Q & A : Why is this meeting important for your country?

16 August, Fiji - Q & A with the participants at the Preparatory Meeting for the 10th Conference of the Parties on the Convention on Biological Diversity in Fiji, Nadi from 16 - 18 August.

“It is important, but we haven’t been involved previously so Government is now keen to moblise resources towards biodiversity and how it can be mainstreamed into government policies and strategies. The process started last year with our national strategic integrated national plan, with biodiversity and climate change highlighted as major issues for our Government.” - Hadan Talagi, Niue.

"In terms of preparation we really like to see more on biodiversity issues. We have seen issues rising really rapidly in the Marshall Islands and we depend on biodiversity, it is important for us.  Now we are in to participating in these cop 10 meetings, it’s really important for us to voice our status and to come prepared and to have a say in the overall objective of the COP." - Joseph Tibon, Marshall Islands.

“There are a number of issues that the Solomon Islands, as a member of the Pacific, needs to have its voice in; for example the Access and Benefit Sharing regime is one of the issues that we really need to work together and put our voice there and apart from that ABS we also have other issues like bio fuels and biodiversity. If we encourage use of biofuels that will have an impact on our biodiversity, so those are issues that we consider why our presence is important here.” - Joe Horokou, Solomon Islands