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Pacific Islands Sustainable Development Conference Slated for Pohnpei

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): June 9, 1997 - The Regional Environment Protection Agency on Sustainable Development (SD) has been scheduled for the week of June 16 to 21, 1997, to be held at Misko Beach Restaurant, Dekehitk, Pohnpei, with over 150 participants expected to attend particularly those involved in environmental management and sustainable development within the FSM (both at the national and state levels) and government officials and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana islands (CNMI), American Samoa, Republic of Belau, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), the United States and some regional organizations in the Pacific, according to Robert Hadley, Chairman of the FSM's SD Working Group.

At the opening of the ceremony, Norman Lovelace will give opening remarks, acknowledging the delegations and special guests, followed by Dr. Eliuel Pretrick, Secretary of the Department of Health Services and Co-Chairman of the conference, introducing the key speakers whose giving the welcoming remarks during the conference's ceremony. Welcoming remarks by guest speakers include Pohnpei Governor Del Pangelinan, Isonahniken Salvador Iriarte representing the Traditional leaders of Pohnpei, and FSM Vice President Leo A. Falcam. Other officials will follow suit after the ceremony.

The theme of the conference is, "Sustainable Development in the Pacific Islands," with discussions of which to be centered on three aspects of sustainable development including ecological sustainability. The objective is to have a conference which will be project-oriented that can demonstrate the practical applications of sustainability through various presentations, small groups seminars and field visits to selected sites. This may afford participants a chance to see and determine a course of action that may be taken toward enhancing sustainability.

For these reasons, the conference represents a "Call for Action" and it is expected to develop recommendations for follow-up action by government officials, private sectors and community leaders. Toward this end, a committee of twelve participants, one representative from each island will prepare a communique which will summarize the days activities which will be released to the media, according to John Mooteb, FSM SD Secretariat.

A full report on the conference will be published for distribution after the conference, says Jim Branch, Pacific Insular Area Programs, USEPA Region Nine, San Francisco.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is sponsoring the conference and is paying for expenses of five participants from each entity and the costs of any additional participants will have to be absorbed by the sponsoring entities. The FSM President has designated a Working Group of FSM SD to coordinate the conference together with USEPA.

The FSM President has invited all Governors and State Legislature Speakers or their representatives (to) the conference. Thus far, the roster of participants from FSM are about 30 altogether.