“SAFETY, VIGILANCE, RESPONSIBILITY AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION KEY WHEN REOPENING PACIFIC ENTRY POINTS”: UN AND ADB
On behalf of the UN Joint Presence Office, Nauru; UN Pacific and
the Asian Development Bank
News Release
29 July 2020
"SAFETY, VIGILANCE, RESPONSIBILITY
AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION KEY WHEN REOPENING PACIFIC ENTRY
POINTS": UN AND ADB
As COVID-19 continues to cause wide-spread movement
restrictions, the United Nations [UN] and the Asian Development
Bank [ADB] today convened a virtual roundtable meeting with the
governments of the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau,
Kiribati and the Marshall Islands to discuss multisectoral
considerations for safely reopening points of entry and the types
of institutional support available from. the UN, ADB and other
development partners to Pacific island countries.
"Small island developing states, which depend largely on tourism
for their economies, have been hit hard by the global slowdown
following the COVID-19 pandemic. The UN has, from the beginning of
this crisis, advocated for the safe, responsible and timely
reopening of national entry points, on which many small businesses
and jobs depend. While the decision of when, how and with whom to
open borders is a sovereign decision, safety, vigilance,
responsibility and international cooperation are critical as the
world slowly opens up again." These were the words of Sanaka
Samarasinha, UN Resident Coordinator for ten countries in the
Pacific.
The event brings together a number of UN entities such as the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International
Maritime Organization, the World Health Organisation, the
International Organisation for Migration, the UN Office on Drugs
and Crime, the World Tourism Organisation and the World Trade
Organisation among others along with related global organisations
such as the International Air Transport Association and regional
entities like the South Pacific Tourism Organisation and the
Pacific Community.
"ADB is committed to working with its Pacific developing member
countries and helping them protect their people from the social and
economic impacts of COVID-19," said Mr. Paul Curry, ADB Principal
Operations Coordination Specialist for Palau, Federated States of
Micronesia and the Republic of Marshall Islands. "Close
collaboration between development partners will be critical, when
Pacific countries begin to open their borders."
The recent supplement to ADB's annual flagship economic
publication, the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2020, said the
Pacific will continue to feel the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic
this year with restricted trade flows and declining tourism numbers
dampening the economic outlook for the Pacific subregion.
The remote Pacific nations moved quickly and decisively to
stop COVID-19 in its tracks by shutting their borders early. This
proactive stance has come at a significant financial cost. Future
economic prospects in the Pacific will largely depend on safe
opening of its borders.
Measures put in place by governments around the world to help
contain the spread of the virus have included significant border
closures, entry restrictions, and changes to visa and entry
requirements. The aviation sector has been particularly hard-hit,
with ICAO forecasting that globally airlines may be faced with
1.5 billion fewer international air travellers this year and a
US $273 billion drop in gross operation revenue.
Today's UN-ADB regional meeting focused on multisectoral
considerations and assistance available for safely reopening
national entry points targetingpre- border,at border,
andpost-borderopenings for both air and sea transport. Support from
the international community could include initiatives such as the
training of customs, immigration, police, and health officials and
the distribution of personal protective equipment for use at
airports and seaports. The establishment of clear protocols and the
importance of ensuring that other actors such as airlines,
seafarers associations and tour operators are included in preparing
plans for reopening borders was emphasised.
With the UN warning against complacency, COVID-19 continues to
accelerate at breath-taking speed. The number of coronavirus cases
globally has roughly doubled in the past six weeks to more than 16
million, with WHO predicting that countries may witness multiple
waves of the virus at different intervals and in variable local
contexts for several more years to come.
Similar roundtables are planned or Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon
Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga, Samoa, Niue, Cook Islands and Tokelau.
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For further information please contact:
UN Fiji Multi-Country Office:
Sanya Ruggiero, UN Resident Coordinator's Office, Fiji
sanya.ruggiero@un.org
[Tel: + 679 8666 445]
ADB in the Pacific:
Sally Shute-Trembath, External Relations specialist
sshute-trembath@adb.org
[Tel: +612 8270 9444]