Brief and talking pints fr Dr Melchir Mataki, Permanent Secretary, MECDM, Slmn Islands Backgrund 1. The Pacific Climate Finance side event is a jint initiative between SPC, PIFS, SPREP, GIZ and Pacific island cuntry gvernments; Fiji, Palau, Slmn Islands and Vanuatu. The event aims t: (i) share experiences frm the Pacific regin n the successes and challenges f implementing key recmmendatins frm the natinal climate change finance assessments; (ii) fster infrmatin exchange n appraches and best practices t prgress the implementatin f climate change finance assessment recmmendatins that lead t cuntries readiness; (iii) build awareness and supprt fr the natinal climate finance assessments in particular fr nn-state actrs such as the private sectr and civil sciety. 2. The frmat f the side event will be a panel discussin which will run fr 1 ½ hurs. The sessin will start with an verview f the prgramme and intrductin f speakers. The panel will include senir fficials frm Pacific island cuntry gvernments and reginal intergvernmental agencies frm the Pacific. The list f speakers and mderatr is utlined belw: Mderatr: Dr Audrey Aumua, Deputy Directr General, Pacific Cmmunity (SPC) Opening Remarks: Meg Taylr, Secretary General, Pacific Islands Frum Secretariat (PIFS) Speaker 1: Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Minister f Ecnmy & Attrney General, Ministry f Ecnmy, Gvernment f Fiji Speaker 2: Dr Melchir Mataki, Permanent Secretary, Ministry f Envirnment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meterlgy, Gvernment f the Slmn Islands Speaker 3: Jesse Benjamin, Directr General, Ministry f Climate Change Adaptatin, Meterlgy, Ge-hazards, Envirnment, Energy and Disaster Management, Gvernment f Vanuatu Speaker 4: Je Aitar, Climate Change Finance Crdinatr & Adviser t the GCF Bard fr SIDS, Gvernment f Palau Wrap up and Cncluding Remarks: Ksi Latu, Directr General, Secretariat f the Pacific Reginal Envirnment Prgramme (SPREP) 3. Fllwing the Fiji gvernment s representatives remarks, the Slmn Islands will be invited t speak. Each panelist will be given 10minutes t highlight their cuntry experiences and lessns learned in undertaking and implementing climate change and disaster risk finance assessments. 1
Yu may wish t use the key pints utlined belw in yur presentatin and discussin. Overview f the Climate Change and Disaster Risk Finance Assessment 4. Slmn Islands undertk a climate change and disaster risk finance assessment frm 28 Nvember t 09 December 2016 by a jint team representing the Pacific Islands Frum Secretariat (PIFS), the Pacific Cmmunity (SPC) and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internatinale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in cllabratin with the UNDP Pacific Risk Resilience Prgramme (PRRP), the Secretariat f the al Envirnment Prgramme (SPREP) and the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre (PFTAC). The natinal fcal pint f the assessment was the Ministry f Envirnment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meterlgy (MECDM) in partnership with the Ministry f Finance and Treasury (MFT) and the Ministry f Develpment Planning and Aid Crdinatin (MDPAC). 5. Guided by the Pacific Climate Change Finance Assessment Framewrk (PCCFAF), the assessment lked at the climate change and disaster risk finance prgrammes f the Slmn Islands against seven (7) key pillars: (i) Plicies and Plans; (ii) Funding Surces;(iii) Public Financial Management and Expenditure; (iv) Institutins; (v) Human Capacity; (vi) Gender and Scial inclusin; and (vii) Develpment Effectiveness. The ther key utput was an assessment f ptential agencies that culd serve as the Natinal Implementing Entity (NIE) t the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which will prmte direct access fr the Slmn Islands. 6. The assessment included reviewing f existing plicies and plans and cnducting face-t-face cnsultatins with natinal stakehlders in Hniara (gvernment ministries, develpment partners/dnrs, NGOs, private sectr, churches and tertiary institutes) as well as gvernment and stakehlders in tw prvinces Temtu and Chiseul. Assessment Objectives 7. The Climate Change and disaster risk finance assessment was undertaken t help gvernment s effrts t: Identify and dcument the range f bilateral and multilateral funds currently available t, and accessed by Slmn Islands; Prvide clarity n ptential entities in Slmn Islands that culd be nminated fr NIE accreditatin t the GCF, based n an assessment f capacity requirements fr an effective NIE; Prvide a practical assessment f the feasibility f applying ptins (specific instruments and initiatives) t imprve access t, and management f climate change and disaster risk finance; and 2
Prvide infrmatin and wider understanding that wuld infrm discussins and decisins at the natinal and reginal level in relatin t imprving and streamlining the access t climate change and disaster risk finance. Summary findings f the Slmn Islands climate change and disaster risk finance assessment 8. Climate change and disaster risk reductin has been mainstreamed int natinal plicies and plans. Althugh plicy develpment and planning has transitined in line with a resilient agenda, strengthening natinal CCDRM plicies and elevating the respnsibilities f these issues t cre r upstream ministries like finance and planning needed t take place, t enable sufficient embedding f climate change cncerns within the planning and budgeting f different gvernment agencies. 