The UN Resident Coordinator for the North Pacific, Jaap van Hierden 

Government representatives

Representatives of civil society organizations, private sectors, CROP agencies, donors

And colleagues

Warm greetings to you all and bula vinaka from Fiji.

I am very delighted to welcome you all to the final round of the regional consultation for our new Multi-Country Programme Document (MCPD).

Esteemed guests, let me begin by reiterating how thankful we are, at UNDP, for your numerous contributions and support for the current programme we are implementing that is coming to an end this year. We are also thankful for the support in developing the new Multi-Country Programme Document (MCPD) 2023 - 2027.

Esteemed guests, the MCPD has undertaken rigorous rounds of consultations with national governments, partners, private sectors, development partners, and civil society organizations. Considering the unique and complex challenges the Pacific Island countries and territories face, the draft MCPD shared with you attempts to be innovative, risk-informed, while considering future uncertainties due to the unprecedented scale of the current socio-economic situation, and structural limitations.

The MCPD will guide UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji and UNDP Samoa Office’s development interventions in response to 14 countries and territories' national priorities for the next five years. The MCPD is fully aligned and contributing directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.

The vision of the Cooperation Framework is - "all people in the Pacific, leaving no place behind, are equal and free to exercise their fundamental rights, enjoying gender equality and peace, resilient to the existential threats and living in harmony with the blue continent". Towards this vision, UNDP will contribute and provide leadership to three Cooperation Framework outcome results areas - Prosperity, Planet and Peace.

Ladies and gentlemen

The current draft MCPD has attempted to capture all the thoughts and ideas that has been shared in a coherent and logical framework, with the vision of elevating UNDP as the integrator to convene and catalyze efforts from a larger stakeholder group including private sector, CSOs, local communities, development partners, and CROP agencies. In terms focus, UNDP aims to target the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. Most importantly, youth, women, people living with disabilities, sexual minorities, people living in remote locations and communities at increased risk of HIV infection.

Today, we are delighted with your presence to solicit valuable inputs to the draft Multi-County Programme Document, which will enable us to sharpen its strategic focus, in response to the needs of the Pacific countries. As we did in the current Programme, we are hopeful that the Multi-Country Programme Document will allow us to forge greater and effective partnerships. Allow me to conclude by thanking each of you once again for the strong and solid partnership we have established over the year.  

I wish you all a fruitful deliberation.