Intergovernmental Dialogue
Geographical focus:
Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Area of divergence
While the Dialogue had overall agreement around the big thematic topics in Section A of this form, there were some specific areas of divergence. These are part of larger discussions and issues in the region and require ongoing management to support food systems change. One topic that is contested in the region is land tenure and land rights. The Pacific region has 22 countries all with different land governance systems, so land discussions need to be contextual, and place based. There are trade-offs between customary approaches to land tenure and globalisation and liberalisation of food market
... Read mores and exports. Our Dialogue raised topics that differ from the overall UN Summit, such as strong ocean and fisheries governance, and blended traditional and scientific approaches to food systems. Importantly, the Pacific has a unique context in its inseparable connection between land and marine systems and shared contributors to livelihoods and identity. The Pacific is balancing the governance and management of a global asset (the ocean and its resources, such as tuna) with the local realities of poverty, food insecurity, and climate change. The geographical size of countries and their isolation makes them unique in the global context. Atoll countries and communities also have divergent issues to the larger mountainous Pacific countries. Atolls have very limited freshwater, poor quality soils, and are heavily dependent on food imports. They require unique solutions that deal with increasing salinity intrusion, limited food availability, and limited water supply. Read less
Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 5
Keywords: Environment and Climate, Governance, Human rights, Policy, Trade-offs