Canada’s support for Pacific Islands region

Matt DeCourcey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced $2.6 million in funding to support the Pacific Islands region.

Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative
Funding announcement: $1.5 million
Timeframe: 20172021
Partner: World Bank

Canada’s contribution will support the World Bank’s existing Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative (PCRAFI) program, which also receives support from Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. PCRAFI enhances the financial resilience of Pacific Islands countries faced with natural disasters and climate risk. Canada’s contribution will help support the provision of technical assistance to participating Pacific Islands countries, regional organizations and the PCRAFI Facility for disaster risk financing and insurance, as well as for public financial management of the response to natural disasters.

Canada Fund for Local Initiatives
Funding announcement: $1 million
Timeframe: 20172018
Partner: local partners

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) is a Government of Canada program that provides funding for small-scale projects that address local development challenges in countries abroad. Projects are designed and implemented by local civil society organizations, making them highly responsive to local needs.   

For 2017-2018, Canada has almost doubled its annual CFLI funding for the Pacific Islands region.

A total of 27 projects will be funded through the CFLI. This funding supports a range of activities including:

• combatting child trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation by promoting dialogue and collaboration;
• assessing the effect of natural disasters on the health and security of women and girls;
• championing accountable governance, democracy and peaceful pluralism through youth civic leadership training in four provinces in Fiji;
• strengthening young women’s participation in information and education outreach sessions on sexual and reproductive health and rights through train-the-trainer workshops for girls in urban and peri-urban areas of Fiji; and
• increasing awareness among tourist operators and villagers about commercial sexual exploitation of children and human trafficking in the area of the Yasawa Islands and the adjacent western Fijian mainland.

RCMP Major Event Security Framework Workshop in Papua New Guinea for 2018 APEC Summit
Funding announcement: $65,000
Timeframe: 2017
Partner: RCMP, funded by Global Affairs Canada’s Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program

The RCMP will deliver a five-day workshop on security management of major events to Papua New Guinea officials and relevant stakeholders in October 2017. The aim of this training is to help Papua New Guinea prepare for and host the 2018 APEC Summit taking place in November 2018.

Contribution to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
Funding announcement: $61,000
Timeframe: 2017

Through Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Government of Canada has contributed $61,000 to the Special Requirements Fund of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. This funding will provide more targeted support to small island developing states who play a role in the Commission.