PIF LEADERS REITERATED CLIMATE CHANGE AS SINGLE GREATEST THREAT

The 46th meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting has ended with the leaders reiterating their concerns that climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihood, security and well being of the Pacific people.

Climate Change is one of the priority topics heavily debated amongst the 16 Pacific member countries in this week’s Port Moresby meeting.

Early this week, Small Island States Leaders have made a strong call for emissions to be lowered to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

New Zealand and Australia stood by UN’s two degrees target.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister, Peter O’Neill and Chair of the Leaders Forum made this statement in a media conference after the leaders retreat last night.

“We have declared to increase that 1.5 degrees Celsius would severely exacerbate the challenges facing the most vulnerable small island states of the Pacific. That is why we as leaders of the region avert that all efforts are made to stay within the global temperature goal as noted by the Conference of Parties to the UN Climate Change conference in its decision 1-C-P-20.”

Meanwhile the Pacific Island leaders have welcomed progress made in the implementation of the Framework for Pacific Regionalism, including the establishment of the Specialist Sub Committee on Regionalism.

In fisheries, leaders reaffirmed the central importance of increasing economic returns and ensuring the sustainable management of fisheries.

The leaders further agreed to strengthen maritime surveillance and enforcement, noting the multi-dimensional nature of these issues.

A communiqué after the forum tasked Fisheries, Economic and Foreign Ministers to undertake a joint comprehensive evaluation of regional monitoring, control and surveillance and compliance regime and report back to Leaders in 2016.