The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and Meteo-France signed a five year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) earlier this month which will aim to encourage and support enhanced coordination and collaboration in providing technical support and capacity development opportunities for Pacific Meteorological Services.
Meteo-France is the national meteorological service of France, and shares mutual interests with SPREP in relation to the coordination, development and practical application of climate science and services to support resilient planning and development in the Pacific Region.
The MOU sets out the collaborative activities which the Parties will undertake within the MOU period.
Through the signing of the MOU, the Parties committed to the pursuit of future partnership opportunities for collaboration which include the exploration of collaborative opportunities to deliver on shared objectives under the Pacific Climate Change Centre which is based at SPREP and is expected to be completed in 2019.
“The signing of this MOU is a great opportunity for the Pacific Meteorological Services to work in collaboration with Meteo-France through SPREP in order to strengthen and sustain development and delivery of weather services, observations, climate science and services knowledge and capacity in the Pacific,” said Mr Kosi Latu, Director General of SPREP.
The Parties also committed to coordinating and jointly supporting awareness-raising efforts and implementation of the Pacific Island Meteorological Strategy 2016-2016, the Pacific Roadmap for Strengthened Climate Services 2017-2026, the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific, and other regional priorities and capacity building initiatives in relation to the environment, with emphasis on weather services, climate science, information and products.
Also agreed upon by the Parties in the MOU was the extension of standing invitations to participate in meetings such as the Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology, the Pacific Meteorological Council Meeting, Pacific Islands Climate Outlook Forum and other regional strategic planning meetings as appropriate; as well as the co-sponsoring and convening of relevant meetings and associated stakeholder engagements as part of donor-funded activities in the Pacific. Meteo-France Office in New Caledonia and French Polynesia have strong collaboration with SPREP and will be involved in implementing the MoU.
The MOU was signed by Mr Kosi Latu, Director General of SPREP, and Mr Jean-Marc Lacave, Chief Executive Officer of Meteo-France, in Paris on 7 December 2018.