President Michel opens AOSIS conference: |12 November 2014

‘Climate change is the greatest threat of our time’

President James Michel yesterday officially launched the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis) ministerial conference which is presently going on at the Savoy Resort and Spa at Beau Vallon.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Vice-President Danny Faure, government ministers, members of diplomatic corps and other high government officials.

The two-day conference aims at adopting a legally binding document on climate change which will be brought forward at the United Nations Climate Change Summit to be held in Paris next year.

It also serves as a preparation for climate talks next month in Lima, Peru.

In his speech, President Michel warned that climate change is the greatest threat of our time as our survival depends on the sustainable development of our planet.

He further stressed that the targets set by small island states (Sids) are for the ultimate survival of the whole humanity.

“We set these targets, not only for ourselves. We set them for humanity. For we know that our survival is bound up in the sustainable development of our planet. In Apia (Samoa) we showed what islands really are: The pulse of this planet we call home. Climate change is the greatest threat of our time. […] In the face of this threat, we as Sids are on the front line,” he said.

The president added that as Sids “do not have economic means to build sophisticated defenses, latest technology to better adapt to the problem nor the economic might to apply sanctions on those most guilty,” they should make use of what they have.

These, he said, are “their collective will to make a difference and their determination to act together to build a common cause against climate change”.

At this juncture, President Michel said that it is opportune to ask the key question of what do we wish Aosis to be? He himself provided some answers by emphasising on the need to “reinforce the organisation, endow it with the leadership it requires, provide it with the efficiency it needs and give it the resources to make it function”.

“In terms of the implementation of our priorities too often the world has chosen to ignore us. Too often, we remain observers in the geo-political manipulations of others. Too often we are treated as bystanders. And more often than not, we allow ourselves to be treated as bystanders. […] We must be the ones that will ask questions that others will not. We must continue to be the standard bearers of these inconvenient truths. We must also be the ones who will walk even where others fear to tread. We must also own our own solutions. We must be prepared to act, and bring others with us. We must be prepared to bring forth innovative solutions that address our priorities,” he said.

The President insisted that “as the defenders of the moral rights of every citizen of our planet”, we should consider a few priorities in the negotiations with countries responsible for climate change. These are remembering that adaptation to it is as important to mitigation, ensuring that priority is given to Sids which are the most vulnerable countries, taking action now and ensuring that the debate on climate change is not divorced from the debate on sustainable development of which the blue economy is an important factor which presents an opportunity for us all.

“We cannot accept that climate change be treated as an inevitability. We cannot accept that any island be lost to sea level rise,” concluded President Michel.

The other speaker at yesterday’s opening ceremony was the Minister for Education and Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Change of Nauru, Charmaine Scotty.

She thanked the Seychelles for offering its hospitality through the hosting of the conference and commended the country for its efforts in environment protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation and sustainable development.

The Nauruan minister also called on more commitment and political will on the part of Aosis member states in order to bring forward the organisation’s agenda.

“If I have learned anything about the climate negotiations, it is that there are no easy answers. Truth be told, as the political decision makers we have to take responsibility for our situation. We have failed to regularly engage with each other and provide guidance to our teams. It is for this reason that the meeting here today is so important,” she emphasised.

Ms Scotty has said that as the outgoing chairman of Aosis, her country will show all its support to Seychelles when the latter succeeds the Maldives at the head of the organisation for the period 2017 – 2019.

During the ceremony, local artist Joe Samy had the honour of performing a song specially composed for Sids entitled ‘We are beautiful’.

Sonam Tsultrim, a young student, also read a letter which as a Seychelles’ native she has addressed to the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon about the protection of the planet and the need to save small island states.