"Suva Declaration on Climate Change"

We, the Leaders of the Pacific Islands Development Forum...declare that we...[a]re gravely distressed that climate change poses irreversible loss and damage to  our people, societies, livelihoods, and natural environments; creating existential threats to our very survival and other violations of human rights to entire Pacific Small Island Developing States...Express grave concern that the continued increase in the production of fossil fuels, particularly the construction of new coal mines, undermines efforts to reduce global GHG emissions and the goal of decarbonising the global economy...further highlight that such loss and damage results in breaches of social and economic rights...Recognize that addressing gender based inequality and discrimination is essential for effective action on climate change...

We...therefore call for: loss and damage to be anchored as a stan dalone element that is separate and distinct from adaptation in the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement...a new global dialogue on the implementation of an international moratorium on the development and expansion of fossil fuel extracting industries , particularly the construction of new coal mines, as an urgent step towards de carbonising the global economy...increased support for adaptation measures that address all vulnerable sectors including health, water and sanitation, energy, agriculture, forestry and fisheries...support to  enable the  greater  involvement  of  community, civil society (including women, youth and persons with disabilities) and the private sector, in our climate change responses and initiatives...