 I want to say, first of all, talofa to you all, talofa. And then to express my respects to the ancestral leaders of the land and also to the leaders of the University, the Australian National University. And thank you very much indeed for being here. I bring warm greetings from the people of Tuvalu. They are still there. They are still there in Tuvalu. And it is a great honor, sir, director of Climate Change Institute in the Australian National University, for your welcome and a privilege for me to be speaking here at the ANU. I particularly want to thank the Climate Change Institute, director, of course, the Ferner School. And I understand also the Pacific Institute of the ANU for giving me this opportunity to speak here. Tuvalu, as you may already know, has a longstanding relationship with the ANU, because we have a number of Tuvaluan students and Pacific students studying at the ANU. And some I can also even see in the audience. I just came out of a talanoa or a dialogue with our fellow Pacific students, and including Tuvaluan students, where I got all decorated with flowers and also with a garland. So that's why you see me wearing the lace and the flowers. But I have with me a delegation comprising the CEO of Foreign Affairs, Fakavaya Taomia, my personal assistant in the Office of the Prime Minister, and her excellency, the newly accredited resident high commissioner of Australia, Tutuvalu, Ms. Murray, who you can see there. But we have had a particular relationship, as I was saying, with the Ferner School, my director of climate change negotiations, Ambassador Jan Frey, Dr. Jan Frey, as you may know, is a graduate of Ferner School. And he's also our chief negotiator or advisor to our negotiators on the process of climate change. As you may know, he's not here because he's really engaged in negotiations in Poland right now. So you must be very happy he's a graduate of this very important prestigious university. I understand also he's, together with other colleagues, graduates from here, are teaching in schools here in the ANU. Others who have graduated from the ANU on diplomacy, on public policy, have returned to Tutuvalu and have made significant contribution to helping the small island administration in developing its policy, but also on development issues as well as participating or contributing in the foreign service of Tutuvalu. So we believe to continue these special relationships and for small island countries with little capacity in areas of policy and development, it is critical and important, in my view, that these special relationships continue. So maybe later on I will explore some options how we can move this forward. But on this issue of climate change, it is very clear that it is the serious single greatest threat to humanity that we face today. We have acknowledged amongst the leaders of the Pacific in the boy declaration on security in the region as we agreed in the last forum or meeting of the leaders in Nauru last year. And again, the IPCC special report on 1.5 degree Celsius above our pre-industrial levels highlights the profound global risks that we are facing. The report concludes that the effects of human-induced climate change are worse than previously projected, and that the risks to Pacific small island development states are very, very serious, including my own Tutuvalu. We face particular threats to our coastal and marine environment, including sea level rise, extreme weather events, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, and changes in fish stocks. It is therefore a threat to our scenic fisheries, water resources, health, agriculture tourism, and many other fronts. It is very evident that climate change represents a single greatest threat to the livelihoods of the people living on low-lying, vulnerable island countries. Their security, long-term sustainability, and well-being. I have seen recent reports in various newspapers suggesting that Tutuvalu is not sinking and that climate change is a hoax. It's a little bit unfortunate. I have seen reports of politicians making also similar statements. And they refer, in particular, to paper by authors Richard Kench and Arthur Webb, which suggested Tutuvalu has increased in size since the Second World War. My own scientists, and through empirical observations on the islands, including experts from ANU, have critiqued this paper and believed that the findings are at best misleading. We all know that the coral-arrow atolls grow and shrink due to various factors. And to suggest a trend of growth is, I believe, simply poor science. Even a layman like myself knows that. And through observations that this is a hoax. You need to visit our islands in Tutuvalu. And therefore, we have tidal records going back many decades. And it is clear from these records that the sea is rising around Tutuvalu. We are slowly being inundated by sea water. And saying that the biggest immediate threat to Tutuvalu is overwashing from storm surges. For example, in 2015, Cyclone Pam, which devastated large parts of Wanwatu, as you may have heard or learned from the media, also had severe effect on Tutuvalu. Our northern islands were confronted with waves ranging from three to seven meters high. As high as point of our entire country is only four meters above sea level, you can start to imagine the effects of such a storm and those surges on the livelihoods of the people. Waves washed across the entire islands. And