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The inextricable links between climate change and sustainable development have been increasingly recognised over the past decade. In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)1 concluded with very high confidence that climate change would impede the ability of many nations to achieve sustainable development by mid-century and become a security risk that would steadily intensify, particularly under greater warming scenarios. Article 4.8 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) lists several groups of countries that merit particular consideration for assistance to adapt to climate change “especially: (a) small island countries, (b) countries with low-lying coastal areas, c) countries with areas prone to natural disasters.” Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have characteristics which make them particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, sea level rise (SLR) and extreme events, including: relative isolation, small land masses, concentrations of population and infrastructure in coastal areas, limited economic base and dependency on natural resources, combined with limited financial, technical and institutional capacity for adaptation.2

The 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity was held from the 18th to the 29th October in Nagoya, Japan. About 15,000 delegates representing parties, UN Agencies, NGOs, Inter-Governmental Organizations, indigenous and local communities, private sector, and academia attended the meeting.

Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its eighth meeting, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB). The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity was designated focal point for the Year.

The nations of CARICOM16 in the Caribbean together with Pacific island countries contribute less than 1% to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (approx. 0.33%17 and 0.03%18 respectively), yet these countries are expected to be among the earliest and most impacted by climate change in the coming decades and are least able to adapt to climate change impacts. These nations’ relative isolation, small land masses, their concentrations of population and infrastructure in coastal areas, limited economic base and dependency on natural resources, combined with limited financial, technical and institutional capacity all exacerbates their vulnerability to extreme events and climate change impacts. Stabilising global GHG emissions and obtaining greater support for adaptation strategies are fundamental priorities for the Caribbean Basin and Pacific island countries. CARICOM leaders recently unveiled their collective position that global warming should be held to no more than 1.5°C19 and continue to develop a Climate Change Strategic Plan. The Pacific island countries have expressed their priorities for addressing climate change regionally through the Pacific Leaders’ Call to Action on Climate Change20 and the Pacific Islands Framework for Action on Climate Change 2006-2015.21

SharePoint is Microsoftís document management technology, and has been in use under various product names for more than five years. Despite its longevity, many computer users are unaware of its existence and fewer still understand how the technology simplifies the network environment for end-users. But every organization that generates content can benefit from using SharePoint. You can find out how easy it is for teams and individuals to create Web sites for information sharing, facilitate meetings and document collaboration. SharePoint sites allow users to work together on documents, tasks, contacts, events, and other information.

Verbesina encelioides (Cav.) Benth. & Hook. f. ex A. Gray, golden crownbeard, is a sunflower-like herbaceous annual plant ranging in height from 0.3 to 1.7 m with showy yellow flowers. It is native to the southwestern United States, the Mexican Plateau, and other parts of tropical America. Its invasive characteristics include high seed production (as many as 300-350 seeds per flower and multiple flowers per plant), seed dormancy, ability to tolerate dry conditions, and possible allelopathic effects. Disturbed areas with a relatively sandy substrate within warm, arid climate zones are vulnerable to invasion by V. encelioides. Veresina encelioides is found on all of the main Hawaiian islands except Ni'ihau but is particularly problematic on Midway and Kure Atoll, where it may threaten the habitat of nesting birds such as Laysan and black-footed albatrosses and Christmas and wedge-tailed shearwaters. Many other Pacific islands with similar habitats could be invaded by the V. encelioides. The plant has become naturalised in many other U.S. states, parts of South America, the Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic Puerto Rico, parts of Europe, Saudi Arabia, India, Ethiopia, Morocco, Botswana, Namibia, Israel, and Australia. It is a pest of various crops in the southern United States and India and is poisonous to sheep and cattle. Verbesina encelioides can be controlled via herbicides or mechanical means, but measures must be repeated due to the presence of persistent seed banks. Further research on V. encelioides is needed to understand its population dynamics, allelopathic properties, and impacts on natural ecosystems.

Pacific islands are extremely vulnerable to climate change. Pacific island culture, traditions, economy and environment will be affected by the effects of climate change, marking an urgent call for partnerships and collaboration to increase the resilience of communities to adapt to these changes. More than 80% of Pacific Islanders live on or near the coast. Community action will ensure that Pacific islands are strengthened to reduce the impacts of climate change such as sea level rise and storm surges. This global change requires island action to protect your island home for future generations.

Organise a national launch for the Year of the Sea Turtle. Invite schools, legislators, community groups, the media and the general public to attend. Have an information display/presentations about turtles and their role in the Pacific.

The Secretariat’s approved work programme and budget (WP&B) for 2006 was prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Financial Regulations and is expressed in USD.

In accordance with the “Rules of Procedure of the SPREP Meeting” (Rules 8.1 and 8.2), where a Meeting is hosted by the Secretariat, the Chair shall rotate alphabetically. Where a Meeting is not hosted by the Secretariat, the Chair shall be provided by the host country.