PRESS RELEASE (87/10)
27th September 2010

The Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) Tuiloma Neroni Slade on 23rd September attended the opening session of the general debate of the 65th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, USA.

Additionally, Mr Slade attended the High Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that was held from 20 to 22 September at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and participated as a panellist at the Side Event on the MDGs organised by UNITAR, Egypt and the OECD on Smarter Partnerships in a Complex World: The Potential of MDG 8 Side Event held on 20 September 2010.

Mr Slade also met and held consultations with representatives of the Forum Missions at the United Nations; the Office of the United Nations Secretary General; the Office of the UNDP Administrator; the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA); and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth in the margins of the MDG Summit and the general debate of the UNGA. Mr Slade further met with and provided support to the Hon. Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu in his role as the Chair of the Forum during the meeting of the UN General Assembly.

In his remarks at the Side Event on the MDGs organised by UNITAR, Egypt and the OECD, Secretary General Slade observed that the Pacific region has always used partnerships to progress and address issues that faced the region - from the most simplest to the most complex and challenging of tasks. Mr Slade noted that progressing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the Pacific was couched in clear partnership frameworks articulated and translated at different levels, referring in particular to the global partnership established through the inextricable link between the Mauritius Strategy for Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (MSI) and MDGs; the articulation of the MDGs based on the unique features of the Pacific region through the Pacific Plan; and the reinvigoration of fundamental partnership approaches and principles through the Cairns Compact.

Mr Slade further noted that smarter partnerships are fundamental, and must be founded on common objectives and goals at the outset, and that a certain level of trust must be in place to begin with or at least developed over time. This was necessary particularly when dealing with many development challenges presented by the impacts of climate change to low lying atolls in the Pacific, including ongoing impacts of the global economic, financial and food crises combined with weak governance and service delivery.

Secretary General Slade acknowledged with satisfaction the continuing strengthening of relations and cooperation between the PIFS and the United Nations, noting the particular partnership forged between the PIFS and the UNDP Pacific Centre. Mr Slade welcomed reassurances of continued strengthened support and cooperation from the UN during his meetings, and similarly offered the PIFS’ continuing support in the work of the United Nations.

The Forum Secretary General also attended the High-level review meeting of the MSI+5 at the United Nations from 24 to 25 September 2010 and further meetings with senior UN officials. Further, and at the invitation of the President of the UN General Assembly, Secretary General Slade will participate as a panellist in the Interactive Dialogue on Cross-regional Perspectives during the MSI+5 High-level review.

ENDS.

For media enquires contact Mr Johnson Honimae, the Forum Secretariat’s Media Officer on phone 679 9458763 or email: johnsonh@forumsec.org.fj