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2021 HLPF SDG Template for Themes
a) Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the implementation of the SDGs under review in the 2021 HLPF from the vantage point of your intergovernmental body, bearing in mind the interlinkages with other SDGs;
- Pacific Island Forum Leaders recognised COVID-19 as a major crisis for the Blue Pacific region, its peoples, countries and economies and that the effects will be felt for months and years to come.
- In our Blue Pacific region, we are faced with a three-pronged crisis – the impact of COVID-19, the devastating effects of climate change and natural disasters, and the region's fragile economic health as a consequence of inherent vulnerabilities. Regional solidarity and global collective action are critical to overcoming these challenges.
- With the existing health challenges with the region's Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) crisis, the adverse health effects of COVID-19 particularly on vulnerable people with NCDs, and the significant pressures it is placing on health systems around the world. The Pacific took bold actions to restrict the spread of COVID-19 to and within our region and enforced unprecedented containment measures resulting in two-thirds of our Member States being COVID-19 free. While these measures have saved countless lives, they severely restricted our links to each other and the world.
- As a region, we quickly came together to confront the challenge of COVID-19 by invoking the Biketawa Declaration - our regional framework to collectively respond and assist one another in times of crisis. Pacific Forum Foreign Ministers met on 7 April 2020 to establish a Pacific Humanitarian Pathway on COVID-19 (PHP-C). The PHP-C has created a political space for dialogue, to ensure Member countries' request for assistance are effectively responded too.
- The PHP-C has enabled the regional distribution of COVID-19 testing supplies and PPE.
- Five common regional COVID-19 protocols are easing access to, and movement of, medical supplies and health workers through Forum Member countries. These common protocols, endorsed by the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers, allow for special cooperation and support in five areas affected by current border restrictions:
- Deployment of technical personnel to and between Forum Members;
- Customs and biosecurity;
- Immigration;
- Repatriation of Forum nationals; and,
- Clearances for aircraft and ships transporting medical and humanitarian assistance, technical personnel, and repatriating nationals.
- Pacific Forum Members and our regional and international partners have come together to deliver a world first in a collective regional approach to the crisis. We have united against COVID-19 to ensure the protection of our peoples.
(b) Actions, policy guidance, progress, challenges and areas requiring urgent attention in relation to the SDGs and to the theme within the area under the purview of your intergovernmental body;
The Pacific Island Forum Secretariat(PIFS) is a critical partner for regional coordination, implementation and exchange of good practices to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In 2015, Pacific Island Forum Leaders committed to implementing the 2030 Agenda and called for the SDGs to be contextualised to Pacific realities. The 2018 Pacific Quadrennial Report and the recent 2020 Biennial Pacific Sustainable Development Report provides our Pacific update on SDGs by outlining high-level trends on progress to date and baseline information.
The reports noted that Pacific vulnerabilities are increasing, inequalities are deepening, and access to infrastructure and essential services remain elusive for some. The report also recognised that there are opportunities for accelerating development in the Pacific through the greater use of Pacific specific know-how; by acknowledging the regions significant biodiversity, oceanic resources and ability to work as a Blue Pacific collective; by increasing access to the use of ICT and by the greater use of renewable energy.
Key messages of the 2020 Biennial Pacific Sustainable Development Report.
- The COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant contracting global economy, is causing unprecedented disruption in the region. While prompt action by Pacific Governments have so far curtailed the introduction and spread of the virus in the Pacific, there will still be significant economic and social disruption which is expected to be long-lasting.
- The onset of COVID-19 and the region's continuing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and natural disasters heightens the necessity for the region to implement effective policies and programmes that strengthen resilient communities. Implementation of the 17 SDGs will support this resilience and must progress across the region, fulfilling the Pacific's commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda.
- Despite the progress made to help ensure the sustainability of the fisheries sector, the improving returns and increasing community involvement in tourism and the efforts made to reduce the costs associated with the receipt of remittances, all will be heavily impacted by COVID-19. The future of tourism and level of remittances remains uncertain and the need for social protection has intensified, with the virus impacting the most vulnerable more intensely.
- Achieving gender equality continues to be hampered by structural and underlying social, cultural and economic barriers. Despite progress made in recent years, a significant gap between men and women's economic participation remains, with women under-represented in leadership roles and formal employment across the region. Gender-based violence remains a major concern in the region.
- More than 1 million persons with disabilities in the Pacific continue to face deep inequalities and multiple barriers. They are still over-represented among the poor, have significantly less economic opportunities than persons without disabilities and women with disabilities are still more likely to experience violence.
- There is a need for accelerated national action to reform economic and labour policies that target key growth sectors, with specific attention required to address gender inequality in employment and the limited job opportunities for the region's youth population.
- Despite progress being made under the Pacific NCD Roadmap, substantial efforts are still required to strengthen leadership, governance and financing to accelerate national action to halt or reverse the crisis and 'leave no one behind'.
- The Cleaner Pacific 2025 integrates strategic actions to address municipal solid waste, asbestos, electrical and electronic waste, healthcare waste, chemicals, used oil and lubricants, marine litter, ship-sourced pollution, disaster waste and sewage and trade waste. However, there remains a need for some pacific island countries to elevate waste management in their development agenda, including increasing the resources required to address waste management issues.
- Some SDG data gaps have been addressed since 2018, enhancing the region's capacity to measure, monitor and report progress in critical areas of poverty, gender equality, and disability. However, national statistical systems are still heavily dependent on external technical and financial support. There is a need for additional resources for national and regional statistical stakeholders to ensure that high-quality data is produced.
- The nine Pacific VNRs completed since 2016 confirm that while country systems, policies, and processes are largely in place, there is a need for greater effort to build institutional and personnel capacity to enhance national planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring, and reporting systems processes.
