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Pacific Community and World Food Programme strengthen cooperation

Wednesday, 19 July 2017 12:23 Zarin Khan
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Pacific Community Strengthen cooperation

29 Jun 2017 | Suva

The Pacific Community (SPC) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have signed an agreement that aims to increase the effectiveness of their service in assisting Pacific Island countries and territories in achieving their resilience building and development aspirations.

The four-year partnership was signed this week between SPC’s Deputy Director-General, Dr Audrey Aumua and Mr Anthony Freeman, WFP Pacific’s Officer in Charge.

“SPC is delighted to be working more closely with the regional Pacific Food Security Cluster (rPFSC) to support the Pacific’s efforts in building capacities to better prepare for, and respond to external shocks and to strengthen resilience of the most vulnerable in the face of Climate Change and other crises.   This agreement reflects the resolve of our respective organisations to draw on each other’s expertise, competencies and resources for the benefit of Pacific Islands people,” Dr Aumua said.

 

 

 

“The Pacific region is unlike any other in the world, and the World Food Programme is passionately committed to its mandate of disaster preparedness here. We are honoured to be partnering with SPC who share our dedication to Reaching the last mile – That is, working towards a Pacific where nobody is left behind when it comes to disaster preparedness and ensuring regional Governments’ have the highest standards of support available via alliances such as that formed here today,” said  Mr Anthony Freeman.

This new partnership fosters better collaboration on emergency preparedness in the areas of food security, logistics and emergency telecommunications. It includes supporting the development of an online platform for mapping of emergency relief items in the Pacific, exchanging information and experience as well as collaboration on communication upgrades and assessment activities that both organisations undertake in the Pacific region.

The World Food Programme, is the United Nations’ frontline agency in the global fight against hunger, mandated to provide emergency and development assistance to eradicate hunger and poverty amongst the poorest and most food-insecure countries and populations.

SPC is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific, proudly supporting development since 1947. It is an international organisation owned and governed by 26 country and territory members. The organisation works across more than 20 sectors including food security, climate change, disaster risk management, gender equality, public health and human rights.

 

Media contact:

Salome Tukuafu, SPC Information and Communications Management Officer, Land Resources Division, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or +679 337 9287

Sanya Ruggiero, WFP Pacific Information Management and Communications Officer, Tel. +679 8666 445, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Newsflash

Distinguished Guests, and Colleagues,

It is with much pleasure as Director of the SOPAC Division of the SPC that I present to you this morning the Keynote Address for this Conference, the largest of its kind in the region and which was set up to showcase new tools and concepts for improved data collection, capabilities and analysis in GIS and Remote Sensing. At the same time I would like to acknowledge Dr Jimmie Rodgers the Director General of the SPC who is unable to be here today and he gives his apologies.

Firstly, however it would be remiss of me if I did not take this opportunity to welcome all of you here this morning to the Opening of this Conference, and in particular I extend a welcome to all representatives of island governments and administrations, donor partner representatives, representatives of CROP organisations, educationalists, scientists and technologists from other stakeholder groups including NGOs. In particular I would like to highlight the many representatives from the private sector, including satellite data providers, image resellers, software and hardware companies. We have gathered here in the room a genuine mix of providers, developers and users.

Secondly, I would like to acknowledge that I have been privileged to address this conference over recent years and in that context I would like to acknowledge that having something different to say has never been difficult. GIS and Remote Sensing is one of the fastest developing technologies no matter whether you are a provider, and developer or a user.

On the global agenda the outcome of Rio+20 this year "The Future We Want" contains a particular paragraph of relevance:
274. We recognize the importance of space-technology-based data, in situ monitoring, and reliable geospatial information for sustainable development policy-making, programming and project operations.

And here in the region and for the benefit of Pacific island countries and territories we are all striving to stay at the "cutting edge of the technology."  In this regard the theme of this Conference focusing on mapping Pacific resources is very timely.