Posted on 11 May 2023
At the end of last month, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, visited Vanuatu to discuss climate impact and action.
The visit comes as the nation still reels from the effects of Cyclones Judy and Kevin, and during her visit the Secretary-General was informed of the health implications of the disasters. She spoke to the commonwealths acknowledgement and commitment to the wider issue, saying they “will continue to support Vanuatu and other small states and vulnerable countries to build resilience, adapt to new realities and address loss and damage.”
She also commended the Pacific nation on their success on leading the UN resolution calling for advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on Climate Change. “There is a strong need for collective action to address the impact of climate change on small island developing states like Vanuatu, which are particularly vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather events,” she concludes in her statement.