MorganOpening

IamGeorgeNacewafromtheIslandsofFiji.ItistherewheretheMelanesiansandthe
PolynesiansmixedtocreateahighlydevelopedsocietylongbeforethearrivalofEuropeans.Itis
therewheretherewereoncethrivingfruittrees,nativebirds,coralreefsandabundantfish.
However,itisnowwherewearesufferingseverestorms,droughtsandrisingsealevels.These
forcesarenotonlyforcingmypeopleandIinland,butmakingitincreasinglydifficulttoget
freshwater,fishandharvestfruit.
In2014Isoughttomakeadifference,ItookactionandsetouttoAustraliaalongwith30
otherPacificIslanderstofightasclimatewarriors.SinceAustraliaistheworldslargestcoal
exporterandtheburningofthecoalminedinAustraliaiscausingsealevelstorise,wegotin
traditionalcanoesandhelpedbarricadetheentrancetothePortofNewcastletheworldslargest
coalexporter.Althoughwewerenotabletostoptheshipsthatwereheadingout,wewereableto
makeastatementtothefossilfuelindustrythatwearenotgoingtoletthemdrownus.So
standingheretoday,Ihopeforyoutoseeourstruggleforlifeandourcryforhelp.

JonathanArticle3
Article3statesthatweasindigenouspeoplehavetherighttofreelydeterminethedevelopment
ofoureconomic,social,andculturaldevelopment.Howeverthisrightthathasbeengrantedtous
isbeingviolatedduetoclimatechange.Climatechangehascausednumerousharmstoour
islandofchainallofwhichrequireustouseourownmoneytotryandfix.Ifwewehaveto
consistentlyuseourownresourcestoprotectourhomefromhazardscreatedbyothercountries
thenwecannotdevelopfreelyasthearticlehasstated.IfcountrieslikeAustralia,U.S.A,New
Zealandwanttoharmtheplanetthenweaskthattheytakeresponsibilityfortheiractions.We
askforcompensationfromthesecountriessothatwenolongerhavetouseourownlimited
resourcestoprotectourislandchain.Thecountriesatfaultshouldrealizethedangertheyhave
placedalltheislandsinandshouldhelpthemstaysafeandhelpthemsurvivethehazardsthey
caused.

NathanArticle18
AsexplainedthroughtheviolationofArticle3,thecountryofFijiisunabletodevelop
properlyduetotheeffectclimatechangehasonthecountry.Themaincontributortoclimate
changeintodaysglobalsocietyisfromindustrialactivity.Ihavealreadyhelpedmobilize
protestsoffthecoastsofAustraliainordertoblockcoalshipsfromcontributingtothe
worseningstatusofclimatechange.Thisindustrialactivity,asidefrombeingonefactorasto
whyArticle3isunderattack,isalsogoingagainstourrighttoArticle18,whichstatesthatweas
indigenouspeoplehavetherighttoparticipateindecisionmakingthatwouldaffectourcountry.
Weasacountryhavebeenexcludedfromtheindustrialdecisionmakingoflargercountries,and
asaresultofourexclusiontherightswehaveaccordingtoArticle3havebeenharmed.Based

onthis,therightsstatedinArticle18havebeenviolated,andassuchweseeksatisfaction.This
satisfactionshallallowthecountryofFijitobeincludedinlargerindustrialconversationswith
othercountries.ThefirstcountrythatneedstositdownatthetablewithusisAustralia,whoas
thelargestcoalexporterintheworld,showersourcountrywiththepoisonousashofcoal,
leadingtothedeathofourecosystem.WedemandthatAustralialetsusworkwiththemtofinda
solutionthatbenefitsbothofus,economically,sociallyandculturally.

JacobArticle29
Withalloftheclimatechangethatisgoingonwhichisleadingtothedestructionofourland,sea
levelsrising,cropsnotbeingabletogrow,andthenativebirdsandfishbecomingscarce,the
UnitedNationsareinviolationofarticle29whichis,Indigenouspeoplehavetherighttothe
conservationandprotectionoftheenvironmentandtheproductivecapacityoftheirlandsor
territoriesresources.StatesshallestablishandimplementassistanceprogramsforIndigenous
peoplesforsuchconservationandprotectionwithoutdiscrimination.Withtheestablishmentof
theseassistanceprogramsthatwillhelpslowdownclimatechangewhetheritbethecutting
downonburningfossilfuels,orlimitingtheamountofoilthatisdrilledfor,theseprogramswill
leadtothesatisfactionthatsomethingisbeingdonetohelppreventthedestructionofourland
thatwascausedbyothers.