UN climate body offers support to Fiji as G77 chair

SUVA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat on Wednesday assured Fiji of its support during Fiji's tenure as chair of the United Nations Group of 77 (G77), the Fijian government said.

Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UNFCCC secretariat, made the comments while addressing permanent secretaries and senior officials at Fiji's National Climate Change Coordinating Committee meeting in Suva on Wednesday.

"We (UNFCCC secretariat) have no doubt that Fiji has the capacity and capability to lead this group which consists of more than 130 countries," a statement from Fiji's Ministry of Information quoted Figueres as saying.

"The secretariat is always ready to come in and assist Fiji should you require assistance from the secretariat especially in decision making in policy and implementation strategies during Fiji's tenure as chair of the G77," she said.

The Costa Rican national said Fiji needs to implement strategies in leaving no stones unturned in advancing the issues of the G77.

"We (Costa Rica) have been chair of the G77 once and we know the challenges it brings to the table. It is very hard because the dynamics of the G77 now has really changed as it was five or six years ago...It is more fractured now and Fiji will have to bring all these developing countries together and also represent the group to development partners and umbrella groups," said Figueres.

However, with Fiji's growing influence on the international arena, the work undertaken to advance the interests of the G77 should not be difficult, she added, "You have many friends within the G77 to support and help Fiji."