New Zealand and Japan will cooperate to ensure the success of the Pacific Climate Change Centre in Samoa, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.

“New Zealand is committed to supporting climate change action across the Pacific and we see the Pacific Climate Change Centre as a key regional institution,” Mr Peters said.

During May’s Pacific Island Leaders Meeting in Japan, Foreign Minister Peters and Japanese Foreign Minister Tarō Kōno confirmed their countries’ strong commitment to strengthening coordination and cooperation in the Pacific Islands region.

“We are pleased to cooperate with the Government of Japan on the development of this key regional institution,” Mr Peters said.

“The Climate Change Centre will contribute to efforts to address the needs of Pacific Island Countries to combat the impacts of climate change over the coming decades.”

The Pacific Climate Change Centre is being built on the headquarters of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Environment Programme (SPREP) in Apia, Samoa.

“New Zealand is pleased to be contributing up to NZ$3 million for the Climate Change Centre. This builds on Japan’s significant support,” Mr Peters said.

“We recognise that partnership is vital to development success and are look forward to cooperating with Japan on this project over the coming years.”

The PCCC is expected to open in mid-2019, and will be a pre-eminent regional hub and centre of excellence for climate change issues. It will provide training, facilitate research, and coordinate regional actions on climate change issues.

The formal statement between the Governments of Japan and New Zealand is below.

"New Zealand-Japan Joint Press Release:
Cooperation on the Pacific Climate Change Centre

1. Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand Rt. Hon. Winston Peters and Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Mr. Iwao Horii, as the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister to the Pacific Islands Forum related meetings, had productive discussions in Nauru on 5 September 2018, in the margins of the Pacific Islands Forum meeting.

2. Minister Peters and Parliamentary Vice Minister Horii recalled the joint press release issued by Minister Peters and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Taro Kono ahead of the Eighth Pacific Island Leaders Meeting hosted by Japan in May 2018. They emphasised the partnership between New Zealand, Japan and Pacific Island countries, and reiterated their commitment to strengthen coordination and cooperation in the region including on development assistance.

3. In this regard, Minister Peters and Parliamentary Vice Minister Horii were pleased to announce that New Zealand and Japan would cooperate to support the operationalisation of the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) in Apia, working in close partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP). PCCC, being constructed by Japan, will be a pre-eminent regional hub and centre of excellence for climate change issues. As the Centre becomes operational, New Zealand and Japan will work together; Japan is planning to implement a technical cooperation project with SPREP from mid-2019 to assist countries in the Pacific region in enhancing their capacities through training programme at PCCC. New Zealand is planning to provide PCCC with the necessary human resources, including for example exploring a mechanism to deploy climate change experts to Pacific Island countries.

4. Minister Peters and Parliamentary Vice Minister Horii noted that support for PCCC is consistent with New Zealand’s Pacific Reset which includes climate change as a regional priority, and with Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy. They shared the view that this cooperation was a tangible demonstration of the commitment by New Zealand and Japan to work together in partnership with Pacific Island countries to support peace, stability, prosperity and collective ambition in the Pacific region. They looked forward to continued cooperation on this project, and to further cooperation and coordination as both countries deepen their engagement in the region. "

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