Suva, Mar 14 (IANS): Fiji has decided to defer its candidature for the UN Human Rights Council, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama announced on Tuesday.
Fiji is a small country, and its foreign policy resources need to be focused on climate change and its presidency of the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23), Bainimarama said while commissioning a rural road upgrade project in the country's western division, Xinhua news agency reported.
"We simply cannot do them both and do them well," he said, adding that "climate change is the wolf at our front door".
Bainimarama assured Fijians that the Pacific island-nation will renew its candidacy for UN Human Rights Council following its presidency of COP 23.