In his Courtesy visit to the Hon. Prime Minister, Jotham NAPAT, on the 14th of March 2025, His Excellency Dirk WAGENER, the United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) for the Pacific, exchange constructive views on issues of collaboration and mutual interest.
Initially, the Hon. Prime Minister welcome the UNRC, and commend his strong leadership in supporting the Vanuatu NSDP 2030 priorities. Words of acknowledgement extended to the UNRC for the humanitarian support by the UN during the aftermath of cyclone Pam, the twin Judy and Keven, Harold, Volcanic ash in Tanna, and the recent post 7.4 magnitude earthquake.
The UNRC congratulate the PM on his election and formally conveys congratulations on behalf of the UN Secretary-General to the Government. He re-affirmed that UN remains committed to working closely with the new Government to advance key priorities, including climate change, recovery, and the SDGs, in these critical times.
With regards to the International Climate Change Advisory Opinion (ICJ) on the Climate Change initiative, the Hon Prime Minister highlights that Vanuatu with other Climate vulnerable countries, including SIDS, made some strong and convincing arguments in favour of the initiative. The Advisory Opinion (AO) outcome is expected for in mid-2025, and will be brough back to the UNGA for a resolution on the AO outcome. Accordingly, he solicits the support of UN in ensuring that the AO decision be placed as an agenda for the Sept/Oct 2025 on the UN calendar. Hon NAPAT also points out that while we may not have a consensus, like the initial UNGA resolution advising the ICJ to take on the AO proceedings, given the anticipated sensitivity of the ICJAO outcome, we remain hopeful for a wide majority of support from the UN members.
Hon PM also seeks UN Support on the United Nation Peace Keeping deployment for our Police and Military Officers. He requests for the UNRC to work with the United Nations Peace Keeping Operation (UNKPO) to ensure the deployment of the 6 officers that are selected, after pre-deployment training in Jakarta in 2024, to be deployed to South Sudan as per prior arrangements.
Furthermore, the Hon. Prime Minister confirmed that COM, since yesterday, has endorsed for the re-collocation of the United Nations Joint Presence Office (UNJPO) in Vanuatu to the ABC Center Building, as per our Host Country Agreements. In the long-term plan, PM alluded that COM endorse to provide Land for a UN House purposely to expand UN Presence in country, hence, more support by UN to the Government and people of Vanuatu.
In responding to the Hon. PM’s soliciting views on the President Trump abrupt Executive Order withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the WHO and USAID, Mr.WAGENER, affirm that UN Charter allows for UN reform, and correspondingly, UN will reform its institutions to carter for the funding losses. He further affirmed that SIDS, like Vanuatu, are a priority group under UN for at least the forthcoming decades given our vulnerability, and the funding loss will not be felt heavily within our region.