thankfully, no lives were lost. But the damage to crops, food crops, and to livelihoods, to houses, livestock and infrastructure were enormous. Not only Wanwatu impacted, and we feel for our brothers and sisters in Wanwatu for the damages that were inflicted upon them by tropical Cyclone Pam. But Tutuvalu and many other southern islands of Kiribati were also badly affected. So therefore, the food and water security of those islands destroyed in one single event. It was an enormous hit to our GDP as we had to ship in water, food, and other supplies. We are still making payments to help those affected, the landowners, the household owners, the parents to recover from these damages. We thank the response of the global community and including Australia, of course, for helping us to cope and restore our lives. So therefore, because of these events, I... It led me to suggest a strategy, the Kakengatu, that is based on regarding the vulnerability to impacts of climate change as enemy number one of Tuvalu. And the critical importance of building resilience, so that the people will be able to cope better in the future. And that resilience will include education, capacity building, governance, and that likely policy orientation to strengthen the ability of the Tuvaluan people to respond to those things in the future. So that we didn't have to rely on the goodwill of the international community, but the people will be able to fend for themselves. I also established what we now call the Tuvalu Survival Trust Fund, out of our own resources dedicated an annual part of... a portion of our annual budget into this fund, so that it can be possibly a future mechanism for insurance cover in the future, if we can work with partnerships around the Pacific and other partners as well. Therefore, it is a view to also propose that because of these events, it is relevant that we develop... we establish what I refer to as the Pacific Island Climate Change Insurance Facility to give an injection of financial support for these vulnerable island countries. The idea is being well developed and received in the Pacific Island Leaders Forum process. It's being looked at by experts from all over the world, including the SPREP, the Forum Secretary, and I hope that the ANU could look at and offer some suggestions how we can move this from a concept into an establishment that can be set with the help of the GCF as well to help the countries in the Pacific. So I say that particularly to the climate change skeptics and politicians, of course, we have seen a lot of media about these, the shock jocks and people like who deny climate change that probably is good if you visit tomorrow. Come and visit tomorrow and see for yourself what climate change and sea level rise really mean to the livelihood of people who live on places hardly. For me, there's above sea level. I know there have been a lot of talk, a lot of skepticism, and even suggestions that probably it's cheaper to relocate and take these people away from their islands and resettle them in other parts of the world. I say this is not on. It is not on the agenda of the people of Tuvalu. They want to continue to stay and they want to continue to save their future and that's why we always say save Tuvalu in order to save the world. So there's the invitation there if you want to really prove that the skeptics are wrong in their forecast. Of course, I know they are paid by the fossil fuel industry to write stories to deny the science and the impacts of low-lying islands like Tuvalu. You come to Tuvalu and see for yourself. The occasion of having the forum next year in Tuvalu I think it's a good opportunity for skeptics to come and see for yourselves. Climate change is ever present in our minds and this is why after a visit this time to Australia I'm heading off to Poland so that we can talk more how we can progress the work on addressing climate change particularly the work on implementing the Paris Agreement. We have made significant achievements in agreeing to work together under the Paris Agreement but we need to deliver on this agreement. We cannot just keep the agreement away as another record of commitments but we need a rule book for this. We need an operational guidelines how we parties and all members of the global community governments, civil societies, private sectors, businesses can work together to deliver on the expectations of the Paris Agreement. And we need to find ways to achieve the targets of 1.5 degrees Celsius before pre-industrial period. And this is serious. When we look at the IPCC special report on 1.5 degrees it is telling us if no actions are done urgently to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at a global level the situation, the catastrophe impacts on small islands like Tuvalik will be dire. Will be dire, will be catastrophic. These islands will be submerged within 30 years. Just imagine. Imagine that you were in my shoes you were wearing my shoes and to think about the security and survival of your people being predicted. This is a generation, a mere generation away. A mere generation away. So I think it is onerous on all humanity nations of the world, stakeholders, parties to come together and take this report seriously because it would be, I think, unfortunate if we didn't meet or take actions to address these warnings. I believe that the comprehensive approach to the Paris Agreement rulebook is necessary and