UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji

While in Tonga 🇹🇴 for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, our team visited the island of Pangaimotu - a short 15-minute boat ride from the capital, Nuku'alofa. The island in the 1990s was predominantly rainforest and vegetation, but now due to sea level rise, the island has lost around one-third of its terrestrial environment.

While Pangaimotu is home to just a handful of residents, as we gear up toward COP29 Azerbaijan later this year, the island presents as a prime example as to why we must take bold action now, to avoid exacerbating what is already a climate emergency.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific and Caribbean are set to gain major benefits from the ClimateScanner methodology.

This cutting-edge tool provides in-depth data and analysis to boost climate resilience and sustainable development.

Click here ⏩https://zurl.co/sY87 to read this latest blog from Mohseen Riaz Ud Dean, Programme Analyst for Resilience & Climate Change at UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji

The Investing in Coral Reefs and the Blue Economy Project, aims to create a blended finance facility to boost investment in Fiji’s coral reefs and support local communities, particularly women and youth. We seek to establish a robust pipeline of projects through a mix of technical assistance, performance grants, and concessional finance, leveraging private sector investments.

We are looking for a technical firm with strong local expertise and experience in coastal community engagement and natural resource management.

For more details ⏩https://zurl.co/dFgE

📆Apply before 12-Sep-2024, 1.30am (NYT)

While in the Kingdom of Tonga 🇹🇴 last week, our team had the chance to visit the MORDI Tonga Trust to see firsthand the work the group are undertaking across the country to improve sustainable livelihoods.

Mordi's work to create projects that not only generate income, but are also sustainable, efficient and effective provide inspiration to many in Tonga, and beyond.

Malo 'aupito team Mordi!

📣 Join our team at UNDP Pacific!

If you are committed to sustainable development and want to contribute to building resilient, inclusive communities and making a difference in the Pacific region, join our dynamic team today.

We have opportunities available in Fiji 🇫🇯, Tuvalu 🇹🇻 and Republic of the Marshall Islands 🇲🇭.

For detailed job descriptions, deadlines, and application details, visit our website below:
⏩https://www.undp.org/pacific/jobs

In Pohnpei, the Micronesian Legal Services Corporation, in partnership with the UNDP Pacific Office in FSM, held a workshop focused on gender-based violence. Students from the College of Micronesia Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) and members of the Pohnpei Police Department engaged in critical discussions on gender inequality and the drivers of violence.

Facilitated by MLSC Directing Attorney Danally Daniel and MLSC Consultant Sonali Owen, the event also provided insights into state laws and the support available for victims and survivors of GBV.

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for the North Pacific, Kevin Petrini, along with other key speakers, emphasized the importance of youth involvement in challenging harmful gender norms and creating lasting change.

Learn more 👉 https://www.undp.org/pacific/press-releases/empowering-youth-stand-against-gender-based-violence

Empowering Youth to Stand Against Gender-Based Violence The Micronesian Legal Services Corporation (MLSC), in partnership with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), recently hosted a workshop focused on gender-based violence (GBV) with students from the College of Micronesia Career and Technical E...

Small island developing states worldwide are at the coalface of rising seas and extreme weather.

Key to building resilience is hard data.

As the Pacific Island Forum wraps in Tonga, read how Tuvalu is leading the way – and how a global investment could cover all - 👉 https://zurl.co/U19F

The Government of Tonga alongside the Green Climate Fund + United Nations Development Programme - UNDP today signed the project document for the Tonga Coastal Resilience Project. This landmark initiative is a significant step forward in addressing climate change impacts across the archipelago. More 👇

https://www.undp.org/pacific/press-releases/tonga-coastal-resilience-project-launched-nukualofa

Follow the money! A fantastic side event this morning in Tonga 🇹🇴 hosted by PIANGO Pacific 2030 looking at public finance and accountability across the Pacific + the launch of Tonga’s Citizen Budget Guide. This work supported by our great friend European Union in the Pacific.

“To build resilience we must be making a difference to people’s lives,” said Luisa Tuiafitu-Malolo, Director of Climate Change with Ministry of Meidecc - Tonga 🇹🇴.

The Director made these remarks at the Government Middle School in Nuku’alofa, where a newly-installed water tank and footpath project provides safer and more accessible drinking water to 775 students and staff, including those with special needs, through the installation of an improved water catchment system.

This work with MEIDECC and the Government of Tonga is in partnership with the Governance for Resilient Development (Gov4Res) in the Pacific project.

