The Pacific region is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change, with its low-lying island nations facing multiple threats, including sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and ocean acidification. These threats are impacting the socio-economic, cultural, and environmental systems of Pacific Island Countries (PICs), resulting in increased climate-induced human mobility, including migration, displacement, and planned relocation.
Over the course of three years, PICs under the Pacific Climate Change Migration and Human Security (PCCM-HS) programme have been actively engaging in an ambitious exercise to develop a regional collaboration framework on human mobility as a result of climate change. PCCM-HS programme is jointly implemented by International Organization for Migration (IOM) – lead agency, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), and Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD).
The development of the regional framework has progressed under the guidance of the Joint Working Group (consisting of Pacific member states, PCCMHS partners including the Pacific Community and Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat) and its Co-Chairs (Governments of Fiji and Tuvalu).
The Pacific Climate Mobility Framework aims to provide a coordinated approach to climate-induced human mobility in the Pacific region, taking into account the unique socio-cultural, economic, and environmental contexts of PICs. It aligns with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and implements its strategic pathway 2 of Thematic Area, “Climate change and disaster”.
The Regional Webinar will provide an opportunity for Pacific Island Countries and other stakeholders to learn about the progress of the draft Pacific Climate Mobility Framework and provide feedback on the current draft Framework. The session will help participants provide inputs to and to prepare for a regional dialogue in July which is aimed to validate the draft Framework.
For queries on the Webinar, please contact ESCAP Pacific [email protected] for member states session and Ms Ilisapeci VAKACEGU [email protected] for non-state actors session.
