Suva Fiji, 2 December 2020: The second Board Meeting of the Solarisation Head of State (SHOS) Residences in PIDF member countries project was held on this morning at the PIDF Secretariat. The Project Board meeting was attended by representatives from the Republic of Fiji, Republic of Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Government of India and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office.
The meeting informed Board Members on the progress by the project team and discussed the impacts of project risk, in the context of COVID-19 on project delivery and timelines, In addition, the meeting provided insight into project-specifics of ‘gender markers’ and the draft implementation plan.
In his opening remarks, the Chair, His Excellency Temate Melitiana (High Commissioner of Tuvalu) stated that when the Board first met in August this year, it was uncertain about the future and uncertainty still clouds the Board’s best intentions, but we have made progress still and that is important.
Through the ‘Solarization of Head of State Residences in PIDF Member Countries,’ the PIDF and the non-profit organization Solar Head of State (SHOS) aimed to raise the profile of the installation and usage of solar energy in PICs with the Heads of State championing the technology. This multi-country project is an example of a whole-of-society approach, specifically a multi stakeholder partnership, with partners from the public and private sectors, as well as civil society for which the PIDF continuously strive to promote as an organization.
This initiative brings together a regional organization (PIDF, SHOS), a Global-South Development partner (the Government of India through the India-UN Development Partnership Fund managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation [UNOSSC]), and an executing agency (United Nations Development Programme [UNDP]). It also brings in Solaria, a private sector partner based in the United States of America, which is donating the solar panels.
