Fiji's presidency at next year's United Nations climate summit in Germany is just a formality away, after endorsement by the Asia Pacific group of countries at the current climate change talks in Morocco.
At the current COP22 talks in Marrakesh, Fiji put in a bid to co-chair the next climate change conference, COP23, and gained the support of the grouping of Small Island States, AOSIS, and Pacific island delegations.
Sylvie Goyet, a Pacific Community delegate at COP22, expected Fiji's nomination by the whole Asia Pacific group to be confirmed over the next few days.
She said it was the Asia Pacific's turn to propose a recommendation for the presidency.
Morrocans inspect the recently installed bicycle sharing system, known as "Medina Bike", in Marrakesh during the COP22 international climate conference. Photo: FADEL SENNA / AFP
Fiji's bid was based on the understanding the next climate conference would be held in Bonn, Germany, avoiding the burden for a small country of hosting up to 30,000 participants.
Bonn houses the headquarters of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Countries which have ratified it meet annually in Conferences of the Parties (COP) to assess progress on dealing with climate change.
Fiji has shown strong leadership on climate change as the first country to ratify the Kyoto protocol and Paris Agreement.
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has accused the global community of abandoning Pacific island nations to "sink below the waves" instead of tackling climate change.
