TUVALU RE-ELECTED TO CLIMATE CHANGE BUREAU

PRESS RELEASE

6th December 2003

Tuvalu has once again been re-elected as the Representative of the Alliance of Small Islands States (AOSIS) to the Bureau of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change. In elections held at the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP9) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, currently underway in Milan, Italy, the name of Tuvalu was unanimously re-endorsed by all small islands States for another term as their representative in the Bureau.

The Bureau’s main function is to oversee the whole work of the UN Conference on Climate Change to ensure vital climate change issues are properly addressed. The Bureau is made up of representatives from all major regions of the world and one representative from the small island States. This is Tuvalu’s second term in the Bureau.

In reports from the COP9, Tuvalu is leading the AOSIS to push hard for the industrialized countries not only to reduce their emissions of green house gasses (GHG’s) to below 1990 levels, but also to provide adequate funding to help small islands States adapt to, and cope with the devastating effects of climate change. Three funds from which Tuvalu can directly benefit for its projects have already been agreed and established: the Adaptation Fund, the Least Developed Countries Fund, and the Special Climate Change Fund.

Tuvalu Delegation at COP9 comprises of H.E. Mr Enele S. Sopoaga, Permanent Representative of Tuvalu to the United Nations, Mr Ian Fry, International Environmental Adviser, and Mr Poni Faavae, Climate Change Officer.
According to Ambassador Sopoaga, “The world can hear our voice on help for climate change. But we must go out there and work with them for that help.”