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The first Joint Veefln
of the Pacific
Platform for Disaster Risk Vanacement
and the Pacific Climate Chance
Roundtable
The inaugural Joint Meeting of the Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management and the Pacific Climate
Change Roundtable was held at the Sofitel Resort and Spa in Denerau, Fiji, from 8th to 11th July 2013.
The four day meeting, hosted and Chaired by the Fijian Government, was jointly organised by the Secretariat
of the Pacific Community (SPC), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and the South
Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
The meeting was officially opened by the Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, Mr Aiyaz Sayad -Khaiyum
who recalled the urgent need for action, in view of increasing risks caused by climate change and natural
disasters: "Rising sea levels, of course, are one thing. By far the most pressing immediate issue is the manner in
which climate change is already producing wild extremes in our weather, including an increase in the number
of hurricane strength cyclones ".
The meeting was also attended by various Ministers from the Pacific including Hon. Mark Brown, Minister for
Finance and Economic Management of the Cook Islands, Hon. Thomas Laken, Minister for Planning & Climate
Change Adaptation of the Republic of Vanuatu as well as by Ms Margareta Wahlstrom, Special Representative
of the United Nations Secretary -General for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The meeting of the disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change (CC) communities aimed to progress
discussions and political commitment on the development of an integrated regional strategy on disaster risk
management and climate change by 2015. Over 300 participants representing a wide variety of stakeholders
and interest groups, including Pacific national representatives at different levels of government, NGOs,
civil society organisations, the private sector, the scientific community, regional, international and donor
organisations attended the meeting. Numerous technical sessions and side events provided opportunities for
stakeholders to share knowledge, experience and perspectives, thus contributing
to the formulation of the
new strategy.