United in their commitment to an integrated and inclusive approach for resilient development in the Pacific, representatives of government, civil society, private sector, regional agencies, and development partners met for the first-time last week as the Pacific Resilience Partnership Taskforce.
The Partnership Taskforce was established to provide an all-stakeholder approach to climate change and disaster risk management in the region and provide an innovative platform to drive, enhance and promote resilient development.
“The Pacific Resilience Partnership was created by Pacific leaders to implement the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific,” said Taskforce Chair Mr. Engel Raygadas of French Polynesia. “Because of climate and disaster issues we have to carefully develop in a smart way, in a sustainable way. We have to care for our islands and our oceans to adapt to the reality of climate change. Pacific Leaders want to see more collaboration and coherence around how we do this and they believe that this Partnership can help and is necessary.”
The Partnership Taskforce agreed to commit and advocate an all-stakeholder approach to drive behavioural change and embrace inclusivity and innovation into resilient development. One of the central discussion points among Taskforce members focussed on the establishment of criteria to help align initiatives under the approach in the Framework, and to foster strong partnerships.
When it was endorsed by Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in 2016, the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific put the region at the forefront of global efforts towards climate change and disaster risk management due to it being the first regionally integrated framework to address both a changing climate and increased disaster events.
To ensure inclusive participation of a range of key stakeholders, the Taskforce comprises fifteen members, with five representing Pacific countries and territories, five for civil society and private sector, and five for regional organisations and development partners.
The current members are: Cook Islands (for Polynesia), Solomon Islands (for Melanesia), Kiribati (for Micronesia), French Polynesia (for Pacific Territories), Australia (for Australia/NZ), Pacific Islands Association of Non-Government Organisations, Pacific Disability Forum, & the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (for civil society), South Pacific Engineering Association, Pacific Business Resilience Network (for private sector), the European Union, United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, and the University of the South Pacific (for regional organisations and development partners).
It is supported in its work by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the Pacific Community, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.
