Fijian President, His Excellency Ratu Epeli Nailatikau has urged participants at the 12th Pacific Science Inter-Congress to form greater and stronger partnerships with governments in the region.
Officially opening the inter congress today at the FMF Gymnasium, the head of state encouraged representatives of more than fifty countries in the Pacific and the Pacific Rim to explore solutions and become results-oriented.
“I encourage you to form greater and stronger partnerships with governments in the region so that your findings can be translated into policies that can have real and tangible impacts on our people,” Ratu Epeli said.
“In your efforts to develop the "Science of the Pacific" I encourage you to translate the outcomes of your meeting into easily understood messages that can be used by our people to improve their everyday lives now and in the future.”
Ratu Epeli highlighted that climate change, particularly rising sea levels were already affecting countries such as Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji and is a real and imminent danger for the region.
“Ladies and gentlemen, in the next few hours we will have the privilege of hearing from the President of Kiribati, His Excellency Anote Tong - one of the region's outspoken Heads of States on sea level rise,” Ratu Epeli said.
“I can almost imagine that His Excellency's message will evolve around the issue of climate change, specifically on sea-level rise and how this is already affecting our brothers and sisters in the atolls of Kiribati, and might I add of Tuvalu and the other islands including some right here in Fiji.
“I empathize with His Excellency Anote Tong in the same way that I wish the best for all our other brothers and sisters in the Asia-Pacific region.”
The head of state also challenged participants to take emerging ideas and new technologies and put them into practical forms to be easily used in finding solutions that is needed to ensure human security and sustainable development for the Pacific Islands and its Rim.
Fiji last hosted the 8th Pacific Science Inter-Congress in 1997.
-ENDS-