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Pacific islands need international help to overcome vulnerabilities: ESCAP
A two-day meeting in Vanuatu concluded Tuesday with the assessment that the global economic crisis and recent natural disasters have compounded the vulnerabilities of Pacific island developing economies, still recovering from the food and fuel crises.
Noeleen Heyzer
The organizer of the meeting, ESCAP, the UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific, says efforts are required at both national and international levels to more effectively manage the impact of these external shocks on the small island developing states in the region.
ESCAP's Executive Secretary, Noeleen Heyzer says Pacific Island economies are vulnerable for a number of reasons.
"The islands are isolated, they are also vulnerable to ocean rises, because of the climate change, they're exposed to extreme weather conditions and natural disasters. And the cost of transportation, the cost of energy is extremely high."
Dr. Heyzer noted that "external assistance, through development aid, debt relief and foreign investment, is needed to support the Pacific on its path to equitable economic growth".
Bissera Kostova, United Nations.
(duration: 1'07")
