Executive Summary
I
n this third year of implementation of its second integrated strategic plan (covering the period 2009– 2012), the Land Resources Division (LRD) continues to align its activities to the 2008 and 2010 HOAFS recommendations and to national priorities elaborated in joint country strategies (JCS).
Inoke Ratukalou, Acting Director, SPC Land Resources Division
The division continued its facilitation role in policy, legislation and planning development. LRD ensures that the Pacific Islands’ voice is heard beyond the region by actively engaging in important international fora such as the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Annual General Sessions and Regional Commission meetings, and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). LRD strengthened its partnership with the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GIZ) with the continuation of the SPC /GIZ sustainable land-based resources management project. This project has now expanded and is known as the SPC/GIZ Coping with Climate Change for the Pacific Island Region (CCCPIR) project. In addition, a new SPC/GIZ project, Climate Protection through Forest Conservation in the Pacific Island Countries focusing on reduced emission from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) was initiated. The European Union continues to strongly support LRD in its work to increase exports of agricultural, forestry and aquaculture produce from the Pacific ACP countries. This is being undertaken through the Facilitating Agricultural Commodity Trade (FACT) project and the new Increasing Agricultural Commodity Trade (IACT) project.
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SPC LAND RESOURCES DIVISION ANNUAL REPORT 2011