023 Last update on Apr 08, 2023