The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and the Government of Japan are discussing a funding modality and management process for the implementation of the Pacific Environment Community (PEC) initiative endorsed by Forum Leaders and Japan at PALM5 held in Hokkaido last year.
The Government of Japan has made available US$66 million for PEC. "Agreement on the broad guidelines for the management of PEC funding was reached in November last year through an exchange of letters between the Government of Japan and the Forum Secretariat," says Feleti Teo, Acting Secretary General of the Secretariat."The scope of funding agreed in the guidelines was to support environment issues including climate change projects with a focus on the provision of solar power generation systems and sea water desalination plants for the Forum Island Countries," Mr Teo explains.
Mr Teo adds: "The Secretariat is conscious of the need to keep access and disbursement procedures as simplified as possible and it is in this vein that PIFS will continue to negotiate with Japan towards agreement of the operational aspects of the Fund which we envisage to be concluded by the end of March."
PIFS is also consulting with other technical agencies in the areas of solar energy and water sanitation to ensure that the funding modality to be established builds on best practice and experience in the region as well as compliments existing donor support in these areas.
A Joint Committee comprising of representatives of the Japanese Government and the Forum Secretariat has been established under the Guidelines for the PEC Funding to oversight the implementation of the Funds.
The Fund will be managed by a project management unit to be established within PIFS with final decision making on project approval to be made by the Joint Committee.
An announcement will be made on when the Joint Committee is ready to receive projects for funding under the PEC Fund.
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For media enquiries, contact Mr Johnson Honimae, the Forum Secretariat's Media Officer on phone 679 331 2600 or email johnsonh@forumsec.org.fj