Pacific Island Development Forum’s Secretary General, François Martel, was invited to attend the ACP National and Regional Authorizing Officers / Ministerial meeting from 24th to 27th in Dili, East-Timor.
The meeting gathering representatives of the government, private sector and civil society aimed to exchange experience and difficulties in relation to EDF 11th programming, and to share views on the challenges of development financing in the Pacific.
Countries updated the ACP secretariat with their national indicative programming process under the EDF 11th, so did the Pacific Islands Secretariat who administrates the 11th EDF Regional Indicative Programme that was signed in Fiji on 16 June 2015.
Besides, a brief on accessing Intra-ACP funds was presented by the ACP secretariat.
The funds targets four core sectors, two of which are highly relevant for PIDF:
- Environment, climate change and resilience building, providing significant means to reach the targets that was set during the 2015 Paris Climate Conference to face the challenge of global warming.
- Private sector development, with the aim of contributing to achieving sustainable and inclusive green growth on the ground, reducing poverty, supporting innovation.
Discussions will continue during the week with exchange of views with the European Commission and the European Investment Bank tomorrow, and the Ministerial segment on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 May.