28th June 2018 The Minister for MEIDECC, Hon. Poasi Mataele Tei, headed Tonga’s delegations to the 8th installment of the Polynesian Leaders Group meeting, convened from 26 -29 June in Funafuti, Tuvalu.
The Polynesian Leaders Group Meeting brought together leaders from Wallis & Futuna, Tokelau, Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga as the current Chair of the group. Also in attendance were representatives from the Pacific’s regional CROP agencies, UNDP, Green Climate Fund, as well as representatives from both the scientific and academic communities, and Non-Government Organizations.
The Polynesian Leaders Group meeting was preceded by a two-day workshop referred to as ‘Climate Change Sautalaga’ and themed ‘The Polynesian Connection – Taina Fakapolenesia’.
Presentations made during the Climate Change Sautalaga had their main focuses on ‘protecting the Pacific’ from the adverse effects of climate change and centred on the current and imminent security issues such as access to climate finance, increasing global temperature, migratory patterns of fish stocks, bleaching of coral reefs, climate induced displacement and migration, the Paris Agreement and its implementation guidelines.
During the discussions on processes for accessing to the Green Climate Fund, the Hon. Minister reiterated the ‘call for the establishment of a Green Climate Fund office in the Pacific region’ to allow for a greater GCF presence, and to open up possibilities for faster developments and processing of GCF project proposals in the region.
The Hon. Minister was accompanied by the Director for MEIDECC’s Corporate Services Department, Mr. Vatulele Tuputupu, MEIDECC’s Principal Climate Finance Analyst, Department of Climate Change, Mr. Sione Talolakepa Fulivai and Legal Officer from the Prime Minister’s Office, Ms. Elisapeta Lemoto.
ENDS
Issued by the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications