A new area of cooperation in “Climate Resilience” is being developed through the innovative partnership between Fiji and France.
This was conveyed on Thursday last week, as the French Ambassador to Fiji, Jean-François Fitou met with the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister, Immigration and Sugar Industry and Acting Permanent Secretary Foreign Affairs, Yogesh Jitendra Karan at the Office of the Prime Minister.
Ambassador Fitou made a presentation on the proposed project called the “KIWA Initiative”.
The project is expected to assist Fiji in developing “Nature Based Solutions for Climate Resilience.”
He said the potential assistance is in recognition of Fiji’s leadership at global and regional stage in charting the course to addressing climate change.
“We also talked about the good cooperation between France and Fiji at the United Nations, since our countries decided to share the presidency of a platform focused on displaced persons due to disasters; the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD).
“This is a future area of cooperation that, we both attach great importance,” Mr Fitou said.
Mr Fitou reaffirmed the French Embassy’s commitment to upscale cooperation with Fiji to maximise on the potential programs for the mutual benefit of both nations.
Mr Karan thanked Mr Fitou for all the support provided by the French Embassy, in advancing Fiji’s development priorities, with climate change being the key area of cooperation.
He conveyed the Fijian Government’s appreciation to France for its support in enhancing the multisectoral framework and approach to address climate change along with other development priorities pursued by both the nations.
The Kiwa Initiative aims to strengthen the resilience of Pacific countries and territories’ ecosystems, economies and communities by setting up a dedicated one-stop shop for funding projects that promote Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs).
The Initiative builds both local and national capacity, promotes approaches that are sensitive to social vulnerability and gender inequality and foster dialogue amongst donors, regional organisations and countries and territories to improve development aid coordination.
