Government of the Federated States of Micronesia

Pacific Islands Conference Renews Commitment to Sustainable Development

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): June 23, 1997 –
The following is the text of a press release issued June 20, 1997, at
the end of the conference held in Pohnpei on Sustainable Development
in the Pacific Islands.

“One hundred fifty participants from throughout the Pacific
Islands and the U.S.A. gathered in Pohnpei this week to exchange
information and renew their commitment to sustainable development.
The President’s Council on Environmental Management and Sustainable
Development, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and the United
States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Region IX
co-sponsored this 16th annual conference. Distinguished traditional
leaders attended along with officials and representative of national
and local governments and legislative bodies, environmental agencies,
research institutions, non-governmental organizations, and the
private sector.

His Excellency the Honorable Jacob Nena, President of the
Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), attended the conference and
stressed the urgency of its mission to ensure that all nations
protect natural resources as they develop. He is especially concerned
that the outer islands of FSM are already suffering from sea level
rise as a result of a global climate change, and he expects the
problems will continue, potentially submerging islands throughout the
Pacific region.

President Nena traveled to New York on Wednesday, June 18, to
participate in the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) ‘Rio Plus Five’ meeting to evaluate progress
since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro. He will lead off with
a report from this conference.

‘The concept of sustainable development will be proven in the
Pacific Islands,’ said John Wise, Deputy Regional Administrator,
USEPA Region IX. ‘We have come to Pohnpei to join representatives
from all the Islands to learn from each other and to plan for a
sustainable future for our children.’

Leo A. Falcam, Vice President of the FSM and Chairman of the
President’s Council on sustainable Development, reminded the
conference participants, ‘[Sustainable Development] involves
different concerns for developing, resource-poor small islands
countries than for large, richly-endowed industrialized
countries […] everyone, both North and South, has an interest in
seeing that no major region planetary resources is marginalized in
this exercise.’

Del Pangelinan, Governor of the State of Pohnpei, welcomed
participants on Monday, June 16. Representatives came from American
Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, all states of
the FSM, Guam, Hawaii, Kingdom of Tonga, Republic of the Marshall
Islands, Republic of Palau, Solomon Islands, South Pacific Regional
Environment Program, U.S. Mainland, and Western Samoa.

Conference participants discussed presentations on ecological,
social, cultural, economic, planning and waste management aspects of
sustainable development. They also visited field sites in Pohnpei
that illustrated environmental problems and solutions such as
sustainable agriculture and fishing, renewable energy use, and
protection of mangrove forests, watersheds, and coral reefs.”