Fiji was welcomed this week into the United Nations Environment Program’s Committee of Permanent Representatives meeting in Nairobi.
Fiji’s High Commissioner to South Africa, H. E High Commissioner Beniamino Salacakau, who is also Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Program attended the committee meeting for the first time after being invited as a member following the presentation of his credentials to the Executive Director last month.
In response to the welcome, High Commissioner Salacakau expressed Fiji’s honour to be a member of such an important committee at a time when environmental issues are becoming more and more important in the global discourse on Global Warming, Climate Change, Mitigation and Adaptation. Mr. Salacakau also informed the meeting that Fiji’s recent chairmanship of the G77+ China has ignited a desire for continuing engagement in the discussions and activities on those pertinent issues.
One of the issues discussed in the meeting was, Small Island Developing States and UNEP’s contribution to the SIDS conference in Samoa in September. UNEP is opening regional offices. It is most probable that the regional office for the Pacific will be located in Samoa.
Fiji is the only Pacific Nation participating in the UNEP meeting. There are only three other SIDS, (Small Island Developing States) countries that are part of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, Cuba, Mauritius and Comoros. 2014 has been declared by the UN as “The Year of SIDS.” It is a great opportunity to bring to the fore issues in relation to Small Island Developing States.
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