İtalya ve Vanuatu'dan İklim Değişikliğiyle Mücadele Taahhüdü

Italy-Vanuatu: A Commitment to Tackling the Challenges of Climate Change

(ANSA) - ROMA, 24 GIU - Italian support for strengthening resilience in addressing the challenges of global warming and the reaffirmation of cooperation within the framework of the United Nations and all international organizations were at the center of the meeting that the Ambassador to Canberra, Nicola Lener, held in Port Vila with the President of the Republic of Vanuatu, Nikenike Vurobaravu, on the occasion of the ceremony for the presentation of his credentials. Although it is no longer classified as one of the United Nations’ “least developed countries,” Vanuatu—an archipelago of 83 islands in the South Pacific with a population of approximately 300,000 people —remains a particularly vulnerable nation due to its exposure to the consequences of climate change (rising sea levels and more intense extreme weather events) and natural disasters, most recently the powerful earthquake that severely damaged Port Vila in December 2024. In this context, Ambassador Lener reiterated the Italian government’s commitment to supporting the development of Vanuatu’s basic infrastructure and strengthening the resilience of its population, not only through the European Union and international organizations, but also on a bilateral level, particularly through the Partnership for Small Island Developing States in the Pacific, through which Italy has funded several projects in recent years that have had an immediate impact on the population’s quality of life. In linking this support to Italy’s broader commitment to contributing to the development of small Pacific states, the Ambassador highlighted, on the one hand, the close partnership that Rome has maintained since 2007 with the Pacific Islands Forum and the desire to further strengthen it, and, on the other hand, the attention being given to the pre-COP31, which will take place this year in the Pacific (in Palau and Tuvalu). President Vurobaravu expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the support and solidarity received from Italy in the wake of climate change-related disasters and other calamities. He also emphasized Vanuatu’s commitment to continuing to collaborate with Italy within the framework of the United Nations and in all multilateral forums to promote human rights and sustainable development. These issues were discussed in greater depth during Ambassador Lener’s subsequent meeting with Foreign Minister Marc Ali, while with Parliament Speaker Stephen Félix, the Ambassador discussed opportunities for cooperation in the field of parliamentary diplomacy. Finally, Lener attended a reception hosted by Honorary Consul Sandrino Traverso, attended by the President of the Republic, the Speaker of Parliament, and other local officials, as well as representatives of the diplomatic and consular corps and the small but vibrant Italian community in Vanuatu, during which he presented former Honorary Consul Thérèse Russet Traverso with the title of Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy in recognition of her thirty years of service—until her retirement—to the Italian State. Read article...