Tax pollution not people - Guterres to Pacific leaders

The message of United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres from the Pacific to the world is tax pollution, not people.

He made this strong message at a meeting with pacific leaders including Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday morning.

Guterres also acknowledged Fiji’s Peter Thomson who is serving as his Special Envoy for the Ocean and is promoting implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the outcomes of the United Nations Oceans Conference, including the “Call for Action” adopted by Member States.

The United Nations Secretary General says he has asked France, Jamaica, and Qatar to lead the mobilization of the international community to materialize the $100 billion U.S dollars per year from 2020 onwards to support the developing countries both in mitigation and adaptation.

He says in 2016, more than 24 million people in 118 countries and territories were displaced by natural disasters – three times as many as were displaced by conflict.

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters was part of the meeting and representing Australia was the Head of Australia's Office of the Pacific, Ewen Mcdonald.

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