World leaders were reminded of the enormous responsibility they shoulder in terms of the future direction of climate change development for the world by Fiji on Friday.

This as journalists from Pacific Island countries were recently trained on the importance of Climate Change reporting in the region as most countries have started to feel the brunt of Climate Change implications.

Fiji's Minister for Local Government, Urban Development, Housing and Environment Colonel Samuela Saumatua made the statement at the High Level Session of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 7th Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP7) to the Kyoto Protocol that ends in Durban, South Africa.

According to local media here Friday, Saumatua joined more than 161 world leaders and leaders of Non Governmental Organizations in addressing COP17 with a far reaching and sobering reminder that decisions they made would have a direct bearing on the physical existence of some nations of the world.

Saumatua was chosen to be part of a group of ministers from the Alliance of Small Island Development States (AOSIS) to speak with the media.

He was also invited to officiate at the handover ceremony of the AOSIS chairmanship from Ambassador Williams of Grenada to Ambassador Moses of Nauru on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States.

The Fiji delegation also engaged with other organizations present at COP17 to explore areas of cooperation.