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Tuesday 29 July 2014

Pacific Islands small nations meet to talk

Leaders of Smaller Island States Grouping open a series of official meetings at the 45th Pacific Islands Forum in Koror, Palau today.

One of the Small Islands nation in the Pacific Islands region.
Mr. Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, attending his final SIS Leaders meeting said, “The Smaller Island States grouping was established in recognition of their particular vulnerabilities and challenges.”

“This meeting of Leaders of the Forum is an important opportunity to canvas issues of particular significance to the smaller countries and ensure that their unique needs are clearly understood and highlighted.”

Highlighting last year’s Review of the Pacific Plan by Sir Mekere Morauta, the Secretary General said, “We need to find new and innovative ways to address Smaller Island States vulnerabilities and dependencies - as highlighted by the Morauta Report, as additional funding is only one part of the challenge confronting these countries and communities.”

“There needs to be a political conversation about the prospects for more accurate responses and for greater integration both amongst SIS countries and within the regional Framework for Pacific Regionalism. We must move beyond ‘business as usual’ and find new solutions and strategies to support SIS in this very changing and complex world.”

“The findings of Sir Mekere Morauta’s report raises directly the need to find ‘game changing’ strategies and approaches if we are to effectively address the challenges of the smaller states in the Pacific,” said Mr Slade.

SIS Leaders considered issues relating to the Palau Declaration on ‘The Ocean: Life and Future’, the Framework for Pacific Regionalism, the Third International Conference  on Small Islands Developing States and climate change actions and solutions, and strengthening of the SIS Programme for countries.

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