Statement by the Hon. Patron of the United Nations Association of Fiji
Embassy of the Republic of Fiji
Jakarta
Excellencies, Invited Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen
SELEMAT PAGI (from Jakarta), BULA VINAKA, AND GREETINGS TO YOU ALL (in Suva & other places linking into today’s virtual event)
I welcome you all to the WEBSITE LAUNCHING OF THE UN ASSOCIATION OF FIJI, which in my opinion is a very important and timely milestone, critical to the growth of knowledge and understanding of this young organisation- the UN Association of Fiji- and achieving its important vision and mission.It is indeed a great honour to be given this opportunity as patron of the association to address this esteemed virtual forum with a few opening remarks before the actual official launching of the website itself.
With all protocols observed, let me first acknowledge the presence of HE Tregar Albon Ishoda, my dear friend, the Ambassador of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to Fiji and the Pacific Islands, and Vice-Patron. Iakwe Excellency!, Also acknowledging the presence of Suva-based HOMs and diplomats if there are those that I may have missed unintentionally, in particular H.E George Edgar, British High Commissioner to Fiji. Bula Vinaka Excellency and to you all!
Let me also welcome the presence of the Coordinators of Reverse the Trent USA, who provided the financial support; the PEAC Institute that provided the technical and human resources support and the Graphic Designer, and all UNAF advisers, for the important tasks completed in building the website- with all your sincere inputs we duly acknowledge and appreciate. On behalf of the Association, I sincerely thank you for all your dedication and support towards the fulfillment of this project today.
Allow me also to thank the organizers of the event today, the President & Founder of UNA Fiji, Mr. Akmal Ali (Ak), for his dedication and commitment– the young & budding minds- who are working tirelessly with Ak to grow their knowledge and understanding of global politics, diplomacy, and multilateralism through UNA Fiji. Congratulations to you Ak & your Executive Team for the solid groundwork and efforts you have put together for this event and I note that you have formed such an excellent bonding with your Executive Team there in Suva and the results are showing well.
As the Patron of UNA Fiji, I am very encouraged by the fast growth of this young organisation since its founding in October 2014. I am equally proud to say that since its inception, approximately 250-300 young people from various backgrounds have been trained by the Association. I am aware that currently, there are 45 students undergoing basic diplomacy training, and spaces are usually filled up very quickly every time there is a new batch for training. It is evident that there is a demand for more of such training in Fiji in the future and I am confident that more rollout training calendars will be planned for the future as much-needed resources are secured. And as Fijian Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia, I am very keen to continue supporting UNAF in whatever ways I can from here in Jakarta.
The growth of the Association has reflected a deep commitment of its founder and the Association to escalate its mission in empowering students who are interested in learning and understanding the intricacies of bilateralism, plurilateralism, multilateralism, and the tools of global diplomacy- be it public, economic, climate, ocean, finance, and so forth. The UN Association Fiji has therefore clearly demonstrated from its previous training that such a feat can only be achieved with sheer dedication and commitments and with the necessary support of all relevant stakeholders that play a key role in this training space. With such a level of commitment by you all, the future of the Association is very bright indeed.
Excellencies, Ladies & Gentlemen, today is an important day as well in the UN global calendar of events, when in 2015, on the same day, the UN SDGs 2030 “No One Left Behind” was launched in NY. I was in the UN General Assembly Hall on that day the 25th of September 2015 when the SDGs were launched. And today, to commemorate that day, and to remind us all of the significance of that day where global Leaders agreed on global commitments for the 17 SDGs to be achieved by 2030, what a great day to coincide it with the launching of the UNAF Website in Suva.
In launching the UNA Fiji Website on this day, it is a practical demonstration by the Association of the importance of the UNSDGs and how it can contribute to its achievements, that I firmly believe in having such an important tool as a website will be very useful in extending its capacity and reach in the dissemination of knowledge and understanding of the SDGs by the Association.
Excellencies, as we all know, the globe has been devastated by the coronavirus and we in Fiji and the Asia region have not been spared and while we are reeling from its adverse impacts, it has disrupted key economic sectors that we strongly rely upon. The coronavirus pandemic has amplified the fragilities of the structurally weak economies we have. Ongoing investment in various sectors relevant for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals come 2030 are therefore critical.
Equally important and critically vital are investments in empowering and tooling up of our youths and learners who are keen in pursuing knowledge of SDGs and other UN global issues as they take place through best practices, learning, and understanding of international law governing the multiplicity of issues, its complexities, and challenges in their worlds ahead. Learning and owning such a body of knowledge is fundamental in achieving the SDGs, might I add.
Excellencies, the role of UNA Fiji in this context is vital as it provides a necessary platform and conduit for such a space to exist and “learning” to take place for our Fijian youths. When such a space exists, empowering our youths to pursue their career aspirations in global discourses becomes very attractive and rolling out, as necessary knowledge is shared and inculcated. And hopefully, UNAF can expand its horizons to other interested youth stakeholders in the Pacific region in the near future should there be demand for it.
It will be remiss on my part not to thank all friends and partners of UNAF that have been currently supporting the Association, and also those that are keen to support us in the near future. Your timely assistance will enable UNAF to undertake these important endeavors at such a critical time as this is under a new norm we are in. We look forward to your constructive engagement and support going forward into the future on how best UNAF can display and undertake this role.
Excellencies, Invited Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen, with these few remarks, I hereby launch the new website of the UNA Fiji and I wish the launching celebration a great event and success.
Terima kasih banyak / Vinaka Vakalevu / Dhanyavaad / Thank you very much
About the Hon. Patron
Ambassador Mr. Amenatave V Yauvoli (Amena) is the Patron of UNA Fiji. As our Patron, he acts as our Ambassador, Chief Adviser, and Motivator.
Ambassador Mr. Yauvoli is currently the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Fiji to the Republic of Indonesia;High Commissioner to Singapore; High Commissioner to Malaysia; Permanent Representative to UNESCAP in Bangkok. Before this, he was the Roving Ambassador /High Commissioner to the Pacific Islands / Special Envoy to CROP agencies (ad-interim).
Ambassador Mr. Amena is a seasoned Fijian/Pacific civil servant and diplomat. He was the Director-General of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat in Port Vila, Republic of Vanuatu, a post he assumed in April 2016.
Before joining the MSG Secretariat, he was Interim Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) with the subsequent appointment as Fiji’s Ambassador for Climate Change and Oceans, with both positions being resident in Suva, Fiji.
Apart from other senior Fijian Government appointments, Ambassador Mr. Amena had also served as Senior Policy Adviser for Sustainable Development with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) from January 2004 to December 2005 and Manager/Director of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community North Pacific Regional Office in the Federated States of Micronesia from February 2008 to December 2012.
Ambassador Mr. Amena also served as Fiji’s Diplomatic Deputy Representative in New York from 2000 to 2003 and also previously served as Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Permanent Secretary of Commerce, Investment, Industry, and Communication in the Fijian Government.
Since 2000 to date, Ambassador Mr. Amena has been involved widely in international negotiations at the UN in the areas of sustainable development, oceans, and climate change, the latter as Chair of the Group of 77 & China, and Chair of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation under the UN Climate.
Ambassador Mr. Amena graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Management from the University of the South Pacific (USP) in 1988, a Master of Commerce (Honours) in Development Economics from the University of Wollongong, Australia in 1996. He has attended numerous courses and attachments throughout his career, including a three months attachment with the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland. Mr. Yauvoli has contributed enormously to public policy discourses for Fiji and the Pacific region in the areas of finance, trade, climate change, and sustainable development.