EU pledges €20 million in climate change support [1]
Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - 18:58
The European Union will boost the defence of Pacific Island countries against natural disasters with a €20 Million support programme.
The agreement made on September 5 at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting in the Marshall Islands, was signed between the European Union, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and the Secretariat of African, Caribbean & Pacific Group of States.
The support will come in the form of the "ACP-EU Building Safety and Resilience in the Pacific" programme that will aid Pacific Island countries in disaster risk reduction, disaster risk management, climate change adaption, natural hazard awareness, and training.
According to the European Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard “For the Pacific people climate change is not about a distant future. It has become the new normal. This programme will help the Pacific states in their efforts to adapt to this new climate reality. The Pacific states can count on Europe to continue its climate cooperation in the region”.
SPC Director-General, Dr Jimmie Rodgers said “Pacific leaders have long shown their commitment to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and, in particular to their populations, by adopting a 10 year Pacific Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management Framework for Action for the region (known commonly as the Regional Framework for Action or RFA 2005- 2015).”
Secretary General of the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, Mr Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni said, “We have voiced our concerns to the international community about the need to link resilience to the achievement of regional and national sustainable development and poverty reduction goals in Pacific Islands region States. We are confident that this programme will improve the ability of our members to withstand, better cope and quickly recover from natural disasters that systematically divert us from our path towards a sustainable and resilient development.”