Pacific

Pacific island challenges are made harder with the impacts of climate change. The island region which consists of 30,000 islands with three of the five lowest countries on earth is one of the most vulnerable regions on earth to the impacts of climate change.

Addressing a summit with Pacific leaders in Paris, Hollande said the accord should try to meet the target of less than two degree temperature rise by the end of the century.

The French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, told the meeting that, "a maximum should be two degrees, 1.5 degrees."

These are the strong sentiments expressed yesterday by the Pacific Community Director-General, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, to staff and guests as the organisation paused to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and White Ribbon Day at its headquarters in Noumea.

“Violence against women is a human rights violation. It’s like a cancer in our society, eating away at progress in many areas of development including eradicating poverty, improving education outcomes and maternal health,” Dr Tukuitonga said.

The security issue is among a host of barriers contributing to the Pacific region's lowly rate of women's political representation.

MPs, parliamentary Speakers and senior government officials from 13 Pacific countries have gathered in Port Moresby to gain tools on how to boost the 5.6% rate which is the world's lowest.

The UN's Roy Trivedy says delegates have heard many different experiences including how Samoa's requirement for a minimum five women MPs in Parliament has been working.

In its latest situation update, the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs says governments are trying to take measure to mitigate the risks of water shortages, food insecurity and disease.

It says the governments of Fiji and Vanuatu are delivering food and water to affected communities, while in Papua New Guinea, three million people are suffering from shortages in the Highlands.

The team leader of SPC's Pacific agriculture policy project, Vili Caniogo, says more than 80 percent of the region's population live in rural areas but this is not reflected in government policies.

Performing arts company Fine Fatale is examining how the Pacific's 'third gender' is faring in today's cultural climate.

Their latest work, 'Le Freak', performed during Auckland's Urbanesia Festival, draws inspiration from the noble savages of the Pacific, and asks how they can move beyond being the freaks of the world.

The lead choreographer, Amanaki Prescott-Faletau, says fa'afafine and fakaleiti are traditionally called on to entertain - and they're using this to get their own messages across.

First established in 2014, the Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Council (PGSC) is composed of representatives from Lands and Survey Departments, Hydrography Units, and geospatial management sections throughout the region. The meeting is supported and facilitated by the Government of Australia and the Pacific Community’s (SPC) PGSC Partnership Desk.

“Accurate geospatial information provides a critical foundation for sustainable economic development,” said Interim PGSC Chair and Director of Tuvalu Lands & Survey Department, Faatasi Malologa.

The Director-General of the Pacific Community, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, has warned that failing to invest sufficiently in youth will come at substantial economic, social and political costs to the region.

People in the Pacific are being called on to share stories on social media of how they've been impacted by climate change, in a bid to strengthen the Pacific voice leading up to the COP21 conference in Paris.

The Pacific Islands contribute to less than 0.03 percent to the world's total greenhouse gases yet are amongst the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme says the outcomes of COP21 are crucial to the Pacific region.