Forum SIS Leaders want urgent action on climate change

07 September 2011

Forum SIS Leaders want urgent action on climate change

Auckland, 6th September 2011 - Forum Smaller Island States (SIS) Leaders have called for more urgent action by the global community to curb the rate of climate change through more meaningful emissions reduction targets and immediate release of global Fast Start funding commitments made in Copenhagen.

In a joint SIS Leaders Statement on Climate Change adopted at the SIS Leaders’ meeting held in Auckland, New Zealand today, grave concern was expressed that much has been promised by the global community to support countries adversely affected by current and future impacts of climate change, yet, very little has been seen in terms of fulfilling international commitment.

“We need adequate, sustainable and timely resources to support adaptation and mitigation measures. This should not however, take away from existing development assistance nor should it add to what are already heavy administrative requirements in its management,” the SIS Leaders said.

An issue gathering much momentum amongst SIS Leaders is the implications associated with the survival of State as an impending consequence of climate change. Leaders felt careful consideration was needed to better understand what the loss of physical State might mean for countries’ right to exist while maintaining their sovereignty as nations and their right to manage their collective resources.

The SIS Leaders concluded their meeting with a range of outcomes and actions on a number of issues including, sub regional transport, climate change, labour mobility, education, health, in particular non-communicable diseases and energy.

SIS Leaders from the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu attended the half-day meeting. The SIS Leaders meeting is the first in the series of Pacific Islands Forum meetings held in Auckland this week.

ENDS

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