Opening Remarks– Micronesia Private Sector Workshop on Climate Finance
Delivered by the Deputy Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Dr Filimon Manoni
27 June 2023
- Your Excellency, President Surangel Whipps of the Republic of Palau
- Senior government officials from Palau and Micronesia
- Distinguished members of the private sector
- Our partners from within and outside the region
- Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning and along with our co-host, the Government of Palau and the Palau Chamber of Commerce, a very warm welcome to you all.
This is the second private sector workshop on climate finance for the Micronesia sub-region and builds on the first virtual workshop hosted by Nauru in 2020, including the experiences and learnings from similar workshops in the other two sub-regions. It is encouraging to note the participation from across Micronesia, especially on the levels of representation from both the public and private sectors as well as our partners active in this area.
Since the last Micronesia workshop, there have been significant developments. At the regional level, our Leaders endorsed the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent in July 2022 – our collective blueprint to advance Pacific regionalism for the next three decades. It articulates the region’s long-term vision for what we want the Pacific to be like in 2050, acknowledging the multitude of threats and risks we face as a region inclusive of climate change and disaster.
The 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan is under development, and it is important that we keep abreast of this development to ensure that in moving towards the future, our approaches, from the public and private sectors complement and strengthen each other.
As our Leaders have continually emphasised, our strength as individual nations and as a region is in the collective. This is embedded in the 2050 Strategy, the Framework for Pacific Regionalism with the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FRDP) and its complementary Pacific Resilience Partnership (PRP) underlining the need for a multi-sector and multi-stakeholder approach to climate change and disaster risk reduction inclusive of the private sector.
Your presence, Mr. President is further testament of the commitment by our Leaders towards inclusive approaches to addressing the impacts of climate change and disaster risk reduction.
Looking back to the outcomes of the first sub-regional workshop in Micronesia – the key messages remain relevant and valid. And I hope that this workshop provides that opportunity for strengthened meaningful engagement and genuine partnership including through greater understanding of the respective roles both the public and private sector play and can further play in the context of climate change and disaster risk reduction.
It is an opportunity to better understand the challenges and, in the process, discuss solutions. Some issues we have noted include ad-hoc approaches and lack of platforms for frank discussions between government and the private sector on issues relating to climate change and disaster risk financing.
As you network, share and learn from each other, I encourage that you be frank and highlight the gaps in existing processes that potentially inhibit as well as the opportunities that exist to facilitate and enhance private sector contribution. My Forum colleagues as well as our partners are with you throughout this workshop to hear and dialogue with you on what is possible as a way forward.
Understanding the need for strengthened partnership, allow me to acknowledge with sincere gratitude, the assistance of the European Union through the Intra-African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Global Climate Change Alliance+ (GCCA+) Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change and Resilience Building program or commonly known PACRES, without which this sub-regional workshop would not have been possible.
I also acknowledge the invaluable support of the Government of Palau and the Palau Chamber of Commerce in graciously accepting to host the workshop in Koror.
My appreciation as well to our partners who will be sharing their expertise and knowledge, and all of you here today as through your interactive participation, we can learn and improve.
With these few words it is now my great honor to avail the floor to His Excellency President Whipps to deliver his keynote address.
President the floor is yours.
I thank you.
[ENDS]
