2017•11•10     Bonn     Thomson Reuters

“I believe in preparedness rather than humanitarian crisis,” said Cosmin Corendea in an interview with Thomson Reuters during COP23 in Bonn, as the issue of displacement, migration and climate change becoming increasingly central to the negotiation agenda.

Speaking to reporter Laurie Goering, Cosmin outlined the findings of his latest research in the Pacific, particularly pertinent as Fiji this year holds the presidency of the UN climate change conference.

Cosmin’s research, focused on Fiji and Vanuatu, looks at how human rights, climate change and migration law need to be joined up in the Pacific. Goering wrote:

“With more than 90 percent of households in Kiribati and Tuvalu already hit by climate-related hazards such as flooding, storms and saltwater intrusion over the last decade, finding better answers to migration questions soon is important, the UNU-EHS study noted.

“The report urges Pacific island nations to not only work on their own national and customary laws, to ensure they are fit to deal with migration pressures, but also to develop a regional policy that can head off problems such as countries beginning to demand visas for travel among islands.”

Read the full article here.