Minister Scotty pays courtesy call on President Michel |12 November 2014

Charmaine Scotty, the Minister for Education and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change of the Republic of Nauru, paid a courtesy call on President James Michel early yesterday afternoon at State House.

Ms Scotty is also the chairperson of Aosis (Alliance of Small Island States) and is here attending the two-day ministerial meeting on climate change which opened yesterday at the Savoy Resort & Spa (see lead story on front page).

Discussions between President Michel and Minister Scotty focused on how to ensure continuity and capacity building within Aosis as well as forging a strong common position for future climate negotiations.

“It is all about solidarity, about Aosis making sure that we make our mark in regards to climate change, that we make our issues known throughout the whole world, about our concerns for climate change, this immense and dangerous threat of climate change,” Minister Scotty told the local media after her meeting with President Michel.

“Through coastal erosion along our shores, people are really starting to feel the effects of climate change…it’s really making the reality really close to us, and making sure we need to do our part and make our voices heard… particularly for us, as we only have one island.. we don’t have another one where we can ferry off to live on this island….No one wants their home to be lost forever. It’s important that the major emitters understand the danger of climate change to our security,” added Minister Scotty.

She was accompanied to the meeting by Ronny Jumeau, the Seychelles ambassador for Climate Change and Small Islands Developing States Issues, and the permanent representative of Nauru to the United Nations, Ambassador Marlene Moses.