Bula Vinaka and good morning Hon. Ministers, Excellencies and Senior Trade Officials,

• It gives me great pleasure to join you all today, for the first in-person ACCTS Ministerial Meeting.
• Minister of New Zealand, I would like to thank you and your team for organising this event today.
• You are not just coordinating ACCTS here in Geneva, but also holding the fort and trying your best to get a deal on the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement. We, the Pacific nations, are looking up to you and commit to provide our full support, where possible to have a deal.
• We had very tough negotiations yesterday on fisheries subsidies. But we are seeing a continued impasse and hope there will be an outcome today that is beneficial for everyone.
• However, the mood around the corridors of the WTO indicates further depletion of confidence in the multilateral trading system.
• We need to renew and reaffirm our momentum, our ambition and commitment in ACCTS.
• The ACCTS is the new future of trade agreements now. It looks at delivering real solutions to existing problems, and delivering them fast. Not in 10 or 20-years time.
• It is upon us as Ministers to garner as much support for ACCTS to make it a global agreement.
• I have heard from my officials that good progress has taken place after the 9th round of negotiations. And that modalities are being discussed by our Chief Negotiators to continue with the progress made in the coming rounds.
• I acknowledge the progress made so far in the negotiations and although there may be some temporary divergences, I am sure our officials will continue to engage and show flexibility, where it’s most needed, to achieve the mandate given by our leaders.
• Whilst in Geneva, it is my mission to create awareness and urge the WTO community at large to find innovative solutions to this century’s worst crisis – Climate Change. This started with Fiji’s participation at the side events at OECD and COP 26, last year. We have continued to promote and give glory to ACCTS at the national level and regional levels.
• I participated in a dialogue on fostering Multilateral Cooperation on Trade and Climate Nexus. Climate discussions often focus on trade as a major contributor to global warming. But with the right policy mix, we can encourage clean production and trade in climate-friendly goods and services. This is where trade can become part of the solution. I used this platform to create awareness on what we are doing on ACCTS.
• I also talked about how plastics have continued to be a key pollutant that have “littered” not only our towns and cities, but is choking the ocean and our critical marine life. Fiji introduced the Informal Dialogue on Plastic Pollution at the Committee on Trade and Environment in 2020. The initiative seeks to address the rising environmental, health and economic cost of plastics pollution.
• Honourable Ministers, undoubtedly, we have all set definitive timelines to achieve specific climate goals. Fiji has also set ambitious goals for itself as we work to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Recently, we have achieved a historic milestone with the passing of our Climate Change Act, given the need to mitigate the effects of climate change.
• We remain committed to tackling the climate change crises and building climate resilience. Hence, by ensuring that we craft an impactful and meaningful Agreement, is how we can do justice to our people and the world at large.
• Fiji remains committed, open and flexible to work with the ACCTS Participants to conclude all the 4 Pillars of the ACCTS.
• Thank you, Honourable Ministers.