The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is made up of countries from the south pacific as well as other international member countries like United Kingdom, France and the United States. They work towards sustaining the livelihoods and environment in the Pacific, forming a unified whole of respective cultures.
The Papua New Guinea government showed its support towards the work of SPREP by donating K1million PNG Kina. The funds are to help in climate change and environment initiatives in the pacific region by SPREP.
PNG has set its mark as the first Pacific island country that has supported SPREP by direct finance.
At the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable, in Apia where over 200 delegates attended, Frank Aisi, presented the dummy cheque to David Sheppard, Director General of SPREP.
“This landmark support underlines the vital leadership role of the Government of PNG on environmental issues in the Pacific region,” said Sheppard .
Aisi, who is the Director International Unit of the Department of the Prime Minister, made known at the three-day meeting that the commitment was made after, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill had a talk with Kosi Lautu, Deputy Director General of SPREP, at the 2014 Leaders Forum in Palau.
He added, “These and similar other support provided to Pacific island countries is the O’Neill Governments desire to help Pacific neighbours following unprecedented and uninterrupted economic growth experienced by Papua New Guinea over the last 13 years.”
