30 April 2019, Brisbane, Australia - A new partnership has been established to enhance environmental and social sustainability in the Pacific Region. The Pacific Learning Partnership for Environmental and Social Sustainability (PLP-ESS) will foster training, knowledge exchange, technical expertise and capacity building related to environmental and social safeguards and infrastructural development standards in the Pacific region.
Announced at the International Association of Impact Assessment’s 19th annual conference (IAIA19) in Brisbane, Australia on 30 April 2019, the founding partners in the collaboration are the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the University of the South Pacific (USP), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank. The collaboration has been structured so that other key partners in the Pacific can also join to further strengthen the results of the collaboration.
PLP-ESS is an agreed collaboration mechanism between the partners that will respond to the needs of Pacific island countries to support capacity building. The PLP-ESS will deliver training, facilitate exchange of experiences and knowledge, mentor trainees, develop curricula, and provide assistance related to the common objectives.
“This partnership will bring together key skills, funding, and practical experience to support the Pacific in ensuring that the environmental and social risks of needed infrastructure are managed effectively, to enhance the economic development and the sustainable future of communities across the Pacific region,” said Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez, Senior Director Social, Urban Rural and Resilience Global practice, World Bank.
Key to the outcomes of this partnership will be the establishment of capacity building pathways between SPREP, USP, and others to develop and shape the environmental and social impact assessment profession in the Pacific region.
USP will explore the feasibility of establishing a new accredited program with entry pathways that recognise prior training delivered through SPREP.
“As the premier environmental organisation in the region, SPREP is delighted to be part of this partnership, which will complement and add value to our work on environmental assessment,” said Mr Kosi Latu, Director General of SPREP.
“This partnership establishes an excellent platform for strengthening the capacity of our region in ensuring that environmental sustainability is achieved through a coordinated and coherent manner.”
SPREP is an intergovernmental Pacific regional organisation charged with supporting its Members to address the environment management challenges in the Pacific. The SPREP vision is a resilient Pacific environment sustaining livelihoods and natural heritage in harmony with Pacific cultures. The SPREP headquarters are based in Apia, Samoa with outposts in Fiji, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.
The University of the South Pacific (USP) is the premier provider of tertiary education in the Pacific region and an international centre of excellence for teaching, research consulting, and training on all aspects of Pacific culture, environment, and human resource development needs. USP’s main campus is in Suva, Fiji and it has 14 campuses in 12 Pacific island countries.
The World Bank Australia Safeguards Partnership (WBASP) Phase II, funded by the Australian government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and managed by the World Bank, has had a catalytic role in bringing the partnership together to serve communities and governments across the Pacific region. WBASP has established other learning centers for environmental and social sustainability in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar.
For further information please contact Ms Easter Galuvao - [email protected]