that it should be a complete package on the implementation, full elements of the Paris Agreement including on the loss and damage. Was put there deliberately to address the issue when your islands or country is completely eroded you have nothing to adapt to. You have no way to adapt to these impacts such as these small islands, countries of Tuvalik but all other economies as well. And therefore it is critical that we work out the rule books how we can implement this practically in a meaningful way. We, of course, are appreciative that there is good will still on many parties, on the part of many parties to come together in Poland so that we work out how we can move forward on this. And of course the other expectation out of COP24 in Poland is for the Talanoa process which is an initiative that was proposed under Prime Minister Frank Bajnemarov during his presidency to talk openly about meeting the targets, the nationally determined contributions to global emission reductions. And unless we have a conclusive concrete decision in Poland COP24 on moving forward on this it would be I think not helpful at all in order to avoid the catastrophic effects as I was referring to earlier on. So these are the expectations that we I strongly believe we need to work on. So there is another issue as well that I want to share and this is about market mechanisms that are being proposed. While we work on the rule book and the conclusion of the Talanoa process we need to be weary that the mechanisms for market, for carbon trading will not be used as an excuse to shift and transfer responsibility from the domestic level to other processes. If we were to do that, if it could be used as a mechanism it should be followed accompanied by an international monitoring mechanism that can keep check on the integrity and credibility and contribution as well to the overall greenhouse gas emissions reductions. So therefore in this respect I have raised the issues together with our colleagues and the leaders of the Australian government and during the day we had a very constructive discussion on these issues and also shared with Prime Minister Scott Morrison my expectations for us to continue to work in close partnership. Of course sharing with the Prime Minister and other leaders that whilst we recognize the policies of the Australian government on market mechanisms we also need to keep in track the issues of integrity and that sort of things as well. So I also want to impress on the presidencies of the COP, VG and Poland too ensure that the outcome of the Talonowa Dialogue as I was saying would come to some sort of decisions clearly demarcated in Poland so that we keep track of what people are doing in meeting with the emission reduction targets. We are aware that we are falling far short of meeting the targets that are necessary to reach the overall global targets of 1.5 degrees Celsius. So therefore I have impressed on our friends in the Australian government and likewise to all other nations to really think seriously about this and I'm glad there is receptiveness on the part of the Australian government that we continue the dialogue together with the Australian leaders and the Pacific Island leaders find ways how we can converge a common strength, common position to address this. It is also important that I think OECD countries should quickly look at their targets as well as their economy so that we can reach their respective countries in achieving the targets of the Paris Agreement. So during this visit to Australia and I want to acknowledge again my appreciation to the government of Australia for their ongoing support to small islands like Tuvalu and particularly for their invitation to come and dialogue more on the stepper policy for the Pacific Island nations including Tuvalu I have expressed my views that if there were no efforts to strategically and significantly improve the policy on energy to move away from coal mining and maybe facing out the coal mining policy but moving towards renewable energy to me it's almost a policy that's condemning a lot of lives of the people of the Pacific including Tuvalu because I strongly believe we need to act together as urgently as possible otherwise the people will suffer significantly as what the IPCC report is projecting so it never ceases as I was expressing this afternoon Prime Minister Morrison Australia is a land endowed with solar and a lot of talents as well and expertise including those in the ANU who are very very progressive and advanced in looking at options of renewable energy and to move away from the coal dependent economy and I certainly hope my message got there because when I mentioned this Prime Minister was quite happy to receive these comments as well and I have suggested maybe so way forward the Prime Minister and leaders of the Australian government could agree to establishing some sort of annual dialogue between the leaders of the Pacific and Australia so that we can come together and talk about common grounds to advance our work on climate change we in the forum last year in Nauru we spoke and committed to what we now hold the Boyer Declaration on Human Security and I think the Boyer Declaration on Human Security not only focusing on what was espoused under the Pikitawa Declaration on Security but moving beyond the traditional meaning of security to include human security in the Pacific so I think this is a very good framework and