ウィスパリング同時通訳研究会コミュのPresentation by Hon. Cozier Frederick at High Level Segment of COP26

Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica
Honorable Cozier Frederick
Minister of the Environment Rural Modernisation and
Kalinago Upliftment
High Level Segment COP 26
Your excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen …….
Dominicans are proud stewards of our pristine natural
environment.
We have protected Mother Earth and believe
as our invincible Kalinago ancestors did
that everything in nature is connected
and our fate as humans is tied to the trees, the water
and the air that we breathe.
I am a proud descendant of the Kalinago who fought
to protect our islands from the onslaught of
colonization
We came close to extinction but courage and resilience
sustained us
We have a once in an intergenerational opportunity to
take some brave decisions and tackle the climate
crisis head on.
Dominica has made its commitment absolutely clear.
2
Following near total destruction by Hurricane Maria in
2017,
our Prime Minister expressed the aspirations of his
people to become the world’s first climate-resilient
nation
Though we have limited resources, we are throwing
everything we have at achieving this.
But, We are running out of time to reverse destructive
environmental practices that are already having
severe consequences for small island developing states
That matters most,
not only for you here today,
but for young people growing up in our small islands,
and for future generations.
Developed countries need to assist SIDS to become
resilient and sustainable.
There is a moral obligation to do so.
Climate Justice demands it.
Our young people now face an unprecedented threat.
They will inherit what has been referred to as “a triple
jeopardy of:
o crippling debt,
o a degraded environment, and
o frequent and destructive disasters”.
SIDS have high levels of debt distress primarily linked
to responding to climate impacts,
and currently there is no viable long-term debt
reduction strategy;
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yet still, SIDS are receiving less than 2% of all climate
finance
Almost all the Aichi Biodiversity targets for the last
decade were missed
Hurricanes are becoming more frequent and more
intense.
Dominica and other small islands are seeking new
opportunities.
These lie in decarbonisation and renewable energy
technologies,
in more sustainable forms of tourism,
and digitalisation of the economy.
The younger generation is already onboard,
they are seeking out opportunities to innovate.
They are bold, less jaded by the past,
but they are also driven by a desire to live on a healthy
planet,
to preserve the territorial and cultural integrity of
their island homes in their lifetimes.
Dominica has a clear plan in place to become resilient,
but we cannot do this alone.
The clock is ticking, and the challenge is immense,
and we therefore call on our developed partner
countries.
Provide the support that SIDS need for our mitigation
and adaptation efforts;
Help us achieve 1.5 to Stay Alive.
I close with this nugget of wisdom from Chief Seattle,
1854
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“HUMANKIND HAS NOT WOVEN THE WEB OF LIFE.
WE ARE BUT ONE THREAD WITHIN IT.
WHATEVER WE DO TO THE WEB WE DO TO
OURSELVES.
ALL THINGS ARE BOUND TOGETHER. ALL THINGS
CONNECT”.
Thank you