The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) has been given an Observer status in the board of the UN Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Secretary General of PIFS, Dame Meg Taylor announced on Friday 11 March.

The UN GCF was established with a mission to advance the goal of keeping the temperature increase on Earth below 2 degrees Celsius. The fund is a global initiative to respond to climate change by investing into low-emission and climate-resilient development.

According to Dame Meg Taylor the GCF board has said it would invest up to US$2.5 billion on climate change projects in 2016, and the announcement that PIFS has been given an observer status would further improve the opportunities for cooperation between the Pacific Region and GCF.

Two Forum Countries already on the board, are Australia and Samoa. Australia is the current co-chair and Samoa represents the Small Island Developing States.

The Cook Islands early this month received financial resources from the GCF to strengthen their capacity ‘to access finance through GCF.’

Cook Islands is the first country in the Pacific and the Small Island Developing States to receive such funding. It has received a first tranche of US$75,000 from a total readiness grant of US$150,000.

The grant will help Cook Islands strengthen its National designated Authority and undertake national stageholder consultations, as well as to establish processes to fast-track the islands’ access to GCF funding while ensuring country ownership.

Apart from the Cook Islands, Fiji late last year received funding from GCF for its Urban Water Supply and Wastewater Management Project.