Partnership to address region’s top priority

CLIMATE change is a top priority for the region.
USAID Pacific Islands deputy mission director Betty Chung said this while signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korea International Co-operation Agency (KOICA) in Suva last
week.
The partnership is aimed to improve health systems, waste management, and climate resilience in the Pacific islands region.
“Climate change is a serious existential threat directly impacting livelihoods,” Ms Chung said.
“Through this partnership, USAID will work to strengthen our partnerships to increase the efficiency of our programs and achieve positive, measurable outcomes for the people of the Pacific
islands.”
KOICA Fiji Office country director Kapchae Ra said the MOU served as a testament to their shared vision and commitment to fostering meaningful change.
“By joining forces, we aim to enhance our collective capacity to address and identify key challenges for the South Pacific region.”
This partnership supports the 2050 Strategy for a Blue Pacific Continent, which seeks to drive strong collective action to advance Pacific island countries’ priorities, including climate change
mitigation, environmental resource protection, people-centred development, digital connectivity, and gender inclusion.
The new partnership with KOICA followed USAID’s global memorandum of understanding with Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2022 to identify areas of collaboration to address shared
global challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
In August, the US will also open a regional USAID Pacific islands office in Fiji to oversee programs in 12 Pacific island countries.