Gov4Res is supported by Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, KOICA Fiji Office 코이카 피지 사무소, UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Sida - Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete

A significant milestone has been achieved for the village of Yalobi in Waya, in Fiji's Yasawa Islands with the commissioning of the newly built evacuation centre today.

This essential facility, built at a cost of over FJ$60,000 through the collaboration of the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management and the UNDP’s Governance for Resilient Development in the Pacific (Gov4Res) project, will provide a secure and safe space for more than 200 villagers in times of disaster.

The centre, which was opened by Assistant Minister for MRMDDM, Hon Jovesa Vocea, features ramps for accessibility, an indoor kitchen, washrooms, and solar lighting, ensuring safety for women, children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. This is a step forward towards building resilient communities in the Pacific.

This is supported by Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. KOICA Fiji Office 코이카 피지 사무소, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Sida - Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete and UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communications, Shaheen Ali, opened National Scam Awareness Week by stressing the need for vigilance and for equipping Fijians with the tools and skills to combat the growing threat of online scams.

The weeklong awareness campaign was co-organised by the Consumer Council of Fiji and the UN Capital Development Fund, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji and UN Trade and Development through the joint Pacific Digital Economy Programme.

The Programme is supported by the European Union, and the Australian, and New Zealand Governments, who all pledged their support to initiatives that aim to tackle the online scam threat.

“The National Scam Awareness Week serves a vital platform to educate not only young adults but also future generations about the importance of recognising scams and protecting themselves from becoming victims,” Mr Ali said.

This initiative exemplifies UNDP's Whole of Society Digital Strategy for the Pacific, recognising that combating online scams is crucial for maintaining public trust in digital systems. By proactively addressing this threat, we aim to create a secure digital environment that empowers Fijians to confidently participate in the digital economy and society.

Fantastic to see this from the Pacific People's Forum in Tonga this week, on the sidelines of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. UNDP is proud to partner with PIANGO Pacific 2030 - thanks to the support of our dear friend the European Union in the Pacific - as we collectively work to boost accountability and public finance management across the Pacific.

"Partnership between PIANGO Pacific 2030 and UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji through the Vaka Pacific Project, we have witnessed how civil society across the Pacific are no longer observers but are actors in ensuring transparency accountability in public finances, n Tonga for example and other countries where they have made significant progress.

These developments underscore the growing influence and integration of civil society in the regional and economic governance, a trend that European Union is proud to support."

The Head of the European Union Delegation to the Pacific Your Excellency Maurizio Cian at the Pacific People's Forum in Tonga.

Attention! Closing Date Extended

The UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji is still looking for two National UN Volunteers to join us as Gender Analysts. If you’re passionate about gender equality and eager to make a difference, don’t miss out on this opportunity!

Scan the QR Code below or visit https://zurl.co/CFRP to apply before the extended deadline of 6 September 2024.

Our Resident Representative, Munkhtuya Altangerel, joined fellow UN agency heads and Pacific Islands Forum Leaders this morning for a dialogue with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

The Secretary-General referred to the Pacific as a beacon of hope, however, he stressed the need for increased climate finance and additional contributions to the Pacific Resilience Facility.

If we fail the Pacific, we fail the world.

is taking .

See how 🇯🇵and UNDP are investing in to generate electricity to benefit the island’s population.

Click below 👇

https://zurl.co/q0Zc

THE MINISTER AND THE MISSION Pacific Island nations are among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and to deal with the crisis Vanuatu has appointed a Minister of Climat...

On the Hahake coast of Tongatapu this afternoon, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres heard from local communities about their challenges, and saw firsthand the devastating impact of climate change on the community's coastline. The Hahake coastline is one area of the Kingdom of Tonga 🇹🇴 that will benefit from a range of adaptation measures via the US$23.9 million Green Climate Fund Tonga Coastal Resilience Project.

As one community member emotively said, "listen to us, consult with us, as we're the experts of livelihood on these shores."

An honor for our team to join the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, for the launch of new materials for school children in Tonga, providing vital information in the event of a cyclone or tsunami.

This work is made possible by our UN counterparts World Meteorological Organization and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Pacific Office under the Secretary-General’s Early Warning for All Initiative.

“We may be small island countries but as a Blue Pacific Continent we are a force to be reckoned with.”

These were the words of Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Baron Waqa, with the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting officially commencing this morning in the Kingdom of Tonga.