9. Slmn Islands has accessed a significant amunt f funds (~ USD 112m) frm varius surces with funds largely ging twards the energy, transprt, water, disaster risk reductin/management, agriculture and fd security and frestry sectrs. Majrity f funding came frm multilateral surces (54%) and the remaining 46% came frm bilateral surces. While SI experience f engaging with varius multilateral surces culd be capitalized n, having a fcused dialgue with bilateral partners may increase access t mre bilateral supprt. Establishing a climate change finance unit in a central agency such as MFT was deemed essential t supprt a mre crdinated effrt t addressing climate change and disaster risk reductin. 10. Significant imprvements have been achieved with recent PFM refrms that has led t increased access f ther funding surces and partners using natinal cuntry systems thrugh budget supprt. Direct access t glbal climate change funds such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and ther internatinal funding surces require rbust PFM systems t meet necessary fiduciary standards. Serius refrms are still required, particularly in the pursuit fr accreditatin. 11. While a number f gvernment and nn-gvernment agencies are implementing climate change and disaster related activities, they are perating in sils and greater crdinatin is needed. Further imprvements in vertical and hrizntal engagement and crdinatin with line ministries wuld augment institutinal strengthening. The Natinal Transprt Fund was fund t be best placed as a ptential NIE t the GCF, specific t the transprt sectr, while the Ministry f Finance and Treasury ptentially culd be strengthened as a candidate fr multi-sectr prjects. 12. While there is sufficient capacity t access and manage internatinal climate change and disaster risk financing at the natinal level, serius limitatins exist at the subnatinal/prvincial level. Crdinating and capitalizing n the different expertise that exist in 3
different agencies is als challenging. An pprtunity exists in capitalizing n the NGO netwrks and presence in cmmunities t cmplement gvernment s capacity. 13. While there is intent and a basis in the Gvernment plicies t develp integrated CCDRR prgrammes, measuring gender and scial inclusin utcmes remains a weakness that culd be further enhanced by supprting plicy cmmitments twards gender equality, yuth and disability in rder t strengthen multi-sectral crdinatin and resurce allcatin fr implementatin. 14. Significant imprvements t strengthen institutinal arrangements and capacities t effectively manage develpment assistance has been made but ensuring leadership and wnership by gvernment t drive develpment, and imprving crdinatin, delegatin, reprting and harmnizatin by develpment partners remain as key areas fr strengthening. Lessns learned 15. Owing t the crss cutting nature f climate change and disaster risk reductin, a large cmpnent f climate change and disaster risk related expenditure is embedded in sectr expenditures with ther primary bjectives, and nt necessarily r predminantly within the expenditure and budget f the Ministry respnsible fr climate change and disaster risk reductin (MECDM). As such, there is n single agency that is a natural champin fr climate change and disaster risk reductin. Having an effective high level, multi-agency/multistakehlder cmmittee/bdy respnsible fr versight and mnitring f the natinal climate change and disaster risk reductin agenda with an effective secretariat t supprt its wrk is necessary. Having a functinal marker applied t climate expenditure acrss all sectrs wuld als enable it t be tracked ver time. 16. Planning and Finance institutins have a leading rle t play in facilitating the incrpratin f climate change and disaster risk issues int plicy develpment and public investment planning at sectr and lcal levels. Elevating the climate change and disaster risk reductin agenda and tagging it t the cre mandates f central agencies such as finance and planning is therefre imprtant. Additinally, ensuring that appraisal criteria fr investment prjects d screen fr the climate change and disaster risk reductin sensitivity f investment prjects wuld cntribute t an effective mainstreaming and integratin f climate change and disaster risk reductin. 17. The level f financing accessed is significantly influenced by having strng PFM systems and nt necessarily by a cuntry s level f vulnerability. Ensuring a credible and rbust PFM system is essential t increased access t CCDRM finance. 18. Private Sectr and Civil Sciety have a clear rle in climate change and disaster risk reductin. Ensuring a streamlined, inclusive and integrated apprach t addressing climate change and 4
disaster risk wuld include strengthening engagement and imprving crdinatin with the private sectr and civil sciety. 19. Strengthening crdinatin at the prvincial level and capacitating prvincial gvernments bth in terms f financing and human capacity at the sub natinal level is necessary t ensure that supprt reaches the mst vulnerable and penetrates dwn t cmmunity level. 20. A cmmn message emerging frm the recmmendatins f the finance assessment was that effectively addressing climate change and disaster did nt require gvernment t establish new systems and mechanisms but rather t strengthen and build upn already established systems and mechanisms. Cnclusin 21. The CC and DRM finance assessment helped gvernment and stakehlders t review hw climate change and disaster risk reductin plicy aims were being reflected in public expenditures and hw institutins might be strengthened and adjusted t ensure that financing a respnse t climate change and disaster risk is being delivered in a cherent way acrss Gvernment. 22. The finance assessment als prvided a starting pint fr lnger term gvernment-led stakehlder dialgue n hw the Gvernment might utilize increased financing and the supprt that partners can prvide as part f a crdinated and integrated natinal respnse t climate change and disaster risk reductin. 5