I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States represented at the United Nations (Pacific SIDS), namely, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and my own country, Fiji.

I would like to thank our panellists for their contribution to this important discussion.Their decision to make information available in advance was particularly helpful.

Given the short time for our discussion, I limit myself to three short comments on, first, the context of our discussion; second, agriculture; and third, energy security.

As we consider the development opportunities for Small Island Developing States, we must keep the context of these discussions firmly in mind. In September this year, we will review the progress made under the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States.

The Secretary-General's report on the review of the implementation of the Maurtius Strategy of this year, as well as the reports from our regional meetings, evidence as a disturbing reality. Not only is progress in addressing the vulnerabilities of SIDS inadequate, but the resilience of many SIDS has decreased. In relation to the MDGs, the Secretary-General's report notes that SIDS have made less progress than most other groupings, and sometimes even regressed, in terms of economic growth, poverty reduction and debt sustainability. While this represents a negative note, it is nevertheless the reality that SIDS face on a daily basis.

If we are to reach the goals we set out to achieve, we msut acknowledge the barriers to progress we have encountered. We must look for creative and constructive ways to address the vulnerabilities of SIDS and draw upon the successful SIDS initiatives identified in our regional reports. These reports, however, have confirmed that an international enabling environment is critical to the sustainable development of SIDS. Addressing the unique vulnerabilities of SIDS- including the small size of our territories, populations and economies, as well as our geographical remoteness - requires significant international cooperation and support. Our response should include the recognition of SIDS as a formal UN category. This policy innovation would facilitate the provision of greater and more targeted support from the international community to address SIDS' vulnerabilities, highlighted by Mr Encontre as the "island paradox".

In addition to fostering an environment that enables progress, we must also seek to eliminate existing elements that are disabling. The biggest threat to the sustainable development, and in some cases, survival  of SIDS is climate change. While the contribution of islanders to the root causes of climate change is minimal, we have been among the first to weather its impacts - impacts that are already undermining our food security, water security and territorial integrity.

Regarding agriculture, most Pacific Islands are heavily dependent on locally grown food, both through subsistence and commercial agriculture. Increased water scarcity is just one way by which climate change is undermining our food security. Flooding  and inundation leaves salt deposits in our fields and thereby reducing land available for food production. At the same time, coral bleaching and ocean acidification are destroying the marine ecosystems on which many Pacific Islands depend on for the great majority of our protein intake. Carbon pollution is destroying the ability of our people to feed themselves. Professor Clayton's address is thus doubly relevant to the challenges we are facing.

I will conclude with a brief comment on energy security. I would like to thank Dr. Chase for highlighting the serious issue of fossil fuel dependency in SIDS. In the Pacific, oil imports consume about 18 per cent of our GDP on average.

One of the key barriers to reducing our fossil fuel dependency is insufficient funding for renewable energy infrastructure. We are grateful for the current development assistance provided by our partners. However, as highlighted by Dr. Chase, the short life cycle of much donor assistance means that most funding is dedicated to feasibility studies, small scale pilot projects and short-term training. With out more predictability, we will not see the types of projects capable of breaking our dependence on fossil fuels.

In this regard, we wish to highlight the successful Pacific partnership with Italy, Austria and the City of Milan, which moves beyond policy studies, and is delivering concrete renewable energy projects on the ground, based on national priorities. This programme can provide a useful template for future partnerships.