Vanuatu
Building resilience - from COVID-19 to climate challenges
Ambassador Antas Sumbue is Vanuatu's Permanent Representative at the 澳门六合彩官网资料. He describes Vanuatu抯 experience in graduating from LDC status and highlights the country抯 commitment to addressing climate-related challenges.
Ambassador Antas Sumbue is Vanuatu's Permanent Representative at the 澳门六合彩官网资料.Can you tell us a bit about Vanuatu’s graduation from LDC status?
I remember sitting in my office in Geneva on 4 December 2020 looking at the snow outside my window. The streets were empty. The office was empty. It was the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. On that day, Vanuatu graduated from LDC status. I felt that it was a new era for Vanuatu. Our government was determined that we would graduate despite the difficulties the world was experiencing at the time.
How did Vanuatu overcome the difficulties of graduation?
First, Vanuatu ensured ownership of the graduation process. We had to disseminate information, we had to consult with development partners, and we had to talk to those who graduated before us.
Second, our development partners were very helpful. As you know, countries need to be assured that when they graduate, they will not be worse off. And that assurance has to come from development partners. Our development partners gave us that assurance.
Third, we relied on accurate and timely data. If we did not have data, it would have been very difficult to figure out what we were going to do next. Access to data is very important. We depend not only on our data at home but also on the statistics collected around the world.
What were some of the lessons learned?
One of the things that Vanuatu noted was the power of information communication. Our communities, our society, our businesses, our development partners, our friends had to have enough confidence that we would do the right thing. The whole UN community helped us assess possible impacts.
Still, there were some people in our country who were doubting. The government had to show the level of confidence to ensure that if Vanuatu graduated, the whole country would be graduating. So, we talked mostly about positive aspects of graduation and tried to ensure that everyone spoke with one voice.
What was the main challenge?
As you know, we did not meet the Vulnerability Index criteria when we graduated. Our vulnerabilities remain. In fact, because of climate change, you can see that natural disasters have increased. The intensity of cyclones, droughts and floods is increasing. I think countries like Vanuatu will remain vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, and countries must meet climate goals. That’s the challenge that we must face.
What are some of Vanuatu’s current priorities?
We have a positive approach to emerging issues. Climate finance, for example, is severely under-resourced at the moment. The demand is very high. Even in our own nationally determined contribution, we have several billion of dollars of funding needs. Still, we can only access a limited amount of funding. Climate change is a challenge of our time and we have to manage that.