platform for us in the Pacific to seriously look at ways we can develop our capacity to work together to address security issues including climate change in the Pacific I have also suggested the support of the Australian government to us in our initiatives through the United Nations on Pacific insurance and the climate change insurance facility and also a resolution to take care of the rights of people to be displaced by impacts of climate change I certainly hope the Australian government can stand and help with us in those initiatives this being said ladies and gentlemen it is also critical in our own country that we develop our sustainable financial capacity to help our people adapt to the impacts of climate change including education, health and also food security harvesting fisheries resources in our vast oceans therefore is critical and that's why we are very grateful for the components of the step-up initiative by the Australian government under Prime Minister Scott Morrison and we're very happy tomorrow I'm going to Perth to see a new naval boat that is to be donated by the Australian government under the step-up initiative to help to valve patrol its maritime and fisheries resources and I think this is very critical and timely as we try to maximize the value of tuna and fisheries resources in the Tuvalu area so excellencies these gestures of goodwill are quite important as we move forward but as I was saying we need to build the capacity of the local people in Tuvalu and other small island countries and for that we greatly appreciate the step-up initiative building on the infrastructure the resources, works, games but also the capacity of our local people so finally excellencies as I was saying earlier on I want to throw and some suggestions for further collaboration between the ANU and Tuvalu for example first we should continue to build the capacity of our people so if you are looking for scholarships offering scholarships and training Tuvalu is more than happy to provide students or potential students to come and study in ANU I think we also need to have set ourselves very serious renewable energy targets and we need the help of ANU to help up more forward with reaching our targets on renewable energy and renewable energy is really to deal with the issue of high costs of depending on fossil fuels I think I've already referred to insurance facilities for Tuvalu and I certainly believe that the Australian government and others will help us move and support us push these initiatives not only in the region but also in the UN I know my ambassador for climate change has held preliminary discussions with the Climate Change Institute and Crawford School on this and I hope we can further develop Let me close by saying thank you very much for your time to listen to me and as you know Tuvalu is one of the smallest island countries in the Pacific and the world and therefore we look at the Pacific as needing to work together particularly to address the issue of climate change so in closing thank you again for your partnership and your support and I think given the significance of the impacts and the threats on the survival of island countries like Tuvalu we cannot be ignored if we save Tuvalu we can save the world thank you very much for listening Tuvalu Modiatua, thank you In fact it was so fantastic that you've actually covered all of the questions that I was going to do I've asked you including the one about how you could involve in practical ways but perhaps just before I open to the audience just one thing to expand upon you mentioned the importance of a new dimension of security that's human security and in particular I imagine your idea of climate change refugees is important in terms of your framing of this could you just expand a little bit about what you'd like to see happening in that domain well we still believe that those to be displaced by effects of climate change do not fall into the conventional definition of refugees and there will be significant difficulties in accepting this category of people because also about the protection of their rights should they be forced to be relocated within countries but especially outside countries so we believe there is a security dimension to that that requires proper consideration at the UN level, global level for an appropriate framework to deal with their rights so that when they are displaced and be relocated their rights to survival and to basic services of water and health are properly protected that they are not overshadowed by the ongoing debate on refugees under the 1951 Convention of Refugees so that's how we look at it it is really a security issue for those who are very very vulnerable to the effects of climate change including sea level rise so we are proposing that the UN resolution we will be taping it in the UN next month, this month in December hopefully it will be picked up in the negotiations early part of next year possibly going to the Human Rights Council and the appropriate agencies of the UN but that's what we are looking at thank you so just opening the thought of questions questions for the comments thank you so much sir I have a question I work with the UN Migration Agency here and you mentioned some sort of a framework or action on supporting disaster induced displacement and I think South America this week recently passed a non-binding document and they look at regular legal ways and exceptional