26 August 2014 - The Philippines participated in the 45th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and 26th Post Forum Dialogue (PFD) Partners’ Plenary and Briefing Session which were held on August 01 in Koror, Palau.
This year’s forum theme,“Oceans: Life and Future,” highlights the threats and issues facing the island nations, which are in the frontline of the battle against the deleterious effects of climate change and rising sea levels.
The Joint Communiqué of the 45th PIF reiterated the importance of the member countries’ playing an active role in shaping the Post-2015 Development Agenda, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The PIF also issued the Palau Declaration, which outlines the significance of the oceans to the PIF member countries as part of their identity as the “People of the Ocean.”
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Minda Calaguian-Cruz, who led the Philippine delegation to the PIF and PFD, expressed concern on the ruinous effects of climate change on the oceans. This concern was shared by all of the countries present in the forum.
She also underscored the need to tackle the challenges of climate change head on, as well as the importance of respecting the relevant international laws and conventions pertaining to the oceans, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Convention on Illegal Trade in Endangered Species, Wild Flora, and Fauna (CITES).
The Philippines participates as a dialogue partner in the PIF, which is a political grouping of 16 independent and self-governing states in the North and South Pacific. END