Pacific becomes a leading producer of oxygen [1]
Friday, May 11, 2012 - 11:48. Updated on Saturday, October 25, 2014 - 09:40.
A total of eleven States and Territories in oceania have agreed to join the "One tree one day a life" initiative, a move that would make the Pacific a leading producer of oxygen on the planet, a veritable oxygen lung for the world.
Of the 22 States and Territories of Oceania, 11 have agreed to join the "One tree one day a life" initiative. They drafted a joint text during meetings and workshops that took place this week in Nouméa, New Caledonia.
The Government of New Caledonia, represented by Anthony Lecren , member of the government in charge of the economy and sustainable development, and Roch Wamytan , President of the New Caledonian Congress, alongside SPC Deputy Director-General Richard Mann, hosted the delegations from the Pacific islands on Saturday 28 April with a view to drafting the "joint position" bringing the states of Oceania together at the RIO+28 Earth Summit
Other attendees at the workshop included SPREP Deputy Director General Kosi Latu ( www.sprep.org [2]) and George Gendelman, founder of think-tank The Planetworkshops (www.planetworkshops.org [3]), both of whom lent their expertise on Rio+20 and provided an overview of the Pacific Round of the Global Conference scheduled to take place in Nouméa in November this year.
Discussions took place over the repercussions of climate change on the islands of the Pacific and ways to make the region's voice heard in the international community.
"At a time when some parts of the world are slipping from being net capturers of CO 2 to net emitters, the Pacific has become the leading producer of oxygen on the planet, a veritable oxygen lung for the world"
Th e "joint position" was signed on Saturday 28 April at a plenary session of the SPC.
The government desired this signing be made symbolically on the day of the launch in New Caledonia of the "One tree one day a life" programme and the 2012 campaign, the objective of which is to plant 250,000 trees.
With the States and Territories of Oceania that have already joined the "One tree one day a life" initiative, several million trees are to be planted per year.
This is the strong message that the joint position at the Rio+20 Summit aims to provide.
The "One tree one day a life" initiative consists in planting one tree per inhabitant each year, i.e. 250,000 in New Caledonia but 10 million per year for the 22 countries of Oceania.
New Caledonia
Anthony Lecren , Member of the New Caledonian Government, instigator of the "One tree one day a life" project.
This is a New Caledonian initiative to promote sustainable development in the Pacific islands.
The project consists in planting one tree per year for each of New Caledonia's 250,000 inhabitants .
This equates to 250,000 trees being planted per year over a period of at least 10 years.
The intention is for the New Caledonia-initiated "One tree, one day a life" programme to become an Oceania-wide project involving all the countries of the region and to be presented as a joint project of the States and Territories of the Pacific at the Rio+20 Summit.
One day each year, the 250,000 New Caledonians are to plant 250,000 trees.
If the 22 States and Territories of the Pacific plant one tree per inhabitant, this would equate to 10 million trees per year.
Participants/Signatories
Fiji
Hon. Ratu Inoke Kubuabola , Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Fiji comprises 322 islands, of which around one-third are inhabited.
The islands are mountainous, with summits reaching as high as 1,200m, and covered in tropical forests.
Fiji has alrea dy launched a one-million-tree programme . This programme will give Fiji international exposure.
Niue
Hon. Toke Tufukia Talagi , Premier of Niue since 19 June 2008.
Niue's Premier emphasised the political aspect of this approach, to which he gave his support. He attended the workshop in Nouméa this week but was forced to leave on the morning of the 28th due to air travel reasons . His comments were taken into account in the drafting of the joint position. In particular, the Premier insisted on the need for a strong political approach to Rio+20.
Samoa
Hon. Tufuga Gafoa Faitua , Associate Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment
Samoa (formerly Western Samoa, officially The Independent State of Samoa or The Independent State of Western Samoa ) is an independent Polynesian State, encompassing four inhabited islands (Upolu, Savai'I , Manono and Apolima ) and six inhabited atolls in the South Pacific Ocean.
Samoa has already planted 1,600,000 trees, and this figure may double or even triple by R io +20. They therefore totally subscribe to the project, which gives Oceania a clearer vision .
Tonga
The Kingdom of Tonga is a Polynesian State in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 650 km east of Fiji and comprising more than 170 islands and atolls spread over three main archipelagos.
Hon. Lord Ma'afu , Minister for Lands, Survey and Natural Resources
Tonga has already planted 10,000 trees, and supports this project which will help it to mobilise further and plant more.
