Opening Statement by Mr Saverio Baleikanacea
Chairman of the Environment and Climate Change Technical Officials Meeting (ECCTAC) & Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Urban Development, Housing and Environment

2nd Environment & Climate Change Technical Advisory Committee (ECCTAC) Meeting
Tanoa International Hotel, Nadi, Republic of Fiji
6-7 March, 2013

Senior Officials,

Excellencies,

Invited Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Bula vinaka and welcome to the friendly isles,

It is an honour to welcome you all to this 2nd Meeting of the Environment and Climate Change Technical Advisory Committee (ECCTAC) meeting here in Nadi, Fiji. I trust you are well rested since your arrival and have also had some time to enjoy our beautiful country despite the rain that continues to bless us and creates a greener atmosphere for us.

Over the coming years and decades, environment and climate change issues is set to present perhaps the most ‘trying situations’ our region has ever faced.

It will thus require a mobilization of all our powers of intellect, all our legendary adaptive skills and all our abilities to understand quickly and to learn fast.

This will be the situation not only across the world but especially in Melanesia with its susceptibilities to the impacts of climatic change.

It was on this premise that the ECCMM convened its inaugural meeting on 26-27 January, 2012 at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi with the key objectives of discussing key environment and climate issues relevant to Melanesia.

The MSG members combined constitute over three quarters of the population and land area of the broader Pacific group of nations.

The countries of Melanesia cover a land area greater than 500,000km2 and include almost 2,000 islands, the flora and fauna of our region are species rich and numerous species are endemic to Melanesia.

Melanesia is recognised as one of the world’s most significant biodiversity areas- both terrestrial and marine.

Despite these facts, the Environment Ministers and officials were concerned that the environment and climate change interests of MSG members have not been accorded the priority it deserves at the regional and international level.

The meeting provided the opportunity to relook at how we as a region will address these climate change challenges. Further, how we can map common strategies for addressing environment and climate change challenges and opportunities.

The signing of the MSG Declaration on Environment & Climate Change by our Leaders in March 2013 signalled the formal beginning of our common desire to begin some serious discussions and collective action on the four key commitments contained in the declaration. For this, I am grateful to you all for your vision and commitment in bringing this important document to the highest level in our region and for getting the seal of approval from our Leaders.

In July 2012, we had our first meeting in Vanuatu where we held discussions on some key issues including:

The terms of reference for this working group
Climate change adaptation and mitigation measures

(iii) Framework of Green Growth

(iv) Impacts of Invasive species in Melanesia

(v) Melanesia Blue Carbon Initiative

(vi) Melanesia Terrestrial Commitment

(vii)Melanesia Green Climate Fund

Rio + 20 Resolution Implementation

(ix) COP 18 Preparations

(x) MSG Secretariat Capacity Development Proposal; and

(xi) Proposed MSG Energy Concept

During that fist ECCTAC meeting we agreed that some of the issues required us to undertake further internal consultations and for convening working groups to further develop some of the concepts and frameworks at this meeting. I hope most of us have had that time to undertake those consultations the outcomes of which can be shared during this meeting.

Colleagues, since many of the issues are also covered in the agenda before us, I will not try to pre-empt any discussions that will take place but to allow the meeting to proceed.

But allow me to take this time to acknowledge the support to the MSG by our development partners - IUCN, GIZ, SPC, UNESCAP, Griffith University, SPREP, USP; and thank them for their continued efforts to interface with and encouragement not only members but the Secretariat in the work that we do on environment and climate change. They have contributed immensely in assisting the Secretariat in preparing and presenting technical papers and helping MSG governments and our people in realizing some of our ambitions. I hope with the expertise and knowledge they share will enable the ECCTAC to reach informed decisions over the course of this two day meeting and develop some common understanding and recommendations to present to our Ministers on Friday.

I also wish to urge members to seriously consider the agenda that is here before us with the objective of ensuring that we set some agreed targets and time lines to accomplish some of the issues we have been talking about the past year. We all have obligations and commitments as parties to the UNFCCC and the signing of our very own MSG Declaration on Environment and Climate Change adds further responsibility on us to ensure that we are able to adhere to our obligations under this important Treaties, Conventions and Declarations.

With these few remarks, I wish to once again thank you for attending the 2nd ECCTAC meeting and look forward to the deliberations today.

I now officially declare the meeting open.

Vinaka Vakalevu.