legal ways to find a way to work together to support international relocation and peace related disasters can you speak a little bit more about what are some things that could be done in the Pacific and where Tuvali might be interested in leading absolutely no, as I was mentioning these there are natural disasters that are happening we have to accept that in the definitions of the Sendai framework convention on natural disasters here we are dealing with the effects of climate change and people have been saying do you have any plan B to respond to climate change? I said no, there is only one plan and that is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so that we reach our targets in the Paris Agreement when things happen in the doorstep that devastate, there's another level there's disasters itself but we are dealing with a human induced climate change that we have to really contain the definition and the projection and understanding of it so that we don't unnecessarily move to other regime but we know the effects are basically the same but in order to be comprehensive and move forward in addressing this particularly on climate change we really need to project this in the human induced disaster that we are dealing with and that's what we are trying to do in Tuvali we are getting funding from the greenhouse the global climate finance fund for coastal protection but I think it is the right of those most vulnerable to seek for this protection from the global community back to the principle of polluting the pace so we are very fortunate to get the funding from the Green Climate Fund and we are starting to protect our islands for sure also doing reclamation possibly raising the islands so that we can protect our people and continue to live on the islands so that we didn't have to be forced to move away thank you thank you for your remark thanks for the your remarks I'm Jacqui Westerman I'm a researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute here in Canberra we work among other things on women peace and security and look at the connection between WPS and climate change and seeing women are differently affected by climate change and subsequently the disaster is happening could you give some examples how Tuvalu includes women in creating more resistance to the effects of climate change yes indeed we fully recognise the contribution of women they are mothers in fact they are leaders in their own communities we have nine outer islands communities away from the capital island of Nafuti and most of the communities' activities to do with sustainable development on health and education are led by women women committees and that sort of thing so we fully recognise the contribution by women in all these efforts at the level, national level we also most of the jobs, top jobs are held by women anyway and you can see the two women here are champions in their own rights to champion the contribution of the women in the church groups led by the women so yes indeed we recognise that thank you Prime Minister I have a question I'm a fairness student the question is how do you feel accepting the Australian aid that is partially funded funded by the fossil fuel industry we we have been working with the Australian government many many years and I think they have contributed a lot to human development to sustainable development in Tuvalu we appreciate that now we have discussed as I was saying in my statement that raising these issues directly with the Australian government I have raised that with them that we cannot be regional partners under this step-up initiative genuine and durable partners unless the government takes a more progressive response to issues of climate change and I'm glad that we got the response from the Australian Prime Minister this afternoon that they are happy to work with Pacific leaders including Tuvalu on a dialogue to work out ways that we can close the gaps in so to speak in this sort of response to climate change and I'm hopeful that we can do that I know they have a policy on coal mining but also on energy efficiency but certainly it's a very very central policy of debate ongoing in Australia we respect that but I was saying we cannot be genuine partners regional partners bilateral partners unless we we see some progress in the policy of the Australian government and these are things that we need to continue working and dialogue not shying away but talking openly with the leaders of the Pacific and Australia as well so I think I also impress on the the wealth of the technology and knowledge that we know present in Australia on solar technology on renewable energy that is you know that is there we know from the Pacific point of view in Tuvalu it's available but we perhaps only need political leadership to move towards that harnessing that wealth of capacity in Australia so we will continue to dialogue with them but I'm sure when things happen I'm sure Australia there will be a lot of lands here for people of Tuvalu to come and settle here and then I'm here and already talks about visa arrangements to facilitate that so thank you for your question Minister thank you very much for a very illuminating address you introduced our new High Commissioner Tuvalu and I wondered with you whether you'd like to elaborate on that initiative absolutely we are very very excited and happy that after many years the Australian government under Prime Minister Morrison