The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Negotiations Training for National Focal Points and a write-shop on Development of Large-Scale Investment Programme for Pacific SIDS recently took place in Seoul, Korea, earlier this month. Organised by the UNCCD Secretariat and Global Mechanism (GM) in collaboration with the Korea Forest Service (KFS) Secretariat, Cook Islands a party since 1998 to UNCCD was represented by Muraai Herman from NES and Mii Kino from the Ministry of Finance & Economic Management Development Coordination Division (MFEM-DCD).
The need for win-win in negotiation is needed not only in conferences of parties but also in the everyday life. The skills shared by negotiation consultants from Centre for Multilateral Negotiations (CEMUNE) allowed participants to engage in open negotiations based on the Harvard-Concept through simulation and fine tuning bilateral/multilateral negotiations for the first 2 days with UNCCD focal points including the Cook Islands. The training was summarised by former NES Deputy Director – Louisa Karika, Regional Liaison Officer – Asia Pacific · United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) on how the skills can be applied at UNCCD conference of Parties.
The second of the workshop/write-shop on Development of Large-Scale Investment Programme for Pacific SIDS was an opportunity for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) from the Pacific to gain knowledge on global bilateral, multilateral, private and domestic resources available for activities related to the implementation of this Convention. Program priorities varied from water and food security, land management, agroforestry, coastal and soil erosion, biodiversity and so forth to crosscutting priority issues on data, youth, gender equality and social inclusion, climate change, and sustainable financing.
The write-shop built on the land-based project ideas collected in the earlier workshop as well as those included in this write shop to ensure country representatives develop a framework for integrated action through a large-scale investment programme addressing environment issues in the Pacific. The aim of mobilizing resources and presenting the programme at key events such as the Commonwealth Heads of States Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa in 2024. In the Pacific region, we as members must return to our countries and validate such programs on priority of various key stakeholders in Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) programs.
