Pacific regional climate change experts are currently meeting in Nadi to discuss challenges and a way forward for implementation of national climate change initiatives at the regional level.
The Steering Committee for the Regional Programme Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region (CCCPIR) with a budget of over 19 million Euros ($FJ46.9million) is tasked to ensure that the climate change programme objectives at the regional level are achieved.
The programme “Coping with Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region (CCCPIR)” is a regional development programme implemented in partnership by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP) and the German International Cooperation (GIZ) for the benefit of selected Pacific Island Countries.
Countries participating in the programme include Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
To implement activities under the Programme successfully, a steering structure with elements at the regional and at the national levels is required to oversee the following:
· Overseeing and validating the overall direction of the Programme;
· Giving guidance to programme and annual work plans, where necessary;
· Assessing programme monitoring reports received from National Steering Committees and regional partner agencies and providing feedback;
· Approving annual work plan for regional activities.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs director Political and Treaties and Fiji’s representative to the forum, Mr Esala Nayasi said Fiji has been a beneficiary of the funding which has enabled the Ministry to works towards climate change mitigation and adaptation.
“Through the partnership we (Fiji) has been able to advance issues regarding climate change and these include the Fiji REDD+ Policy, the National Climate Change Policy including an implementation framework, Fiji iTaukei Climate Change Glossary - declared official translation document for Ministry of Education and many others,” Mr Nayasi said.
“Work continues to be done on other mitigation and awareness fronts such as the Fiji National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and the Draft National Curriculum Framework.”
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