The Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) has openly criticized Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka for what it views as contradictory actions regarding his statements on global ocean leadership. FCOSS Executive Director Vani Catanasiga has pointed out the inconsistency between Rabuka’s international advocacy for ocean protection and his administration’s domestic policies, which she claims allow for the harmful practice of dumping nuclear waste into the Pacific.
Catanasiga is also pressing the government to enact the regional moratorium on Deep Sea Mining, as established under the Uduane Declaration. She warns that Fiji’s legal framework currently permits the issuance of exploration licenses, leaving the nation’s waters susceptible to exploitation. Emphasizing the importance of local action, she invoked the iTaukei saying “tekivu ena nomu Jerusalemi,” which implies that leadership should begin at home.
While Rabuka has previously emphasized the need for a unified Pacific approach to dealing with regional and global issues, such as climate change and transnational crime, his administration’s lack of commitment to local environmental concerns is being scrutinized. The “Ocean of Peace” initiative, which Rabuka champions, is designed to foster regional stability and cooperation, but FCOSS argues it must first be reflected in domestic policy and action.
The FCOSS calls on Rabuka to prioritize immediate and actionable steps, such as the implementation of the Uduane Declaration, to fully embrace his envisioned “Ocean of Peace,” starting within Fiji itself. This call to action highlights the critical need for consistency between global commitments and local practices, fostering a path for genuine leadership rooted in environmental integrity and sustainability.
In light of these developments, it is evident that the Fijian government’s domestic policy decisions are being closely watched by civil society organizations for alignment with their international rhetoric. Rabuka’s administration faces the challenge of maintaining credibility not only on the world stage but also among its local constituencies, thus reinforcing the importance of harmonizing global leadership declarations with tangible national actions.