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OUTCOMES Meeting of the CRGA OUTCOMES Meeting of the CRGA SUBCOMMITTEE ON STRATEGIC PLAN IMPLEMENTATION 28 May 2020 (Noumea, New Caledonia, and by videoconference) ___________________________________________________________________________________ OPENING 1. The CRGA Subcommittee on Strategic Plan Implementation (Subcommittee) met by videoconference on 28 May 2020, linking participants in Canberra, Australia; Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM); Suva, Fiji; Papeete, French Polynesia; Noumea, New Caledonia; Wellington, New Zealand; Alofi, Niue; Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Nuku’alofa, Tonga; Washington D.C., USA. The meeting was chaired by New Caledonia, and was attended by the following member countries and territories: Australia, Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, PNG, Tonga, and United States of America; and also by the European Union and senior executives and staff of the Secretariat, led by the Director-General. Palau, Samoa and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) observed the meeting. 2. The main objectives of the meeting were for the Secretariat to provide an update to members and a forum to discuss SPC’s responses to COVID-19 and Tropical Cyclone Harold; to consider the draft Pacific Community Results Report 2019; and to agree on a revised schedule and approach for the development of the Pacific Community’s next strategic plan. 3. The Subcommittee Chair, Ms. Anne-Claire Goarant (New Caledonia), welcomed the Director-General, Dr Stuart Minchin and participants to the 8th meeting of the Subcommittee. She acknowledged several new representatives, from FSM, Fiji, PNG and Tonga. The Chair advised members that, due to COVID-19 demands, New Caledonia was transferring chair responsibilities to Mr Jimmy Naouna. 4. In his opening remarks, the Director-General welcomed members to SPC’s virtual meeting house. The Director-General indicated that this was an important meeting in view of the current COVID-19 context, priorities and challenges in the region; and emphasised the value of engaging with Subcommittee members and their expertise and experiences. He noted that pre-meeting briefings had taken place between the Secretariat and the Subcommittee members; and that the agenda had been formulated to incorporate and respond to feedback received on each of the items. He thanked New Caledonia for their ongoing stewardship as Chair of the Subcommittee. 5. The Chair remarked on the unique setting of the meeting under a global pandemic and the new meaning of resilience in the region. He emphasised a focus on equity in responses, noting this was an opportunity to hear members’ views and guidance for better supporting the region. He highlighted the responsibilities of the members in particularly challenging times, and thanked them for their participation – a reflection of their determination to engage. The Chair emphasised that the meeting served as a platform to progress and advance important development matters in an already complex environment, where critical issues of climate change and biodiversity loss remain. The new Strategic Plan must be the plan for resilience and adaptation, while addressing inequality. Members approved the Agenda. SPC/CRGA_Subcom (May 2020) Page 2 AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: SPC update on COVID-19 and Tropical Cyclone Harold response 6. The Director-General, acknowledged that the region is in unprecedented times, dealing with two emergencies: COVID-19 and Tropical Cyclone Harold. He provided a comprehensive overview of the actions, response, support and health and scientific advice the Secretariat provided to members from February to May. The Director-General outlined the Secretariat’s pivot in how it is engaging its membership and implementing projects in ways to protect member and staff health, including through travel restrictions. He acknowledged that the quick action of members had saved the region from significant adverse public health impacts. He noted the joint work with CROP agencies and the United Nations; and highlighted the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway for COVID-19, as any important mechanism to progress support in response to members’ needs on the socio-economic impact COVID- 19 and natural disasters in the region. 7. The Chair thanked the Director-General for his comprehensive update, noting a personal observation of a resurgence in traditional practices and community initiatives alongside national responses to the current health crisis. He stressed that present actions influence the shape of our future and should also inform the next strategic plan. 8. Members discussed the continued role of SPC in the Joint Incident Management Team, noting that it may be timely to consider the establishment of a dedicated unit within SPC’s Public Health Division to deal with epidemics and pandemics. They welcomed the SPC Circular of 18 May 2020, and encouraged the Secretariat to maintain open and transparent communiques. Members suggested that the Secretariat maintain regular updates and circulars that can be shared at ministerial level, to maintain political support for the work that SPC is doing in response to the combined impacts of COVID-19 and TC Harold. 9. Discussion on the budgetary health of the organisation in 2021 and beyond included the Secretariat’s scenario/contingency planning for safeguarding delivery of a pivoted programme based on response and recovery to COVID-19. The current healthy level of reserves allows for a deliberate pivot to support COVID-19 responses within current capacities, while also maintaining commitments to climate change and other development challenges in the region. Members encouraged the Secretariat to conduct ongoing consultation for the new strategic plan in the contexts of both longer-term recovery, and ongoing consultations related to the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific. OUTCOMES 10. The Subcommittee noted: i. the update provided by the Director-General on SPC’s support to PICT and regional COVID- 19 and TC-Harold response, and subsequent member discussions; ii. the efforts of SPC to continue its critical, long-term work programme on behalf of members and the region. AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: Draft Pacific Community Results Report 2019 11. The Secretariat presented an overview of the draft Pacific Community Results Report 2019, including improvements made to the report in response to member recommendations from previous Subcommittee meetings. 12. The Chair congratulated the Secretariat on a comprehensive, readable report. Members’ commendations on the format, presentation, content, links and dashboards were recorded as SPC/CRGA_Subcom (May 2020) Page 3 optimising a reader-friendly platform that moves “our evidence-based performance reporting into the future” and “ensures that SPC remains relevant and responsive to the region’s needs”. Members further welcomed the attention to gender equality and social inclusion in the 2019 report, and the in- depth discussion around priority areas in the 32 performance stories that contain honest reflections on challenges and lessons, as well as success. The performance stories were appreciated for their 2019 relevance, and also as evidence of the longer-term investment, enabling impact in partnership with members. The stories were also noted as evidence of SPC’s contextualisation of its work in responding to complex and diverse development challenges. Members also expressed appreciation for the annexes – in particular the list of meeting outcomes. 13. Members acknowledged that the report quality has gone from strength to strength, and that consideration should be given to maintaining the format for the next and subsequent reporting years. Additionally, members requested that the 2020 report and subsequent reports reflect the regional response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term recovery. Members recommended that high-level targets and indicators be included in the next strategic plan results framework, and that an articulated contribution to the region’s Agenda 2030 commitments continues. They stressed the importance on integrating gender and human rights in programming efforts, and the work between multiple divisions at SPC. Members expressed appreciation for the execution rate of programming and noted that the next reporting period will be heavily influenced by COVID-19 impacts. 14. Members discussed the potential lag in distributing and utilising the 2019 Results Report if it were to be presented to the full membership at CRGA 50 in November 2020. Options for considering the report out of session were discussed, with a preference for the full membership receiving the draft report in a Circular, along with the outcomes of the Subcommittee meeting, for out-of-session endorsement and adoption. Outcomes 15. The CRGA Subcommittee: i. noted the effectiveness of the draft Results Report 2019, in incorporating the Subcommittee’s earlier recommendations for improvement; ii. commended the Secretariat on the high quality of the results report overall; and iii. recommended the Secretariat provide the Results Report 2019 to the full CRGA membership for out-of-session endorsement. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3: Update on the Pacific Community Strategic Plan 2021+ 16. The Secretariat provided an overview of activities conducted as part of Phase 2 (“Vision and Engagement”) of the roadmap for the development of the next strategic plan. Updates in the approach to staff engagement, including the development of the Pathfinder: Pacific toolkit, were shared with members, in the context of the shifting of priorities
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