Vanuatu Prime Minister, Ishmael Kalsakau, official opened the 22nd Melanesian Spearhead Group, Leaders Summit in Port Vila.
Environment and Climate Change, security issues, and trade agreements were top on the agendas discussed ON Wednesday (August 23).
In attendance were Pacific leaders from Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, the Fiji, French territory of New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea.
The welcome ceremony held at the Vanuatu Convention Centre started with a plenary session and each Pacific Island Leader was given the opportunity to make their statements.
PNG Prime Minister, James Marape in his remarks outlined PNG’s stand on Climate Change Mitigation and called on industrialized nations to make real interventions to assist Pacific Countries facing effects of Climate Change.
“I call on China, the United States and Australia to make real interventions to the Small Island States in the Pacific,” said Marape.
Marape conveyed Papua New Guinea’s support of Vanuatu’s move to seek the opinion of the International Court of Justice on the impacts of Climate Change on the people of the Pacific.
“I want to offer our support to Vanuatu’s leadership on the initiative to seek an advisory opinion on the International Court of Justice on matters of Climate Change through the United Nations through international law to protect the rights of future generations that are adversely affected. That is correct leadership and I commend Vanuatu,” said Marape.
Marape said Pacific Leaders must continue to represent views within the context of Melanesia and the Pacific.
“We all have interest in dealing with environmental issues, with Climate Change being big among us. We have development challenges; our need to ensure that genuine investors are not here just for today’s need but more importantly for the sustenance of our children after us. These challenges remain our collective voice, if we want to be heard today,” Marape told the MSG member countries.
A Leaders’ Retreat will end the summit for the leaders with an Outcomes Declaration signed on Thursday (August 24).
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