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4
Pacific region acknowledged for
managing the ACP-EU Natural Disaster
Facility
The 3
rd
Steering Committeemeeting of the ACP-EUNatural Disaster Facility (NDF) funded under the 9
th
European
Development Fund (EDF9) was held at the ACP Secretariat headquarters in Brussels from April 19
th
–20
th
and
the SOPAC Division of SPC was represented by Mosese Sikivou and Noa Tokavou.
A briefing for the Pacific ACP Ambassadors was
organised on Tuesday 17
th
April aimed at updating them
on the progress of the NDF under EDF9 and also the
progress of preparation for EDF10. The Ambassador of
the Solomon Islands who is their current coordinator
of the Pacific ACP group expressed appreciation for
the briefing. Similar sentiments were expressed by
other Ambassadors present. Countries represented at
the briefing were: Solomon Islands, Fiji, Timor Leste,
Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
The progress report detailed the implementation of the
Tonga’s Joint National Action Plan for Climate Change
and Disaster Risk Management (JNAP) as an example
of how NDF has been utilised. This includes activities such as the training of community Health workers and the
procurement of tents for the Tonga Red Cross to assist in humanitarian response to disasters.
During the Steering Committee meeting the progress of implementation within the six regions of the ACP
group was described and Ms Raymond, the Assistant Secretary General of ACP praised the progress made in
the Pacific, stating that “the Pacific is the only region with Contribution Agreement status and I am pleased
with the progress they are making”
In their presentation Messrs Sikivou and Tokavou discussed the progress made in the three result areas of the
NDF.
Result Area 1 – the development and implementation of JNAPs and especially the Tonga JNAP being the
first in the Pacific. .
Result Area 2 – the strengthening of the Pacific Disaster Net which now holds over 8,000 publications on
Disaster Risk Management
Result Area 3 – the continuing interest in the Pacific Platform for DRM illustrated by the growth in
participation in the period 2009–2011
Discussions at the meeting also covered the next round of NDF funding under EDF10 where €20 million is
to be allocated to the Pacific. The Pacific is advanced in its preparations with all documentation slated for
completion in 2012 to enable implementation in early 2013.
Pacific ACP ambassadors.