 President Mori's Address at Tällberg Catches European Commission's AttentionPalikir, Pohnpei (FSM Information Services): August 3, 2009 - On June 25th, 2009, President Manny Mori gave the keynote address at the Tällberg Forum in Sweden and told an international crowd about the plight that Micronesia is facing because of climate change. Since then, President Mori has received an invitation to go back to Sweden and talk on climate change issues from the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, and the Prime Minister of Sweden, Fredrik Reinfeldt. Sweden took over the Presidency of the European Commission on July 1st, 2009. President Mori has been invited to take part in the fourth edition of the European Development Days to be held in Stockholm on October 22-24, 2009. This is an annual policy forum and is Europe's platform for discussion and exchange of ideas with partner countries, global civil society and the development community. In the invitation, President Barroso states that, "The world's climate looks set to continue changing at rates unprecedented in human history. We know that the poorest people and countries are the most likely to be hit the hardest by rising sea levels, desertification and natural disasters, yet they are often least responsible for the causes." He also states that, "we must also adapt to climate change and support the poorest people and countries in their efforts to do so." He specifically asked for President Mori to be part of an intervention in the special plenary session on Climate Change during the meeting in Stockholm, which is only a few weeks before the 15th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (UNCCC) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Although President Mori was pleased with the opportunity to bring to light the effects of climate change on the FSM to other leaders in Europe, he is not able to attend this conference. The President does have plans to attend the UNCCC in Copenhagen in December. |