CRI听力: 40th Pacific Islands Forum Opens with Concern for the Climate Change

The challenge of climate change remains a concern for the Pacific Islands Forum as Leaders gather for their 40th Forum in the Australian northern city of Cairns.

CRI's Australia correspondent Chen Feng has more.

Reporter:

The 40th Pacific Islands Forum opened on Wednesday morning in the Cairns Convention Centre. Leaders from all 16 members, except Fiji, attended the ceremony.(www.hXen.com)

In his opening speech, outgoing Forum Chair and Premier of Niue, Toke Talagi said climate change is a real problem and one which if not reversed threatens our livelihoods.

"For all of us climate change will remain a persistent issue. The costs, both social and economic, associated with it will also persist, if not, increase. While all of us are affected, the situation for small island states is quite worrisome. For them, choices such as resettlement must be considered seriously."

Reports say some Pacific island countries like Kiribati, Tuvalu, Republic of Marshall Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Federated States of Micronesia, are badly affected by the rising sea level. Kiribati and Tuvalu are even in the danger of being inundated.

In order to tackle the climate change issue in the region, the Australian government released a document on Wednesday, entitled "Engaging our Pacific Neighbors on Climate Change: Australian approach". The document guides Australia's climate change work with the Pacific to 2015 by articulating principles to inform future efforts, based on the Pacific region's stated priorities and Australia's capacity to assist.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the chairman of the 40th Pacific Islands Forum, urged Forum members to act together to push for increased global action on climate change, which aims to hasten preparations to ensure a better successor to the Kyoto Protocol in Copenhagen.

"We must lift our efforts to deliver the outcome that our world and region need at Copenhagen. We must all act together to meet this challenge. With only 123 days to go until Copenhagen, we must use every opportunity to recommit ourselves as a region and as an international community to deliver a strong outcome in Copenhagen, necessary for the Planet, necessary for the Pacific, necessary for all our peoples."

The Forum leaders held a plenary session after the opening ceremony, discussing climate change and other prominent issues in the region, ahead of their Retreat on Thursday.

Chen Feng, CRI news, Cairns.