In the Samoan capital Apia, over 100 countries are currently meeting at a UN conference to discuss the issues faced by Small Island Developing States or SIDS. The conference is looking at ways of helping those countries to deal with issues like climate change - with a clear focus to build partnerships to find solutions. Speaking at the opening of the conference, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said "combating climate change, promoting sustainable development and addressing the vulnerabilities of SIDS will demand partnership, capacity-building and leadership."
He added "we need to transform our unsustainable consumption and production patterns and our business-as-usual mindset. The diverse coalition of small island nations we call SIDS lives on the front lines of climate change and sustainable development. They are also in the vanguard in pioneering solutions that the entire world needs." Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi said "the big problems of our small islands will sooner or later impact any country, irrespective of level of development or prosperity. Clearly we need to work together an partner with others to achieve our full potentials." The SIDS conference comes at the eve of a major Climate Change Summit, which will be held in New York later this month. Also speaking at the conference, John Ashe, President of the UN General Assembly, said "the major climate change conference will take place in Paris in 2015. The curtain raiser on all this is the climate change summit that will take place on September 23rd in New York. And here I'd like to personally thank our Secretary-General for launching that initiative. It will be an opportunity for us to hear from our leaders what they are prepared to do to address the problem of climate change." The SIDS Samoa Conference searches for sustainable solutions for the oceans and "island Earth" in a critical time in history.
SHOTLIST: 1 SEPTEMBER 2014, APIA, SAMOA Apia, Samoa Flag raising, Samoan and UN flag Band playing in front of Conference Building Conference hall Delegates Various shots, delegates going to conference venues and being driven in sustainable energy vehicles Various shots, Apia harbour, Hokule'a Canoe of Polynesian Voyaging Society
SOUNDBITE (English) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: "Combating climate change, promoting sustainable development and addressing the vulnerabilities of SIDS will demand partnership, capacity-building and leadership."
SOUNDBITE (English) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: "We need to transform our unsustainable consumption and production practices and patterns and our business-as-usual mindset. The diverse coalition of small island nations we call SIDS lives on the front lines of climate change and sustainable development. They are also in the vanguard in pioneering solutions that the entire world needs."
SOUNDBITE (English) Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, Samoa: "The big problems of our small islands will sooner rather than later impact every country, irrespective of level of development or prosperity. Clearly we need to work together an partner with others to achieve our full potentials."
SOUNDBITE (English) John Ashe, President of the UN General Assembly: "The major climate change conference will take place in Paris in 2015. The curtain raiser on all this is the climate change summit that will take place on September 23rd in New York. And here I'd like to personally thank our Secretary-General for launching that initiative. It will be an opportunity for us to hear from leaders what they are prepared to do to address the problem of climate change."
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