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Samoa to co-host Green Climate Fund

Tags:      Posted date:  November 21, 2016  |  No comment



By Nanai Laveitiga Tuiletufugaaust-samoa-talks

As co-hosts of the  Green Climate Fund Board Meeting in Apia in December, with the Australia Government, Samoa has the home advantage leverage to sell its two multi-million tala project seeking funding from the US$1.9 billion Fund’s coffer.
Details of Samoa’s two project funding proposal from the fund have not been made public yet due to the competitiveness of funding regulations. The Green climate fund (GCF), which is based in South Korea and will become the world’s main channel for climate finance, has been pledged about $10bn so far by rich countries, but has only approved investments of about $424m in 17 projects since November 2015.
It has an “aspirational goal” to commit $2.5bn this year, which many observers say it is unlikely to meet. The first countries expected to receive assistance from the hub are: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Solomon Islands, St Kitts and Nevis, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Back in Apia, details of the upcoming meeting in December were finalised during annual bilateral negotiations in Apia this month between high level officials from the co-hosts.
Attended by senior Australian and Samoan government officials, Australia’s delegation was led by High Commissioner Sue Langford and Assistant Secretary, Pacific Bilateral and New Zealand Branch of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Richard Sisson.
Samoa’s delegation was led by Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peseta Noumea Simi and Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Finance, Tupa’imatuna Iulai Lavea.
Australia and Samoa discussed future directions for initiatives in health and economic infrastructure. Australia also confirmed ongoing support to education, governance and economic growth. Australia and Samoa also discussed the details of an Aid Partnership Arrangement.
In May this year, Australia announced estimated total assistance of AUD37.8 million (WST $72.7 million) over 2016-2017 to support growth and development in Samoa through bilateral, regional and global development programs.


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