UN Pacific Joint CSO Consultations

Distinguished Civil Society Colleagues,

UN Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen

Kaselehlie, Mauri, Tubwa Kor, Alii, Iakwe, good morning from Micronesia!

On behalf of the UN Multi-Country Office in Micronesia, I would like to welcome the civil society representatives for taking their time to be with us today.

As noted by Agus and Simona, today we will discuss the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. A framework that will chart the course of UN’s contribution to the 2030 agenda in the Pacific for the next 5 years and beyond.

It is a framework that aspires to build on our existing and soon to conclude UN Pacific Strategy and should help us reach people and communities we are yet to reach.

This framework is constructed on the foundation of UN principles and values. It proposes an integrated UN response, with emphasis on Peace, Partnership, Planet, Prosperity, and People in accordance with the 2030 Agenda. A response that should help address environmental, economic, and social development challenges being faced by the Pacific region.

However, for us to turn this document into results, we need to work closely with civil society.

I have had the pleasure of working for civil society before taking on my current responsibilities as Resident Coordinator for the Micronesian region. In doing so, I appreciated the critical role that civil society plays in acting for the common good. In realising the social contract. You are the ears and eyes of policymakers and the UN and you are a key partner in realising the 2030 agenda. You are critically important in helping to make this region a better place for the people of the Pacific, for women and girls and for those who are most vulnerable.

Dear civil society partners, we thank you for all the hard work and for being warriors of change. We also thank you for holding us accountable in ensuring our work is aligned to the needs of the people.

Indeed, it would have been impossible for the UN to have made the progress it has over the past five years without your support. Your feedback and our discussions today will help to strengthen the UN Cooperation Framework and promote alignment with your strategies and priorities.

Today’s consultations should be viewed as part of our regular dialogue with all development partners and stakeholders, which we intend to continue throughout the implementation of the 2023-2027 Cooperation Framework from regional to local levels.

As underlined in the 2030 Agenda, transformative change and progress towards the SDGs in the Pacific can only be achieved if all development partners work together. Therefore, the new Cooperation Framework is not only a symbol of renewed commitment to the region but also marks our obligation to:

• • Strengthen existing partnerships through regular dialogues,
  • align our work to respond to the needs of communities,
  • and provide civil societies with a platform through the UN to government and development partners.

We are very excited to have you all here today, and I look forward to our discussions today.

Thank you.