Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland has ended a visit to Apia in Samoa where she met all Commonwealth heads of delegation and other partners attending the 48th Pacific Islands Forum.
Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland has ended a visit to Apia in Samoa where she met all Commonwealth heads of delegation and other partners attending the 48th Pacific Islands Forum.
She held wide ranging talks on Commonwealth initiatives and outlined preparations for the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London in April 2018.
The SG welcomed the call by Pacific Islands Forum leaders for the international community to urgently consider assistance in the wake of Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean.
Forum Leaders recalled the impact of recent cyclones in the Pacific and the significant destruction to the infrastructure and economies of small states, in their communique issued this week.
“We are in this together,” said the Secretary General. “As noted by Forum leaders, the international community needs to recognise the existential threat climate change poses to the Pacific, the Caribbean and the Commonwealth.
“Small states, in particular, need support for resilient and innovative approaches to the impact of climate change.”
The Commonwealth Secretariat is an observer at the Forum.
The Secretary-General’s visit was an opportunity to highlight Commonwealth initiatives, and to build on the valuable relationship with member countries and other partners.
