May, 2019
Secretary Lawrence in Fiji for ADB Annual Meetings
Nadi, Fiji – Secretary Lawrence was in Fiji to attend the Annual Meetings for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) held from 30 April – 5 May 2019. The theme of the Annual Meetings was “Prosperity Through Unity” which is consistent with ADB’s newly launched Strategy 2030 to sustain it’s efforts to eradicate poverty and expand it’s vision to achieve a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific.
The meetings allowed the opportunity for the FSM delegation to engage with Senior Executives within the ADB including the President of the ADB, Mr Takehiko Nakao. The FSM delegation were able to further develop strong relationships with the ADB given the upcoming projects in the water and energy sectors as well as confirming FSM’s commitment to the Disaster Resilience Program. Throughout the meetings, the ADB reiterated their support for the on-going programs in the FSM as supported by their new country office. Secretary Lawrence, along with other Pacific Island Countries expressed concern over the future funding levels dropping below the current allocation. The funding level uncertainty beyond 2021 needs to be addressed due to the increasing vulnerabilities of small island states.
At the meetings, Secretary Lawrence also met with the Irish and Australian Governments who were both launching new funds to further develop climate resilience in the Pacific. The new Irish Trust Fund will provide technical assistance to the Pacific while the Australian Fund will see $500 million in grants available for infrastructure projects in the Pacific. Further discussions will be held to determine the priority needs of the FSM and how these funds can support them.
During the week the ADB launched their Action Plan on Healthy Ocean’s and Sustainable Blue Economy. ADB have targeted $5 Billion of financing for this initiative over the next 5 years.
Secretary Lawrence expressed appreciation for the assistance rendered to the FSM by the ADB and expressed commitment to foster the strong working relationships. She was particularly impressed by the new Executive Director’s team assigned to advocate on behalf of the constituency that FSM belongs to within the ADB. Their recent visit to the FSM in April, further reinforced their knowledge and commitment to designing programs that are consistent with the country’s priorities.
The Annual Meetings included a number of open seminars for delegates in areas of IT connectivity, energy, tourism, gender-based violence, sustainable blue economy, climate related disasters and risk financing, debt sustainability as well as a number of other topics.
Following the ADB meeting the Secretary participated in a World Bank seminar of Pacific Finance Ministers on the upcoming Human Capital Project. Secretary Lawrence was assisted at the meetings by Mr Rob Solomon (Finance and Economic Advisor), Ms Senny Phillips (Assistant Secretary of Investment & International Finance) and Ms Beulah Daunakamakama (Program Manager, Central Implementation Unit).
