Critical Issues Facing Pacific Island Countries/Territories

October 31, 2011

SPC Meets to Examine Critical Issues Facing Pacific Island Countries and Territories

Major threats to the Pacific region will be a part of discussions in a two-day Ministerial meeting to be held at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) from November 7 and 8 at the Noumea headquarters of the regional organization.

The Theme for this year’s Conference which will be chaired by the Republic of Marshall Islands is ‘Climate Change and Food Security – managing risks for sustainable development’

Food security and climate change are major topics on the agenda to be discussed by Ministers from the 22 Pacific island countries and territories along with Australia, France, New Zealand and the United States of America who are SPC founding members. Most of the Ministers hold Foreign Affair portfolios.

Dr. Jimmie Rodgers, Secretary General of SPC said that discussions on these important issues aim to increase awareness of the potential adverse impacts of climate change on the lives of Pacific Island people.

“At the same time we want to encourage delegates to take a more integrated and pro active role in risk management in order to address the adverse and increasing impact of climate change to food and water security,” said Dr. Rodgers.

The discussion on the Conference theme will culminate with the launch of an important publication on ‘Vulnerability of Tropical Pacific Fisheries and Aquaculture to Climate Change’, a result of major scientific research work coordinated by SPC over the past three years. It involved close to 90 authors from 36 institutions globally.

“This research, the first of its kind in the Pacific, and probably in the world, looks specifically at how climate change will impact the region’s most valuable renewable resource on which all its island citizens rely for food security and sustainable livelihoods and economic development – its fish and aquaculture,” said Dr. Rodgers.

In addition to addressing the dangers confronting the island countries and territories, the Ministers will also review recommendations to be submitted by a four-day meeting of the CRGA (Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations) that will precede the ministerial Conference from November 1 to 4, also at SPC headquarters.

CRGA meets yearly to examine SPC technical and scientific work along with policy and governance issues. It is made up of senior government representatives from Foreign Affairs and the various ministries that are beneficiaries of SPC’s technical work carried out at the request of island members.

ENDS

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