FSM Congress Recognized For Climate Change Act PALIKIR, FSM (The Kaselehlie Press/PACNEWS, June 30, 2014) — The FSM was awarded a GLOBE award for its Climate Change legislation during a meeting of more than 70 parliaments and houses of Congress in Mexico City. On June 6-8th, Senator Yosiwo George, Senator David W. Panuelo, and Senator Berney Martin represented the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia at the GLOBE International World Summit of Legislators in Mexico City. GLOBE International (Global Legislators Organisation) is a non-profit political organization that seeks to advance law on climate change, national capital accounting, and forests. During the 2nd World Summit of Legislators meeting, Congressman Panuelo co-chaired a parallel session with a legislator from Bangladesh. The session addressed Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. At the end of the summit two awards were presented for efforts on climate change policy and adaptation. The FSM Congress received recognition for the Climate Change Act it passed late last year. Congressman David W. Panuelo had the honor of receiving the award on behalf of the 18th FSM Congress at which time he thanked the Summit of World Legislators and Globe International Secretariat for the award. “While the FSM is the only recipient country for such an award, the significance of the award is that it reflects the collective leadership of World Legislators in the fight against climate change,” he told the gathered legislators. Congressman Panuelo speculated during a meeting with the press that the recognition may also have had something to do with the fact that in addition to the landmark climate change legislation, the FSM is also already dealing with the effects of climate change. The website of GLOBE International (globeinternational.org) made no mention of the recognition that we could find. That fact does not diminish the accomplishment of the FSM’s landmark climate change legislation that is held up as model legislation internationally. Congressman Yosiwo George also spoke during the summit. “What we [in the FSM] can say is that the legislation [Climate Change Act] has energized the climate change debate and given the country a sense of possibility. For too long we were on the sidelines complaining about the lack of progress of climate change negotiations. Now we can do something about climate change.” Senator George spoke about the effects of FSM’s Climate Change Act saying, “It may not look like much at the beginning, but in the long run this change may take us to substantial progress. That is what we hope—that our small country can contribute in our small way to (addressing) the global problem of climate change.” The legislators at the June conference adopted a Legislator’s Resolution recognizing that the biggest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century are poverty and the unsustainable use of our natural resources. The resolution additionally committed parliaments to prepare to contribute their efforts to the United Nations Secretary General’s Leaders Summit on Climate Change this September as well as for the next GLOBE International Conference in Lima, Peru and the Paris International Climate Conference in 2015. The conference in Mexico City was the second GLOBE conference that FSM Congress representatives attended in 2014. In March, GLOBE held a meeting in Washington D.C. during which the Speaker of the 18th FSM Congress, Dohsis Halbert delivered a statement on Climate Change. Speaker Halbert’s speech during the conference stood alongside speeches made by such luminaries as U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi who gave the key note address at the summit, as well as speeches by U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Boxer, and U.S. Senator Edward Markey. Members of the FSM Congress who notably participated in the Conference in Washington D.C. included Senator Isaac V. Figir, Senator George, and Senator Panuelo.
Posted on: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 07:32:18 +0000
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