Mālō e lelei from the Kingdom of Tonga 🇹🇴, where our team is on the ground this week for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, and the visit of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

A big week ahead, with much of the forthcoming discussions to focus on the climate emergency, as well as the work underway that continues to utilise ancestral wisdom with modern science to build sustainable adaptation solutions.

Until late 2025, IOM Vanuatu 🇻🇺 and the UNDP Pacific Office (under the guidance of the UN in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu & Vanuatu) will work together to implement the Joint Programme on ‘Advancing Durable Solutions to Internal Displacement in Vanuatu’ (https://zurl.co/XsfU ).

The programme is funded by the new multi-partner trust fund the Internal Displacement Solutions Fund (https://zurl.co/z1xP), which has been established via the United Nations Secretary General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement (https://zurl.co/reRK), under which Vanuatu is a pilot country.

Working with the Government of Vanuatu’s Durable Solutions Taskforce, the programme will strengthen institutional approaches to displacement prevention and solutions and also build up Vanuatu’s displacement data as communities face intensifying impacts of climate change.

Practical components of the work will include:
Consultations with communities and customary leaders at risk of displacement,
Developing safeguards for durable solutions to displacement.
Supporting the design of prevention and solution measures for communities vulnerable to displacement.

Stay tuned for updates!

In strengthening partnerships, Fiji’s 🇫🇯 Maritime Security Committee and King's College gathered to discuss maritime policy, legislation, and powers, driving collaboration and inclusiveness in safeguarding Fiji's maritime domain.

The two-day conference, supported by UK in Fiji , concluded yesterday.

Read more 👉https://www.undp.org/pacific/press-releases/maritime-security-committee-conference-concludes-suva

In this blog, UNDP Pacific Programme Analyst Aquila Van Keuk shares her experience meeting the Mechesil Belau, an influential women's group of traditional leaders from Palau's 16 states.

The group plays a crucial role in preserving, promoting, and protecting Palau's unique culture and traditions in an ever-evolving democratic society.

Read more 👉

Preserving tradition in a democratic world: The story of the Mechesil Belau As we make our way across the parking lot, we are joined by several women who are all wearing brightly coloured dresses. We all file into a large room with red carpet and red curtains. Women line two long tables down each side of the room and two more women sit at a smaller table at the front of the...

We urge our contacts, stakeholders, suppliers and networks to please take heed of this important public notice.

It is advisable to contact the UNDP directly to verify requests received.

Congratulations Kiribati!

We’re excited to celebrate with you as 🇰🇮 makes history with the election of 5 remarkable women to your 45-seat parliament!

This milestone is testament to the power of diverse voices and the strength of inclusive governance and we’ve been proud to support this journey through our Parliament Support Project.

A heartfelt congratulations as well to all the new parliamentarians!

https://zurl.co/30q7

Protecting Fiji's maritime domain is not just a matter of national security, it's crucial for economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and regional stability. This was a key message delivered at this morning's opening session of the Fiji 🇫🇯 Maritime Security Committee Conference in Suva.

With strong support from UK in Fiji, UNDP looks forward to continuing its work with Fiji Government - spearheaded by Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Hon. Pio Tikoduadua - to ensure that our Blue Pacific remains a source of life, livelihood, and peace for generations to come.

Today we held our "Breakfast with CEOs" initiative, bringing together leaders from the private sector to drive forward our global sustainable development goals.

The session was a great opportunity for UNDP to share updates on its programs, while also gaining valuable insights from participants about their specific needs and priorities.

The feedback gathered was essential for UNDP to tailor its support and align its programs with the objectives of the private sector.

At UNDP, we understand that achieving these ambitious targets, demands not just innovation, but partnership and collaboration that will bring about new opportunities and shape a brighter and more sustainable future for Fiji and the region.

On the back of the Fiji Women's Practice Parliament, meet Niue 🇳🇺 Member of Parliament, Hon. Rhonda Tiakia.

She was one of the resource MPs at the Women's Practice Parliament held in Suva, Fiji 🇫🇯 last month.

This event was supported by Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇦🇺, Japan - The Government of Japan 🇯🇵 and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇳🇿.

Our Resident Rep, Munkhtuya Altangerel met with Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation (FCEF) Chief Executive Officer, Jonetani Tonawai last week, to explore areas of collaboration.

We believe that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires strong partnerships, and the private sector is a critical player in this mission.

By working together with FCEF, Fiji’s key private sector association, we aim to explore and foster potential partnerships to contribute towards a more sustainable and prosperous Pacific region.