Simon Kofe currently serves as the Minister of Justice, Communications and Foreign Affairs of Tuvalu. He previously contributed to constitutional reform projects as Senior Magistrate. Throughout his career, Minister Kofe has demonstrated a deep commitment to serving the people of Tuvalu and advancing their interests on the global stage. His leadership, expertise, and dedication have earned him a reputation as one of Tuvalu’s most respected and effective public servants.
Why is it so important that Tuvalu is able to preserve its maritime claims, even given the risk of sea level rise?
Firstly, we have a very strong connection to our oceans and to our land. We’ve lived here for centuries, our ancestors are buried here. There’s a lot of spiritual connection and tradition related to the ocean. There’s also the revenue that it generates for us: the fishing industry brings in the bulk of Tuvalu’s revenue each year, [mainly] with tuna. So it’s a valuable sovereign asset that we want to retain our claims to. So what we’ve been doing is to get countries to recognize that if we do lose our physical territory in the future, these oceans will still be recognized as belonging to the nation of Tuvalu.
What lessons does Tuvalu present for places all around the world that are waking up to the consequences of rising seas today?
I think Tuvalu plays a very important role in forewarning the world of the impacts of climate change, because climate change is not something that only affects Tuvalu. It takes many forms – we’re seeing floods in New Zealand, bushfires in different parts of the world, cyclones, the earthquakes in [Türkiye]. These things are all connected to this climate crisis. And I feel a great sense of responsibility, being at the forefront of this, to warn the world of what is to come. It’s important that the world really gets its act together and takes really strong climate action, because the window of opportunity is closing very quickly. That’s where we speak with greater urgency, hoping that the world comes together and really addresses this issue. We hope for the best, but we’re also preparing for the worst-case scenario, and that’s part of the many initiatives that we’ve undertaken.