The Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) has received an initial contribution of 417,000,000 Japanese Yen, approximately USD$3 million, from the Government of Japan.

The Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Baron Waqa, met Japan’s Foreign Minister, Hon. Iwaya Takeshi in Tokyo on Monday, 10 March, to mark the milestone for the PRF as the first Pacific-owned and Pacific-led regional resilience financing facility for Pacific communities.

This initial capitalisation contribution by Japan to the PRF will support strengthening the climate and disaster resilience of vulnerable grassroot communities across Forum Island Countries.

“The PRF is a critical initiative, designed by the Pacific for the Pacific, to address the exacerbated challenges of climate change and natural disasters for our communities,” said Secretary General Waqa.

“The capitalisation contribution from Japan will also be the first to be paid to the PRF and demonstrates the strength of our partnership. It also sends a strong signal to our long-standing development partners to respond to the call from Pacific Islands Forum Leaders to support the capitalisation of the PRF”, he said.

The PRF is collectively owned by Pacific Islands Forum member governments, dedicated to providing small-scale grant financing for Pacific communities.

The PRF Treaty is set to be signed at the 54^th Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting in the Solomon Islands in September, and to be legally established by the end of the year, and aims to commence granting by the end of 2026.

Pacific leaders agreed that the PIF will be headquartered in Tonga, when they met during the 53^rd PIF Leader's Meeting held in Nuku'alofa last year.