SUVA, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Pacific island nations of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has used the opportunity at the Rio+20 conference in Rio de Janeiro to promote its Declaration of Environment and Climate, Fiji's ministry of information said here Wednesday.
Vanuatu Prime Minister Meltel Sato Kilman Livtuvanu said at the meeting on behalf of the MSG member states that the declaration demonstrates the group's commitment to fighting climate change, whose impacts are already being felt by communities in MSG countries, according to a media release of the ministry.
The declaration was signed recently in Fiji by leaders of the MSG member states of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the FLNKS of New Caledonia.
Kilman said a framework for green growth has been adopted by MSG leaders as the basis for development.
"The MSG green growth framework will be focused on enhancing economic growth and development through the avoidance of loss of biodiversity and unsustainable use of natural resources, and the prevention of environmental degradation with a view to improve the livelihoods of its people," he said.
The Vanuatu prime minister stressed that MSG countries have the largest mangrove, sea grass and coastal swamp areas in the Pacific region.
The MSG covers a land area greater than 500,000 square kilometers and includes almost 2,000 islands, the flora and fauna of the Pacific region. It is also one of the world's most significant biodiversity areas, both terrestrial and marine.
These countries have called for a Melanesian Blue Carbon Initiative to inform decision makers in the region on the scale and value of these areas and strategize on how to conserve and manage these resources.
MSG leaders at a meeting in Fiji in March resolved to set up the Melanesia Green Climate Fund to mobilize investments from potential donors to effectively address the adaptation needs of MSG communities, Kilman said, urging potential donors and partners to support MSG's climate change initiatives.
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