PIDF leaders to map out strategic plan

Pacific Island Development Forum (PIDF) leaders Thursday highlighted that there is a need to come up with a concrete decision on what they will lobby during the United Nations Climate Change Summit in December.

For these small Pacific Island Nations, they are already feeling the effects of climate change and they hope that the time to act is now then later.

He has been in the front line when it comes to being the voice of the Pacific on climate change.

This PIDF meeting is again an avenue for Anote Tong to raise his concern on the topic.

“The issues that I always raised during the meeting in New York is how is the negotiation, I don’t want you to keep negotiating because the next time I come by the time you keep negotiating I will no longer be here to join you because I will be drown, so please concluded as soon as possible and this is one reality we are facing and I hope that we will try in any possible way to get the international community to come in our region because this is very close to us,” said  Kiribati President Anote Tong

He added that while it is good to map out a strategy plan for the next few years.

The reality is that climate change is causing more damage than any action in trying to fix it.

“All of this is not relevant to us because what will happen will happen to us in the next 10 to 15 years and so there is gonna be some very very special mechanism which have to be agreed if we cannot reach an agreement on this issues then we have to make our choices what to do from there,” said Tong.

Supported by other members of the forum there is a call to look at a fast solution to solve the current problem on hand.

“A special mechanism to fast track urgent action required to assist the most vulnerable countries that are already experience existing threat from climate change and must recognise small island development states,” said Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

The PIDF also discuss the possibility to have a friendship agreement in place for small Pacific Island nations who could migrate to Fiji.