The Pacific National Stakeholders Meeting on Climate Financing held in Palau was organized by the United Nations Development Program and was attended by senior government officials from the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga and Vanuatu as well as representatives of regional agencies and civil society organizations.
The Vice President of Palau and Minister of Finance, Kerai Mariur, officially opened the meeting and highlighted the region’s vulnerability to climate change.
“Climate change impacts our lives and livelihoods as many struggle daily to recover from the adverse effects of salt-water intrusion to taro patches and declining fish stocks and its impact to our food production. The risks of extreme weather conditions inflict widespread economic losses,” said Mariur.
He emphasized the importance of relating international discourse on climate change and climate finance to our Pacific realities.
“We hope to hear from UNDP experts and each other about the current climate change adaptation approaches in the Pacific, best practices as well as international gaps which prevent better access to and optimum utilization of climate,” he said.
UNDP deputy representative Toily Kurbanov said the meeting was an opportunity to consult with Pacific Island countries on their concerns and priorities on pertinent issues of climate change and how UNDP could work together with them.
He said UNDP and Pacific Island Countries have been working together for many years on climate change and their partnership ranges from pilot interventions at the community level, aiming to cope with immediate impacts of climate change, to more long term efforts in policy design or renewable energy initiatives.
“As we look into the years ahead, it is clear that national systems and capacities must be strengthened significantly in order to ensure adequate response to the challenges of climate change adaptations. This will help ensure the Pacific Island countries maintain on the path to sustainable development and to strengthen the resilience of Pacific communities. Pacific Island Forum Leaders at their meeting in Port Vila in August 2010, emphasized the importance of addressing country capacity to tap the significant climate finances that have been promised and to ensure effective utilization of those funds to facilitate climate change adaptation and mitigation,” said Kurbanov.
