Introducing Ewan Cameron and the Nansen Initiative

Ewan is no stranger to Climate Change Matters nor to SPREP, having worked in the past within the climate change division and with member countries in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

He is back to follow up on the Nansen Initiative Pacific consultation on "Human Mobility, Natural Disasters and Climate Change" that was held in Rarotonga in May of this year. As a part of his work, he hopes to increase the awareness and visibility of the Nansen Initiative process amongst SPREP member countries and interested stakeholders as well as support the organisation with providing assistance to countries with their work on loss and damage.

This year the Cook Islands Government, in collaboration with the Nansen Initiative and SPREP hosted the first Nansen Initiative Consultation for the Pacific Region in Rarotonga from 21-24 May.

The theme was "Human Mobility, Natural Disasters and Climate Change in the Pacific."

The objective of the consultation was to identify specific challenges facing the region related to human mobility and natural disasters, and to develop concrete, practical, policy and programmatic results to respond to these challenges.

As a result from the consultation, a conclusions document was prepared by a drafting committee that consisted of participants from the Pacific countries, with support from the Nansen Initiative and SPREP secretariat and experts.

The document was presented on the final day, 24 May, to the Cook Islands Prime Minister, the President of Nauru, the Vice President of Kiribati, the Deputy Prime Minister of Tuvalu, and the Associate Minister from Samoa.

A key outcome within the Conclusion document reaffirmed the 2008 Niue Declaration on Climate Change by Pacific leaders emphasising "the importance of retaining the Pacific social and cultural identity, and the desire of the Pacific people to continue to live in their own countries, where possible"

Participants stressed that having to leave one's country is the least preferred option, however; they expressed concern that cross-border relocation may negatively impact on nationhood, control over land and sea territory, sovereignty, culture and livelihoods.

Participants also agreed that in the context of natural disasters and climate change action and resource mobilisation is required at various levels such as the community, government, regional and international partners.

The Nansen Initiative is a country led, bottom-up consultative process intended to build consensus on protecting the needs of people displaced across international borders by natural disasters including the adverse effects of climate change.

For more information on the Nansen Initiative please see http://www.nanseninitiative.org/ or contact [email protected]