Mr President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the pacific lsland Forum small lsland Developing states namely: Fiji, Nauru, Micronesia, Marshall lslands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon lslands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and my own country, the Kingdom of Tonga. At the outset, we associate ourselves with the statement delivered by Grenada on behalf of A0SIS.

Mr President,

We welcome the report of the Secretary General and applaud you both for your collective leadership and efforts to position and maintain the prominence of climate change on our UN agenda.

The range of issues and stakeholders identified in the Secretary General's report confirms its enormity and complexity and highlights the need for streamlining, realignment and the integration and harmonization of agencies functions, and budgetary support to maximize the benefits from the

utilization of the limited resources available.

The bringing together and the forging of extensive partnerships between the Government and the private sector especially from developed countries (since partnership with the private sector in Pacific SIDS is limited due to diseconomies of scale), to bring about and to execute the requisite transformation and improvement in production; as well as in development and deployment of necessary technologies and financial resources is also vital.

This is particularly important as we have embarked on the implementation of the Bali roadmap and the involvement of the UN and its agencies as the primary vehicle in facilitating action against climate change. Its support in the negotiations process is therefore crucial.

Mr President,

It is equally important to re-emphasise that the time for action is now, we must not delay or defer action until the negotiations are completed. There is much work that can be done on the ground, particularly in the most vulnerable countries but who are at the same time the least equipped to face climate change.

The pacific Islands are already experiencing climate change and its impacts and the outlook for the future is also grim. our Leaders have reiterated their deep concern over the serious and growing threat posed by climate change to the economic, social and environmental well being of Pacific Island Countries, their communities, peoples and cultures. We consider the issue of climate change as one of security since it impacts of basic human security needs including economic, food, health, environment, personal, and community security. It was in this vein that our Group last April participated in the Security Council's debate on Energy, Security and Climate Change.

Mr President,

Our Leaders have further agreed that national action plans for climate change should be developed and implemented and climate change shouid be mainstreamed into natlonal development planning. There is therefore a clear linkage between climate change and the achievement of international

frameworks such as the Millennium Development Goals, the Barbados Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy of lmplementation. The Pacific Plan therefore provides a solid platform for regional cooperation guiding collective positions through the Commission on Sustainable Development and other international forums that advocate the "special case" of Small lslands States (SIDS).

ln this regard, we are also of the view that the SlDS Unit of DESA should be strengthened as a focal point for climate change in New York, so that Pacific SIDS do not have to wait for SIDS day within the CSD session to address the Barbados Programme of Action,

Mr President

Our leaders welcomed the guidance from the IPCG that it is physically and economically feasible to mitigate climate change and with concerted international support, adaptation can succeed. Conversely, without serious action, the global economy ad the fragile resources of the Pacific will

be severely affected.

Our regional agencies have been directed to intensify joint programming with the aim of advancing the implementation of regional frameworks and action plans, in particular, the Pacific Islands Framework for Action on Climate Change and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management Framework for Action to better assist members develop adaptation measures in response to the effects of climate change; facilitate the collection and analysis of scientific, social

and economic information and traditional knowledge in a manner that will allow for appropriate and informed decision making by members; and identify sustainable financing options at national, sub-regional and/or regional levels to support climate change adaptation and mitigation by members.

Mr President

Five of the Pacific SIDS countries are also LDCs and have benefited from preparing their National Adaptation Plans of Action (NAPA). At the Bali COP many of 0ur countries called for the extension of this type of support activity to all SIDS. This is a step that the UN system can implement without

delay. All that is required is some technical and financial support. We have a network of expertise in the Pacific including through our regional inter-governmental agencies that are ready and willing to assist should a decision on the extension of NAPAs be taken. There will also be a need to support the implementation of projects identified by existing and future NAPAS.

Another area where the UN system can assist is to implement actions in support of the GEF Capacity Development Initiative. While this is of relevance to all multilateral environment

agreements, it is of particular importance in the area of climate change. The work that has been undertaken so far is been limited to national capacity self-assessments, We now need to progress to the vital phase of actual implementation.

Mr President,

Although Pacific SIDS has limited GHG emissions, we nevertheless are implementing a regional project to remove barriers to renewable energy. We estimate that this project will reduce our fossil fuel emissions from the business as usual scenario by 33% by 2015. In real terms this is only 2

million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, but we have made a commitment to renewable energy in the region and we are making this contribution. We see an important supporting role from the UN system in ensuring that our project plans actually succeed in the GHG reduction.

The Bali Roadmap concluded that any new climate change regime would need to include reduced emissions from deforestation in developing countries. However, there is a need to develop appropriate monitoring guidelines as weil as capacity at the local level to reduce deforestation. As

we negotiate the Roadmap there is scope for a coordinated UN system effort to assist the relevant countries in establishing preparedness to implement projects to reduce deforestation.

Mr President,

In conclusion, the United Nations and the global community has this opportunity to impact what the Secretary General has noted as the "defining issue of our era" and that is climate change. Let us truly make a difference and follow through our commitments with concrete actions. Foreign Affairs, 21/02/08.