FICs access millions in environmental development assistance

'Writeshop' Underway in Cook Islands: FICs develop skills to access millions in environmental development assistance

Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 5 July 2011 - A Pacific regional proposal writing workshop opened in the Cook Islands yesterday to help Forum Island Countries (FICs) access funds to support renewable energy and salt water desalination projects.

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) have pooled resources to coordinate the workshop focusing on the Pacific Environment Community (PEC) Fund and the Pacific Islands Greenhouse Gas Abatement through Renewable Energy Project (PIGGAREP).

The PEC Fund, administered by the Forum Secretariat, is a commitment by the Government of Japan of ¥6.8 billion (approx US$66 million) to support FIC projects with a focus on the provision of solar power generation systems and sea water desalination plants, or a combination of both.

PIGGAREP, administered by SPREP, is aimed at reducing the growth rate of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use in FICs through the removal of the barriers to effective use of renewable energy technologies.

It is anticipated that by the end of the week participants would have completed a number of draft project proposals.

“It dawned on me when I started pushing for renewable energy in the Cook Islands that we have capacity issues particularly in writing project documents,” said the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Hon. Henry Puna as he opened the one week gathering.

“I am pleased that in the meantime our friends from our regional and international organisations have stepped in and pledged their continuing commitment to help us. The truth is we cannot stand still, we cannot wait two, three or five years for our own people to build capacity to do these things, we need to move now and learn as we grow.”

“It is our goal that at the end of this workshop, our Forum Island Country members, including those of our Smaller Island States, will have added capacity to draft proposals for development assistance,” said Su’a Kevin Thomsen, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Coordination Programme at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

“And more specifically, they will gain confidence to complete the important tasks of drafting their PEC Fund detailed project proposals and PIGGAREP Project Activity Summaries.”

The workshop is from 4 – 8 July in Rarotonga. Participants attending represent the countries of: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

ENDS

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