Pacific Centre

Message from the PSRC Management Committee Chairman

The United Nations Development Programme team in the Pacific is pleased to launch PASIFIKAFocus, a newsletter designed to bring news and views from the newly established Pacific Sub-Regional Centre, based in Suva, Fiji.

The Pacific Centre is one of three established in the Asia-Pacific region. The others are in Bangkok and Colombo.

PASIFIKAFocus will be produced quarterly and will provide readers with an opportunity to learn more about what UNDP is doing at the regional level as well as what opportunities there are for being involved in future activities.

We hope to hear from our readers so that we can write about things that are useful and interesting.

The Pacific Centre is only just established, but will provide the following key services:

Policy advice to the three Pacific Offices in Suva, Apia and Port Moresby and through them the Governments & NGO communities in the 15 Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) across the five UNDP practice areas drawing on the Asia Regional Centre & Headquarters’ expertise when required

Delivery of specific regionally focused activities that promote regional cooperation & coordination or provides impetus for focused country-based activities (this could include regional or sub-regional workshops, training conferences etc).

Technical backstopping & monitoring & evaluation expertise in the delivery of country-based activities that are either developed through individual country programmes or are managed & implemented through regional project activities based in the Pacific Centre.

Knowledge sharing in the five UNDP practice areas across the region as well as the sharing of information & advice on issues rising elsewhere in other regions as a means for building capacity & sharing experiences.

Although the Pacific Sub-Regional Centre will operate specifically for Pacific Island Countries, PICs will also have access to services and resources of the centres based in Asia. There will be specific regional programmes in the areas of Governance, Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and Peace and Conflict.

Core components under these three areas are:

Governance: More effective national legislatures; Increased commitment to constructive development and human rights; Strengthened democratic processes; Improved corporate public sector and community responsibility to reduce corruption; Enhanced capacity for participatory local governance and decentralised development; and enhanced capacity for greater regional cooperation and integration amongst PICs.

MDG Achievement: MDG reporting and integration into national planning and poverty initiatives; Policy advice and technical assistance to better align current and proposed macro-economic policies, strategies, public investment plans and sectoral programmes to accelerate achievement of poverty reduction goals and targets; and support for the creation of an enabling environment and build national capacities for the development of rural livelihoods and micro, small and medium enterprises.

Peace and Conflict Reduction: Activities will concentrate on developing regional conflict assessment and response capacities in support of the “Security” pillar of the Pacific Plan. Particularly in peace-building and conflict prevention. While the main stakeholders will include regional organisations, national parliaments and local conflict partners, particular attention will be paid to results at the local and provincial levels. A key element of the success of the Pacific Centre will be its capacity to demonstrate an integrated approach to development as well as its capacity to deliver technical advice and support that reflects the multi-dimensional nature of development.

-Richard Dictus