On 25th April 2013 our editorial received joint statement from Secretariat of the Pacific Community with interesting approach towards forced migrations issue. Permanent representatives of Australia, France and the United States of America to the United Nations stated that their countries support draft resolution proposed by Algeria. That resolution is indirectly connected to the forced migrations topic and implies that 2014 should be a year of Small Island Development States.
Secretariat of the Pacific Community is an international organisation that works in public health, geoscience, agriculture, forestry, water resources, disaster management, fisheries, statistics, transport, energy, ICT, media, human rights, gender, youth and culture to help Pacific Island people achieve sustainable development. Its membership includes 22 small island states and territories and also Australia, France, New Zealand and United States of America who are the founding countries.
In joint statement delegates are emphasizing importance of cooperation on the environmental and climate change issues. They are aware that Pacific region is even more endangered by environmental influences and that is why Pacific island states are enjoying their support and assistance. In this respect, Australia, France and United States of America promised they will promote preventing forced
migration on the basis of environmental impact.
That is why members of Pacific Community were included in different environmental projects in the past such as Global Climate Change Alliance, International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative etc. For the same reason Australia, France and USA are supporting the proposal made by Algeria. This proposal declared in draft resolution is aimed to raise recognition of environmental problems that small island states are facing. Permanent representatives of states mentioned above believe that year 2014 should be dedicated to securing small island states and preventing forced emigration from them.
Bellow you can read the whole SPC statement:
Secretariat of the Pacific Community is an international organisation that works in public
health, geoscience, agriculture, forestry, water resources, disaster management, fisheries,
statistics, transport, energy, ICT, media, human rights, gender, youth and culture to help
Pacific Island people achieve sustainable development.
United States, France, Australia and New Zealand have for long been members of this
Community in order to preserve environment and natural habitats of this important part of
our globe. We are aware of the importance that cooperation in the environmental sphere and
climate change prevention have. Community is committed to helping Pacific Island countries
and territories address the risks posed by climate variability and climate change. The Pacific
region has for centuries been vulnerable to natural climate hazards such as floods, droughts
and cyclones. In this respect, our Community poses a great part of preventing forced
migration on the basis of environmental impact.
In this regard, we develop our own capacities, programmes and operations, we strengthen
partnership on regional and international level and get involved into several climate change
projects, such as Global Climate Change Alliance: Pacific Small Island States, International
Climate Change Adaptation Initiative: Building resilience in fisheries, agriculture and
health, and Vegetation and Land Cover Mapping and Improving Food Security for Building
Resilience to a Changing Climate in Pacific Island Communities Implemented.
Pacific Community welcomes the draft resolution proposed by Algeria in order to declare
2014 as the International Year of Small Island Developing States as we see this initiative
as an important step in international, regional and sub-regional cooperation in developing
capacities and operations, raising awareness and joining in our mutual goal of preventing
forced migration due to global changes and preserving natural jewels of our globe.
Katarina Mulec
Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
Martina Škrobar
Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
Urška Učakar
Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations
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