ACP – EU endorse resolution on natural disasters in Vanuatu

The ACP – EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) have adopted a resolution on the natural disaster that devastated Vanuatu and neighbouring Pacific states in March.

ACP – EU Co- Presidents, Louis Michel said the assembly expressed solidarity for the people affected during cyclone Pam and called on the international community to continue its support in the rebuilding process.

They say ACP and EU countries must ensure that the post-2015 development agenda takes account of the needs of ACP small island developing states by addressing the impact of climate change and building resilience to natural disasters.

“The plenary also adopted the resolution on the natural disaster in Vanuatu and neighbouring member states as a result of cyclone Pam in March. In the resolution, ACP–EU members express their solidarity with the people of Vanuatu and all the affected states in the region Tuvalu, Solomon Islands and Kiribati.
 
The resolution calls on the international community to continue and to increase the mobilisation of resources for reconstruction of damaged infrastructures such as sanitation, housing, schooling and communication systems, and to do so in a coordinated manner,” said Michel.
 
Michel said the JPA was also impressed with Kiribati’s President Anote Tong presentation on climate change that affected his country and the region.
 
This has resulted in the EU’s invitation for President Tong and the poet and civil society representative from the Marshall Islands Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner to address the European Union Parliament in September or in October.

The resolution also highlights the plight of environmental migrants and calls on the international community to identify and address legal gaps in the protection of these migrants.

“We were all impressed by the competence and by commitment of the President of Kiribati. We were emotional listening to the poetess. That’s why the European members wished to invite the President of Kiribati and the poetess to come and visit the European Parliament to launch the mobilisation and to help them in their aim to prevent climate refugees.  
 
“All members of the EU Parliament were very impressed by that fighting spirit of both the two speakers’ ad that is the reason why we want to help them concretely. We also put question to our member states in the EU if they could tell us what they can do to help the region in order to fight climate change,” said Michel.