At the same time, this year Tonga launched its energy road map and created an organisation to combat natural disasters.
Tuvalu
Hon. Kausea Natano , Deputy Prime Minister
Tuvalu is in danger of being wiped off the world map .
They are appreciative of this "timely" initiative.
They have implemented a renewable energy plan and hope to be fossil fuel-free by 2020.
Vanuatu
Hon. Steven Kalsakau , Minister for the Environment
Vanuatu is located to the south-east of the ring of fire. Some of its volcanic islands are still in activity, such as the Yasur volcano on Tanna Island, the Marum and Benbow volcanos on Ambrym Island and the Aoba ( Ambae ) and Lopevi volcanoes on the islands of the same name s .
The country has also launched a 10-year reforestation programme, with the objective of planting 20,000 ha of trees, primarily sandalwood. Launched by the government authorities, this programme is now being run by the private sector and the local populations and contains a significant educational focus with respect to school children.
" 20 years are needed for a tree to be sustainable, so we have to explain to the children that forests are their future lives, and also their source of water."
Vanuatu cites the example of the neighbouring Solomon Islands, whose forests have been devastated by the timber industry with no replanting taking place.
Pilot project for the rehabilitation of coconut trees: 800,000 trees to be planted.
Vanuatu also emphasises two important points:
"The most important is to use this initiative to make a loud call to the international community .
"The other important point is simplifying the relevant procedures in our countries in order to give us greater access to international aid. " Currently, this is not always possible, which lends further importance to the act of uniting.
Wallis and Futuna
Hon. Mikaele Kulimoetoke
Vice-President of the Territorial Assembly
Wallis and Futuna are made up of three traditional monarchies: Uvéa (in Wallis), and Alo and Sigave (in Futuna), whose kings govern alongside elected councils and the representative of the French government, who bears the title of High Administrator. Following the constitutional review of 28 March 2003, the islands of Wallis and Futuna became a special-status French overseas collectivity , without this modifying the 1961 status of overseas territory.
These volcanic islands, with a very indented co a stline and a protective reef ring, are difficult to access. Wallis and Futuna has 106 km of coastline in total.
"It is important to deal with measures to redress the situation undertaken by industrial companies."
Wallis and Futuna welcomes the project's educational focus and underlines that the "joint position" needs to pave the way for an agreement to force the largest states to redress their past and future wrongdoings.
We all share the desire to restore all that can be restored.
Marshall Islands
Hon. Amatlain Kabua , Ambassador to Fiji and the IMF
This archipelago, located to the east of the Caroline Islands, to the north of the Gilbert Islands and to the south of Wake Island, is made up of volcanic islands and coral atolls. It is known the world over as the site of US nuclear tests (air and subterranean) in the 1950s and 1960s. The Marshallese form ed the first group of Micronesians, who emigrated from Oceania (most likely either the south-east of the S o lomon Islands or the north of Vanuatu) around 2,000 years ago. Although English is an official language and is widely spoken, Marshallese is used by the government. Marshallese is a language from the Austronesian family, Micronesian subgroup (also known as Malayo-Polynesian) and Oceanian group.
The Marshall Islands have been planting trees for a long time. "We are planting trees in coastal areas, primarily pandanus and coconut trees. This initiative is a reflection of our tradition and traditional knowledge, which is positive yet not widely known throughout the world."
Micronesia
Hon. Andrew Yatilman , Director, Office of Environment and Emergency. Elected Director of the SPREP in 2010.
The Federated States of Micronesia are a presidential federal republic. The president is both Head of State and Head of Government. Executive power resides in the hands of the government , while legislative power is shared between the government and parliament. The judiciary is independent.
The 1979 constitution guarantees the respect of human rights as well as the separation of state powers. Micronesia has been a freely associated state of the United States since the compact that was signed in 1982 and entered into force on 3 November 1986.
Micronesia supports and fully identifies with the "One tree one day a life" initiative .
Cook Islands
Hon. Henry Puna , Prime Minister of the Cook Islands
Having expressed support from the outset at the SPREP summit in Apia in July 2011, Henry Puna has signed the Joint Declaration and thus made his country's support for the project official. The Cook Islands enjoys significant political autono my from New Zealand as a result of its status as an associated state since the 1965 constitution. The Islands have total autonomy over the management of internal affairs and, since 2001, also over foreign policy. The Joint Declaration of 6 April 2001 stipulates that " The Cook Islands interacts with the international community as a sovereign and independent state ".