Seal the Durban Deal: Minister Fugui

Press release from the Solomon Islands Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology

Solomon Islands Minister for Environment, Climate Change,
Disaster Management and Meteorology, Hon John Moffat Fugui

Speaking at the High Level Segment of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, Solomon Islands Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Hon John Moffat Fugui, MP, said, “Africa is the undisputed cradle of humankind”.

“In Durban, we are gathered to write the next chapter in the story of our journey. This journey had started millions of years ago in Africa. Ironically, it is on African soil that the fate of humanity is to be sealed” said the Minister. He continued, “Today, we are presented that Opportunity” and we must “Seal the Durban Deal”.

The Minister is confident that Heads of States, Heads of Governments and Global Environment Ministers can depart Durban with a balanced outcome.  “We are leaders chosen by our people. As such, we have an obligation to do what is morally Right, Just, and Noble”. Hence, he went on to say, “delivering a balanced outcome depends on strong leadership by the Annex I Parties. It also requires Non-Annex I Parties, who are major emitters, to take on some of these responsibilities”.

The Minister continued, that, his delegation expects to depart Durban with the following outcomes in their brief cases:

• First, urgent actions have to be taken to reduce greenhouse emissions to desired levels. Solomon Islands wishes to ensure that the mean global temperature is reduced to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

• Second, we must ensure we have a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol with more ambitious targets.

• Third, we must ensure we have an inclusive mandate for a new legally binding instrument. This will complement the Kyoto Protocol with binding mitigation targets for those who are not party to the Kyoto Protocol and mitigation actions for major developing countries.

• Fourth, we must ensure the operationalization of a financial architecture provides a scaled-up financial support to vulnerable countries in order to respond effectively to the adverse effects of climate change. In Durban, an Agreement has to be reached to operationalize and capitalize the Green Climate Fund.

• And, Fifth, we must implement the Cancun Agreement.

Solomon Islands Minister for Environment, Climate Change,
Disaster Management and Meteorology, Hon John Moffat Fugui

On adaptation, the Minister said, Solomon Islands is implementing its National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPA). He also said that we are further implementing “the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) Project and the Adaptation Fund Board Project of which Solomon Islands is one of the first beneficiaries globally and the first recipient in the Pacific region to address Agriculture and Food Security. Here, faith-based organizations are involved. Here, also, gender issues are given high priority”.

On mitigation, the Minister went on to say that under the UN-REDD Program, Solomon Islands is developing a National REDD+ Strategy, which is a prerequisite for the REDD readiness. We have also completed our National Renewable Energy Strategy.

On mitigation, also, the Minister recognized that Taiwan is a major donor, providing renewable energy, to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change in the country. He requested, therefore, that the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat recognizes the contributions of Taiwan. “Like Palestine”, he said, “it is timely, just and proper if Taiwan is made an observer to participate in and contribute to issues of and solutions to Climate Change”.

The Minister went on to remind parties that Responsibility comes with Accountability. “Our children will hold us accountable if we don’t hear their silent voices. Our grandchildren will hold this against us, if we don’t hear their cries”, concluded the Minister.

For these reasons of inter-generational equity, the central message of Minister Fugui’s Statement to the High Level Segment of the Seventeenth Session of the Conference of the Parties and the Seventh Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol is that we must Save Tomorrow, Today! And Seal the Durban Deal!

Contact Person:

Rence Sore

Permanent Secretary

Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology

Mobile: + 27 (0) 76 355 3640

Email: psmecm@googlemail.com

Durban, South Africa