“I mean it is great that the global community has come to Samoa and has come to the Pacific, so that they can see what life is like for us in the islands - clearly impacted negatively by decisions that are made elsewhere in the world”
The Secretariat of the South Pacific (S.P.C.) has called for the United Nations (U.N.) to recognise the role regional bodies play in creating sustainable future their member states.
During an interview with the Samoa Observer yesterday, S.P.C. Director-General, Dr. Colin Tukuitonga said not only does he want to see tangible actions to come out of the 2014 Third Small Island Developing States (S.I.D.S.) conference, he wants the U.N. to recognise that agencies such as his are better aligned with local communities to implement such actions.
“I think that’s the challenge with these things,” he said.
“I mean it is great that the global community has come to Samoa and has come to the Pacific, so that they can see what life is like for us in the islands - clearly impacted negatively by decisions that are made elsewhere in the world.
“For me it is about taking all of those good intentions and then making a difference, applying it in real terms on the ground in the communities.
“This is why it is important for the U.N to understand that it is a very U.N-centric conference.
“If you look at the outcome document it is all about UN agencies.”
Dr. Tukuitonga said, in reality the regional agencies are far better equipped to implement these actions in their respective areas of the world.
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His own agency is the largest implanting body in the Pacific administering assistance to S.P.C. member states under 27 different services areas raging from fisheries to health
“Well actually S.P.C. and the Forum Fisheries Agency and a number of the regional organisations are far more aligned in terms of implementing these things on the ground,” he said.
“So we would thing that there is some recognition of the regional agencies in the role that we play.”
These comments come in the wake of Jamaica’s Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Land, Water, Environment and Climate change
Colonel Oral Khan who is calling for any action to come form this conference.
Earlier this week he told the Jamaica Observer that since the first summit that the implementation of proposed actions had been lacking.
“So we are hoping that out of this will be a greater commitment that will facilitate a smoother implementation of the recommendations,” Mr Khan said.
Dr. Tukuitonga said he would have to agree with this comment.
“That is exactly what I am saying,” he said.
“I think we should translate a lot of those good intentions into some meaningful tangible outcomes and outputs on the ground.
“I think it is great that the conference is being held in Samoa no question, but I think the challenge is to move from the walk to the talk.
“This is pretty much what we are saying is that agencies like S.P.C. we have been implementing a lot of these things for a number of years.
“SPC has been playing this game, been in this business for 67 years so we know what we are doing we have a track record.
“We are simply saying there should be some recognition of the contributions of regional agencies to the implementation of the decisions that come out of S.I.D.S.
“So I perfectly understand the sentiments expressed.
“I think most people would say, sure this is great but I think we need to translate these good intentions into meaningful outcomes or some impact on the ground in the communities.”
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