Alitia Bainivalu, the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry, has been designated as the advocacy champion for the Commonwealth Living Lands Charter – known as the CALL strategy. This initiative was officially endorsed during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting held in Kigali, Rwanda, in June 2022. The main objectives of the CALL include protecting global land resources, coordinating efforts to tackle climate change, combat biodiversity loss, prevent land degradation and desertification, and promote sustainable and climate-resilient land management practices.
Bainivalu will collaborate with various advocacy champions, particularly within the Pacific region, including representatives from New Zealand, Tonga, Australia, and Samoa. Additionally, she will champion the thematic working group focused on ‘Indigenous People and Local Communities and Climate Resilient Development.’