KOREA FOUNDATION

1. Please briefly introduce yourself.

Iakwe (Hello), My name is Tregar A. Ishoda, I am currently the Republic of the Marshall Islands Resident Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. Along with this role, I am also the Presidential Special Envoy of my government to the Maritime Energy Transition, which allows me to represent my country in regional and international fora on maritime decarbonization, including the Green House Gas negotiations in the International Maritime Organization in London.

2. For those unfamiliar with the Republic of Marshall Islands in the central Pacific Ocean, could you kindly introduce your home country?

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is located in the central Pacific Ocean, just above the equator, and consists of 24 low-lying atolls and 5 single islands scattered an area covering 1.9 million square kilometer WITH only 181 square kilometers of dry and islands. Our main industry is fisheries and population is estimated to be between 65,000-70,000, according to our last census.

3. The Marshall Islands are currently impacted by rising sea levels and other serious consequences of global warming. How do you evaluate the current situation at home?

As low-lying atolls, our highest point is measured between 2-3 meters, the entire country and people are increasingly threatened with an existential threat. This is a message that our political and traditional leaders, including our young people have consistently warned the global community. We have used every resources available to us to protect our homes and infrastructures and even our small economy. We have placed all our policy decisions on evidence based science, our traditional understanding of our environment and surroundings, and through constant observations of what’s happening around us, the rate and frequency of which it is affecting our daily lives. The current situation is extremely dire. Sea levels are eroding our islands and infiltrating our fresh water lenses; our corals are under extreme pressures from warming of sea temperatures; we face constant droughts more frequently. But we will not stop our efforts to push the world to adhere to keep global temperatures at 1.5 degree celsius.

4. As an expert in climate diplomacy, you have committed yourself to combatting environmental issues and the possible submersion of your own country. Could you elaborate on some of your major undertakings?

Marshall Islands is currently leading the Pacific and other climate vulnerable countries in the International Maritime Organization to decarbonize the international shipping sector to align it’s green house gas (GHG) emissions targets to 1.5 degrees, a monumental tasks that require all parties to agree on. At the recent 80th Marine and Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC), a committee of the IMO, in July this year, we argued for a target that keeps 1.5 degrees alive. The Marshall Islands has consistently demonstrated climate leadership in other areas too, including the High Ambition Coalition that successfully sealed the global target for 1.5 degrees, and additionally, we have been instrumental in creating practical solutions including the global shield initiative under the Climate Vulnerable Forum. We have just joined the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance in UN this week. We also joined other Pacific countries in establishing the Blue Pacific Continent Strategy, an effort to safeguard the future of the Pacific peoples from climate change among other initiatives. We also negotiated to secure our maritime boundaries from decreasing land from sea-level rise. WE will remain staunch in our belief in our universal right to exist, participate and contribute to global discourse on climate change and other challenges that face our planet and our peoples.

5. The Korea-Pacific Islands Summit, held from May 29 to 30, included climate change as one of the items on its agenda. What do you believe the summit’s greatest achievement was?

For starters, the opportunity for the Republic of Korea’s President to meet our Pacific Leaders face to face for the first time since the Korea-Pacific Island Countries Dialogue was established is in itself a great achievement, and I commend the President Yoon for his foresight and leadership. The space for frank exchanges between Leaders during the 1st Korea-Pacific Islands Summit was extremely invaluable. It not only strengthened our ties, but created an atmosphere of comradeships that I trust will be very important to all our counties involved to face our planet’s greatest challenge, climate change.

6. The KF has invited you to be the honored speaker at a “climate change talk” during its Public Diplomacy Week in October. What is the “climate change talk” and what do you plan to speak about there?

I plan to tell our story. A story of a nation among nations to face head on this global challenge. A story of our peoples resilience. A story of our commitment to the world that we will remain hopeful that in this world we all share, we all need each others to survive and strive. I want to bring to the attention of the Korean people that we remain strong and determined to play our part in uniting this world together. As we’ve said before and will continue to say it again, save our islands to save our world. We may be the first to go underwater, but we will not be the last if we don’t come together as peoples from all over the world. Time is not a luxury we can afford any longer.

* H.E. Amb. Tregar Albons Ishoda, ambassador of Marshall Island to Korea, will participate the climate change talk with Julian Quintart, a Belgium broadcaster and influencer in climate issues.

7. Is there any particular message you wish to share with KF Newsletter readers?

I want to thank you for inviting me to share our thoughts and continue to provide the space for our small island communities stories with your audience. We are not victims, we are survivors, we are Pacific climate warriors. Kommoltata (Thank you).