The Secretary-General of the United Nations is visiting Kiribati next month ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit in New Zealand.
Foreign Affairs senior official Terieta Mwemwenikeaki confirmed this to local media in Tarawa, saying Ban Ki-moon will arrive in Kiribati on September 4.
Ban Ki-moon will spend one day in Tarawa before leaving for Auckland. His visit is part of the UN recognition of Kiribati’s growing concern of climate change and sea level rise.
Mwemwenikeaki said the Secretary-General would like to get firsthand experience of the impacts of climate change on Kiribati.
He will be met by President Anote Tong.
Kiribati journalists are having a one-hour media conference with the secretary general.
Meanwhile, the Kiribati government is preparing its new Kiribati development plan for the next four years to replace the 2008-2011 programme.
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Michael Foon from the Kiribati Climate Change Department of the Office of the President said it was hoped they would receive more information and advice from other ministries involved in climate change and adaptation programmes.
He said this would form the basis of the government’s climate change policies in its development plan for the next four years.
Claire Anterea, a Kiribati climate change activist, is taking video footage of places severely damaged by sea level rise.
She said not much coverage was being given to this issue by the local media, which is why they are finding alternative ways to get their message across.
Michael Foon said climate change only became news in Kiribati when there were workshops.
He said there had not been any initiative by local journalists to develop their own stories on climate change.
Kauaaba Ibutuna, coordinator of the Catholic Church, said he had just returned from the outer islands, raising the awareness of the people on the issue.
Kiribati climate change: 'We are not refugees'
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