SPREP achieves implementation status under Climate Change Adaptation Fund Board

SPREP has been working on achieving this accreditation since 2010 at the direction of its Pacific Island Country Members through the SPREP Meeting and the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable.

With this accreditation, SPREP will be better able to support Pacific Island Countries to access financing through the Adaptation Fund Board for projects and programmes to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change.

This is particularly important for countries in the region with limited administrative capacity.

"SPREP are to be congratulated for achieving accreditation. Improving access to climate change financing is an important issue for countries in this region.  It plays a very important role in building our resilience to the impacts of climate change," said Mr Elkoga Gadabu, Acting Secretary, Department of Commerce, Industry and Environment, Government of Nauru and current Chair of SPREP.

Communal well in Tuvalu, images taken during the drought in Tuvalu, 2011.  
The Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change Project in Tuvalu has built a 700,000 litre water tank for the Lofeagai Community in Tuvalu as an adaptation activity.

"The process in achieving this status at SPREP was difficult and required many improvements to our governance and financial systems; it came after a lot of work so we're pleased it has all paid off as it will benefit our Pacific Island members," said Mr. David Sheppard, Director-General of SPREP.

"Experts from the AFB accreditation panel guided our application process, which required a large number of policy, procedure and regulatory changes by us, including establishing an independent internal audit function and undergoing a rigorous analysis of SPREP procurement and financial management procedures."

To date countries have developed AFB projects with multilateral implementing entities such as UNDP. For many of the smaller Pacific islands with limited national capacity, this is often the most effective avenue for developing proposals to access funding.

"However, of the total available AFB funds, currently only 50% of this is accessible via multilateral and regional implementing entities," explains the Director-General. "The other 50% must be accessed directly by the countries. The catch is that countries first need to become accredited as National Implementing Entities under the AFB."

"While countries work towards obtaining National Implementing Entity (NIE) accreditation, SPREP may be called to develop adaptation proposals on their behalf in the interim. Moreover, SPREP will provide valuable assistance to national efforts to obtain NIE status, thus allowing countries to directly access financial resources from the Adaptation Fund without the need for a supporting agency such as SPREP or international agencies such as those of the United Nations system."

The possibility of removal of the 50% cap for Regional Implementing Agencies may be raised with the AFB.

"This two-pronged approach will place our island members in an excellent position to better access and utilise climate change financing."

The experience of seeking accreditation will be documented and shared widely, with a view to informing and supporting Pacific Island Countries in their endeavours to become national implementing entities.

For more information please visit: Adaptation Fund Board  and for the report of the AFB meeting and the report of the accreditation panel