has part of this step up initiative the diplomatic connectivity and now we have just last week welcome the accreditation of the papers of Ambassador Murray who is sitting right there so as she's part of her mission is to build up on this step up initiative but also I promise her that every single Tuvaluan will support the Wallabies rugby not the old blacks but the rugby the Wallabies so thank you very much oh by the way Foreign Minister Malais will be visiting Tuvalu February and we'll be opening officiating the new High Commission and also the foundation of the new residence and High Commission of Australian High Commission in Tuvalu flying the flag of Australia there great stuff thank you very much thank you very much Prime Minister it was a great opportunity to hear from your own words what's happening in Tuvalu we live on an island it's a lot bigger the Australia I think is the largest island in the world and I think it's really quite difficult I think for a lot of Australians to understand or have any indication of the impacts of climate change on a small island developing state one of the things that I was quite taken by recently was a couple of young people who were involved in some international event and they were telling the story from their own perspective from their own the impact of wherever they come from in one of the Pacific islands I know everyone would love to come to Tuvalu but not everyone may have the opportunities so perhaps as it's going to be a problem and a very important issue for the young people of the world is it possible for some sort of video or some virtual sort of indication that would be easily acceptable or easily accessible rather and possibly even a fundraising thing from climate change that could come out of the Tuvalu and possibly through the Poland negotiations because I think that's something that will bring the Tuvalu experience right to people's living rooms and particularly to young people who are going to face these challenges in their future as part of a member of the global community could you possibly get back would you have a comment on that? Absolutely ma'am I think you raised a very very important point the audio visual I mean pictures speak millions are more worse than words so you are right and I think we have materials that can be shown and shared my officials are taking note of this we have video clips of what happened in 2015 when we were hit by Cyclone Pam so this would be very very extremely useful to be shared with the audience with a wider Australian audience in Australia so you can get really the feeling of how vulnerable and destructive these events are on small islands like Tuvalu but you are most welcome to come to Tuvalu don't come at one time you will sink the islands but come we are having the forum in a second week of August next year we are hosting all the Pacific Island leaders they will come there also I want to encourage as much participation from the international community especially our friends from Australia and New Zealand but also inviting the secretary general of the United Nations and also the executive secretary of the climate change convention this will be a good feed-in to what they are proposing as a secretary general submit on climate change in September so if you have time you are most welcome just let us know so we can make preparations for your visit for the students and professors you are most welcome especially from the A&U we won't say that to other universities no but seriously it's there the islands are there I'm sure I mean it will be modern enough to share our islands with you guys thank you very much but we will share the video clips with you through the Australian High Commission thank you so Prime Minister and you are true champion of the Pacific region in the world so I'm my name is Per Alberry and I'm proud to say that I'm the first ambassador of Sweden to Tuvalu non-resident unfortunately always an honour we haven't met for some time Mr Prime Minister could you mention the Green Climate Fund and one of the discussions that we have had in the past is access to the Green Climate Fund could you please elaborate a bit on that what's the status now in terms of access or difficulties thank you very much Ambassador, good to see you again and it's really good to see friends around but absolutely for the Green Climate Fund we were struggling for some time we we prepared our proposal I put together using the Tuvalu experts themselves come together to write proposal on adaptation on coastal protection as adaptation to impacts of climate change so we put this together into a proposal I had the advantage of having worked in the adaptation fund of the Kyoto Protocol when we started off the operational mechanisms so we got use those knowledge and things like that wrote a proposal and then worked with our partners, Australian, New Zealand to advocate and I was grateful for a former chairman of the board of the Green Climate Fund McDonald, he's Australian and he's now ambassador in New Zealand I think I mean these personal connectivity connections are important and then we went to the board luckily we had the ambassador of Samoa, he's the rep of the small islands there and very supportive but you need to advocate for partners like Japan, Australia Switzerland and all the EU and all that so we got the approval and we got the money dispersed 52 million Australian dollars to build the seawalls