Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka participated in a High-level Meeting with the World Bank Group President Ajay Banga alongside other Pacific Island Leaders yesterday. The meeting, which took place at the Pacific Island Forum, highlighted the collaboration between the Forum member nations and the World Bank, recognized as the world’s largest and oldest multilateral development bank.
Banga’s official tour of Fiji, Tuvalu, and Australia from September 4 to 10, 2024, stands as the first visit of its kind in 50 years. This gathering allowed Pacific leaders to engage directly with the World Bank and to better understand the Bank’s strategies and approaches.
During the discussions, leaders prioritized topics such as economic prosperity, climate resilience, and sustainable development, all aimed at enhancing the quality of life for the people of the Pacific. The focus also included future financing from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) and the important 21st Replenishment (IDA21) to address the increasing needs in the region.
Key initiatives were proposed as part of the renewed efforts between the Pacific and the World Bank. The discussions were aligned with major regional initiatives, including the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and the draft Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development (PRED).
In his address, Prime Minister Rabuka expressed gratitude to the World Bank for its contributions to infrastructure improvements and its ongoing support for Fiji’s development. He emphasized the renewed commitment of the World Bank to work alongside the Pacific region on vital areas such as health, infrastructure, and job creation, integral to both Fiji’s and the broader Pacific’s resilience and prosperity.
Rabuka also highlighted the potential for initiatives that would foster economic growth, climate resilience, connectivity, sustainable tourism, investment, and support vital sectors like healthcare, education, energy, agriculture, and fisheries. He reiterated Fiji’s commitment to regional solidarity and hoped that the partnership with the World Bank would yield impactful results for the region’s development.
In his remarks, World Bank President Banga praised the leadership and vision of the Pacific leaders and reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to addressing the region’s priorities in economic development and climate resilience. The meeting concluded positively, with a shared commitment to work on an Outcome Statement and a joint action plan to achieve the targets set forth in the 2050 Strategy and the draft Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development (PRED).
The High-level Meeting included notable attendees such as Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, Prime Minister of Tonga and Forum Chair; Baron Waqa, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum; Wesley Simina, President of the Federated States of Micronesia; Hilda Heine, President of the Marshall Islands; Seremaiah Nawalu, Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu; and David Adeang, President of Nauru. Other leaders participated virtually, and some Member Countries were represented through their missions based in Suva.