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Pacific Islands to firm collective stance on regional issues prior to U.S. election

Xinhua, August 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Pacific Islands are looking to firm their collective stance on key regional integration and cooperation issues at the triennial Pacific Island Conference of Leaders as preparations are made for a political change in the United States.

The 20 heads of government of the Pacific Islands will meet in Hawaii on Wednesday to discuss a range of issues, including maritime disputes, economic stability and the "constant threat of extreme weather caused by climate change."

"Pacific Islands nations cannot take on these issues alone, we must partner with other like-minded nations and stand for our interests in the global community," the conference's chair, Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said on Tuesday.

O'Neill said the meeting's timing is important, allowing the Pacific's collective views and positions to strengthen before a change in the U.S. government.

"We have the opportunity at this conference to work with U.S. officials to prepare for the change of government so that we can hit the ground running when the new president is inaugurated (in January)," O'Neill said.

The Pacific Islands had been embroiled in a fisheries dispute with the United States following a significant impasse on fishing access fees following the collapse in tuna prices last year.

Washington had threatened to pull out of an important aid, trade and geopolitical agreement governing a the U.S. fleet's access to the skipjack tuna fishery over licence fees, however a last-minute deal was reached in late June following five months of heated negotiations.

More pressing however is the Pacific's vulnerability to human induced climate change, with the collective leaders aiming to hold the world to restrict the global warming temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, lower than the 2-degree Celsius global consensus.

Low-lying Pacific Islands such as the Marshall Islands and Kiribati fear a 2-degree Celsius rise would compromise their survival due to rising sea levels.

It has been reported the small island nation of Kiribati has bought land in Fiji in case the country must evacuate and that sea water is encroaching on grave sites in the Marshall Islands. Endit