now it's a different story when we actually start to implement because the implementing entities start to put on their own bureaucracies and okay we want to cut off 10% 13% as administrative charges this is crazy anyway but we worked through this and we are actually implementing building seawalls so the money is there is dispersed then we come to another hurdle because I'm told you can only build seawalls coastal protection along the shores of the island over the years the islands was here this is the size of the island because of the erosion sea level rise and climate change we are here we need to rebuild and then you get all sorts of arguments now that's reclamation the concept of reclamation was not in your proposal you know you have to deal with this dynamics in order to fully realize the usefulness of the approved funding so keep only build seawalls where your last coconut trees is going to fall you build seawalls there so these are the difficulties the challenges we are facing but I think there is good will for us to continue to understand and build an understanding of climate funds in the governing board and also in the actual executive level so Ambassador thank you I want to ask you through you to also say something about the necessary of reclamation not just coastal and thank you for raising that question we are facing those challenges as well I'm also talking to Australia I've raised it with Australian leaders I will be raising the same issue in Poland as well this is important for the vulnerable small islands whose land had been routed into the sea over the many years so we really need to restore that land but otherwise other countries, small islands are still you know facing difficulties in accessing but I think those funds in fairness have improved a lot as they gain experience and understanding over the years so thank you very much for your question so it sounds like adaptation is needed in some of the institutions as well so I think we've heard about just one last question Prime Minister I'm a journalist with German Press Agency I wanted to ask your opinion about the impact on migration and what your views are in reference to climate change induced migrants because a lot of European countries are rejecting it including Australia also as already said that they will reject it what are your views on that and also you've touched a little bit on this your message to COP 24 in Poland what's it going to be will you be taking up the Pacific Island insurance scheme will you be taking up that as one of the agendas what do you want COP 24 to achieve thank you thank you very much on the last one yes indeed it is I think it's imperative for the Pacific Island countries who don't really fall into economies that can attract investments for insurance to have that Pacific Island insurance cover otherwise the people will just be left to their own device to adapt and cope with impacts of climate change including erosion on their lands as I was saying so we need that type of facility to be put in work in the Pacific and I will be raising that in Poland but on the compact global compact of migration the issue with the Tuvalu we've been saying we are not going to move away and the people have been suggesting why don't you have a fallback option so that we can establish a contingency plan maybe to relocate the people of Tuvalu somewhere in case all the islands are inundated but at the moment we still believe we can save the islands by seeking the intervention of the international community to build coastal protective measures even to raise the level of the islands to you know higher than what sea level was because to say that we are moving to plan B to be okay we can migrate with dignity or it's a defeatist approach to say and it's very very dangerous at the moment as far as I can see as we try to conclude the actual operationalizing of the Paris Agreement because I think if we move that way what's the point of adaptation you may as well pack up but this is very very scary if you have a strong cultural base cultural livelihoods in the islands you depend on your culture you cannot be displaced and take your culture with you never and then your rights to participate your rights to vote what will happen to these rights and that's why I'm very very as a leader I'm very scared to even mention that this is an option for Tuvalu and I will never say that with the people of Tuvalu we remain strong and stay in their islands and continue to be there in a sustainable manner and that is the whole idea behind we support the global compact of migration respecting the rights of the refugees those under the convention of course we should help all these people but climate change displaced people I think deserve another level of consideration so that the rights of those people displaced are properly protected and that's why we are proposing a UN resolution perhaps a convention in the future on the rights of displaced people because of climate change so that's the way I see that but Tuvalu fully supports this initiative on global compact on migration thank you thank you we have no time for the questions but I'll invite you to start a client I'd just like at this point just to thank very much the Prime Minister for not only his presentation but also his fantastic responses to the questions it's an honour to have you visiting us here and it's been in education as well thank you very much thank you