Introductive address by Michel Paoletti,
Chair, overseas group, Economic and Social Council, Paris
Secretay General FPPECC
PECC Bora Bora seminar, 13th of november 2007
How could I say more than, as a member of our polynesian committee, what has just said our chairman and do anything else than join him , very warmly, in his welcome to you all ? So, it was not that much in my PECC capacity that I was invited to say some words at the beginning of our seminar. It was because, as a member of the Economic and Social Council of France, I was requested to express the interesting convergence of thoughts between the PECC and our organisation.
First of all, both organisations are based on the idea that there is a need for reflexion and action beyond the political sphere, albeit in liaison with. Understanding between different groups, social classes or countries, is sometimes very simply reached by the sheer exchange of views of people looking more for sharing knowledge than power. What better example than PECC, which can rightly boast to be the instigator of APEC?
The second point is that we are presently working on the same fundamental subject. Our council issued an advice to the government in 2000 and started a new research this year on a different approach: “economic activities in relation with water”. Similarly, in 2003, the economic, social and cultural council of french polynesia, and in 2006, the regional council of new caledonia, expressed their views on the question. I hope that our work here will be an opportunity for more exchanges, and I have already a meeting with the “rapporteure” in Paris set in a fortnight.
Our focus to-day, and during our three days together, is about islands and coastal regions. I think that this is precisely where we can bring some added value to the general issue. Our environment, around here, is mainly water, but salted, the one from which and to which the cycle starts and finishes, without necessarily giving us the amount of fresh water that we need. The world has thousands of islands in all the oceans, sharing similar problems. And here in Bora Bora, we shall see what has been done to deal with water scarcity and to protect the precious environment of the island, by its Mayor. I think that you will find the visit extremely interesting and challenging. That is the reason why in Sydney, last may, during the PECC general assembly, it was decided to come to Bora Bora, as a “showcase” for dicussion, offering also a beautiful setting.
Let us be inspired by it!
Chair, overseas group, Economic and Social Council, Paris
Secretay General FPPECC
PECC Bora Bora seminar, 13th of november 2007
How could I say more than, as a member of our polynesian committee, what has just said our chairman and do anything else than join him , very warmly, in his welcome to you all ? So, it was not that much in my PECC capacity that I was invited to say some words at the beginning of our seminar. It was because, as a member of the Economic and Social Council of France, I was requested to express the interesting convergence of thoughts between the PECC and our organisation.
First of all, both organisations are based on the idea that there is a need for reflexion and action beyond the political sphere, albeit in liaison with. Understanding between different groups, social classes or countries, is sometimes very simply reached by the sheer exchange of views of people looking more for sharing knowledge than power. What better example than PECC, which can rightly boast to be the instigator of APEC?
The second point is that we are presently working on the same fundamental subject. Our council issued an advice to the government in 2000 and started a new research this year on a different approach: “economic activities in relation with water”. Similarly, in 2003, the economic, social and cultural council of french polynesia, and in 2006, the regional council of new caledonia, expressed their views on the question. I hope that our work here will be an opportunity for more exchanges, and I have already a meeting with the “rapporteure” in Paris set in a fortnight.
Our focus to-day, and during our three days together, is about islands and coastal regions. I think that this is precisely where we can bring some added value to the general issue. Our environment, around here, is mainly water, but salted, the one from which and to which the cycle starts and finishes, without necessarily giving us the amount of fresh water that we need. The world has thousands of islands in all the oceans, sharing similar problems. And here in Bora Bora, we shall see what has been done to deal with water scarcity and to protect the precious environment of the island, by its Mayor. I think that you will find the visit extremely interesting and challenging. That is the reason why in Sydney, last may, during the PECC general assembly, it was decided to come to Bora Bora, as a “showcase” for dicussion, offering also a beautiful setting.
Let us be inspired by it!
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