The Permanent Secretary for Rural & Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Mr. David Kolitagane

The Head of UNOCHA Pacific, Mr. Gerard Gomez

Leads and Co-leads of the Fiji Intercluster

Members of Pacific Humanitarian Team

Development Partners

Ladies and Gentlemen

Ni Yadra vinaka and a very good morning to you all.

I must take this opportunity to thank the Permanent Secretary for his blessings to allow the team to complete the final stages of the Country Preparedness Package for Fiji.

UNDP has recently publicised the Tuvalu Country Preparedness Package and I am told that the team has shared a printed version with the Permanent Secretary to have a feel of the final product in transit for Fiji. To Permanent Secretary Kolitagane, I am grateful for your support to UNDP not only relevant for Country Preparedness Package, but amongst other matters of common interest to UNDP and to Fiji as a whole.

UNDP in its footprints across the Pacific thrives in partnership and something we have worked hard for over the years to where we are now. I thank NDMO and OCHA for partnering with UNDP to front-up on this critical undertaking for Fiji.

Ladies & Gentlemen, I can say, that 80 percent of the work has been completed and the latter 20 percent whilst small, can be gruesome and painstakingly difficult. I urge you to pay attention to the pertinent details that will require completeness and thorough coverage, to ensure that we have a robust, holistic draft CPP that will be taken up for final consideration by the Fijian Government. By extension, UNDP is also on standby to support the Government of Fiji in the current Cyclone season.

We are days away from Christmas and we’re embarking on the final stretch of this journey. Today is about final validation. Your collective effort today is equally crucial, and I encourage you to give it your best.

With those words, let me once again thank the Permanent Secretary, my colleague Gerard, Director of NDMO Vasiti and everyone here for the Final Validation workshop.

Whilst some of us will be spending Christmas away from home, Fiji is always a home away from home. Let me, on behalf of UNDP, wish everyone a blessed Christmas, happy holidays and a new year full of peace and joy.

Thank you and vinaka vakalevu.