In his recent courtesy visit to Prime Minister Jotham Napat, Excellency Dirk Wagener, the United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) for the Pacific, exchanged constructive views on issues of collaboration and mutual interest.
Initially, the Prime Minister welcomed the UNRC and commended Mr Wagener’s 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 7.4 magnitude earthquake at the end of 2024.
The UNRC congratulated the Prime Minister on his election and formally conveyed 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 Prime Minister highlighted that Vanuatu with other climate vulnerable countries, including SIDS, made some strong arguments in favour of the initiative.
The Advisory Opinion outcome is expected in mid-2025, and will be brought back to the UNGA for a resolution on the AO outcome. Accordingly, the Prime Minister has solicited the support of UN in ensuring that the AO decision be placed as an agenda for the September-October 2025 on the UN calendar.
The Prime Minister also pointed 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.
The Prime Minister also sought UN support on the United Nation peace keeping deployment for our police and military officers.
He requested for the UNRC to work with the United Nations Peace Keeping Operation (UNKPO) to ensure the deployment of the six officers that have been selected, after pre-deployment training in Jakarta in 2024, to be deployed to South Sudan as per prior arrangements.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister confirmed that COM has endorsed for the relocation 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 the Prime Minister said that COM has endorsed plans to provide land for a UN House purposely to expand the UN presence in country.
In responding to the prime minister’s soliciting views on the US President’s abrupt executive orders and withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the WHO and USAID, Mr. Wagener affirmed that the UN Charter allows for UN reform, and correspondingly, the UN will reform its institutions to cater 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 losses will not be felt heavily within our region.