The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the University of the South Pacific (USP) signed a new partnership agreement to implement the Malaysia Funds-in-Trust project on loss and damage from climate change and climate extremes in Samoa, Fiji, Solomon Islands, the Cook Islands and Timor-Leste, among others.
30 June 2015: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the University of the South Pacific (USP) signed a new partnership agreement to implement the Malaysia Funds-in-Trust project on loss and damage from climate change and climate extremes in Samoa, Fiji, Solomon Islands, the Cook Islands and Timor-Leste, among others.
The USP was identified as a partner to support the implementation of the project activities in the Pacific region following a launch of an Open International Competition (OIC) by the UNESCO Office in Apia, Samoa.
Describing the partnership as a major milestone, Denis Chang Seng, Programme Specialist for Natural Sciences, UNESCO Office in Apia, explained that loss and damage is a technical and complex working area requiring rigorous scientific approaches.
The project will include conducting a detailed literature review on loss and damage from climate change and climate extremes, in-country surveys and consultations, and capacity-building and knowledge-sharing activities. The project is due to be completed at the end of the first quarter of 2016. [UNESCO Press Release]