Caribbean and Pacific Climate Change Experts Seek Closer Collaboration
BELMOPAN, Belize - The Belize-based Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) says it has enhanced its collaboration with the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) during a three-day information and knowledge sharing exchange .
“As part of strengthening collaboration, the parties formulated a strategic framework for enhanced cooperation which highlights opportunities to build on the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two entities in 2019,” the CCCCC said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Sefanaia Nawadra, said SPREP and the CCCCC have mutual interests in relation to climate change resilience, protection of the environment as well as developing and strengthening systems, institutions, organisations, and individuals concerned with climate change and environmental protection.
“ We would like to see how we can collaborate and operationalise the MoU moving forward,” Nawadra said, while the CCCCC’s executive Director, Dr Colin Young, welcomed the south-south exchange between SPREP through PCCCC and CCCCC.
He said it provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen the existing cooperation between the regional institutions.
“The outcome of the exchange is a commitment to working together to deliver on our respective mandates and identifying solutions to common challenges being experienced in areas of access to climate finance, capacity building, data collection and use as well as innovation that will collectively help us build the resilience of our citizens to the effects of climate change,” he said.
The statement said that the information and knowledge exchange between SPREP and CCCCC followed the fourth International Conference on Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) held in Antigua and Barbuda.
The three-day information and knowledge sharing exchange was also attended by the Trinidad-based Australia Deputy High Commissioner, Melissa Mitchell.
“Australia recognises the significant value in increased cooperation initiatives between the Pacific, the Caribbean and other SIDS regions in the field of climate change. Working together to catalyse action, the PCCC and CCCCC will be able to drive meaningful and innovative solutions to climate change that will result in transformative impacts over the long term and contribute to climate change resilience,” she said.
The CCCCC said that the Australian government has been instrumental in supporting both Centres in the delivery of their mandates to the countries they serve, including the multi-million-dollar investment into the operationalisation of the services of the Pacific Climate Change Centre, and the accreditation of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre to the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
The statement said that the knowledge-sharing exchange explored ways to leverage and enhance South-South cooperation initiatives for the Pacific, Caribbean, and other SIDS regions.
“This involved discussing experiences with multilateral and bilateral funding agencies to access climate finance, and identifying opportunities to collaborate and share knowledge, skills, and successful initiatives in key thematic areas of interest.
“The exchange also identified new areas of cooperation for upcoming international and regional initiatives and events. It focused on governance, delivery mechanisms, partnerships, and climate finance access modalities of both the PCCC and the CCCCC, with the development,” it added.
