FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
AMBASSADOR HENDERSON TO CHAIR FIRST SIDS DOCK PACIFIC REGIONAL MEETING
Financing Climate Change Adaptation High on the Agenda for Fiji Summit
Suva, Fiji, Thursday, 2 May 2013 – Ambassador Vince Henderson, Permanent Representative of the Commonwealth of Dominica to the United Nations and the Chairman of the SIDS DOCK Steering Committee, will chair the first SIDS DOCK Pacific Regional Meeting to be held in Nadi, Fiji. The meeting will begin on Monday May 6 and continue till Thursday May 9, 2013.
In attendance will be representatives of the 13 pacific states that are memebrs of SIDS DOCK and observers from regional and international organizations. The meeting is being organized by the SIDS DOCK Secretariat along with the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
According to Ambassador Henderson, the SIDS DOCK Chair, the meeting will address the serious energy issue confronting the Pacific islands.
“Similar to many SIDS, energy dependence is a major source of vulnerability for our 13 SIDS DOCK Pacific Members, and many remote and rural island communities have little or no access to modern and affordable energy services,” he noted.
He added that given the Climate Change adaptation mission the organisation has as its core function, a key meeting agenda item that will involve discussions with participants and stakeholders on how SIDS DOCK positions itself to address the water situation in the future, through the development of indigenous renewable energy resources. The Chair said that the meeting will also facilitate Pacific colleagues, who will be exploring ways for the region to take forward the outcomes of the Tonga Pacific Energy Leaders’ summit and the Pacific Energy Summit held in March.
SIDS DOCK is the mechanism established by the SIDS to catalyse the transformation of the energy sector of small islands, to increase energy security, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and generate resources for investment in adaptation to climate change.
SIDS DOCK is unique as it represents a collective approach to minimising the negative consequences of small size in order to attract financing and technology, as well as developing capacity, and is funded by a US$14.5 million grant from the Government of Denmark. The Government of Japan joined the SIDS DOCK partnership with a pledge of USD 15 million in 2011, during climate talks in Durban, South Africa.
The Opening ceremony will be addressed by Dominica’s Ambassador to the United Nations and Chair of the SIDS DOCK Steering Committee H.E. Vince Henderson and Hon. Captain Timoci Lesi Natuva, Minister for Public Utilities (Water and Energy), Works and Transport, Government of the Republic of Fiji.
The goal of the meeting is to finalise and agree on the design of the SIDS DOCK Support Programme Platform, its institutional development and operations, and more importantly, the development and financing of the SIDS DOCK Pacific Project Pipeline of 14 indicative projects with an estimated investment opportunity of US$ 40 million.
With the escalating costs of fossil fuel, SIDS have seen the need for investment in renewable
energy to decrease their dependence on fossil fuel, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
provide a higher standard of living for their people.
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Contact: Mr. Peceli Nakavulevu, Director of Energy, Fiji Department of Energy, and SIDS DOCK Fiji National Coordinator
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; +679 3386 006
Mr. Solomone Fifita, Deputy Director Energy, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and SIDS DOCK Pacific Regional Coordinator
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; +679 337 0733