Rt Hon Christopher Luxon
Prime Minister
Rt Hon Winston Peters
Minister of Foreign Affairs

New Zealand will contribute $20 million to the Pacific Resilience Facility, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters have announced.

“The Pacific Islands region faces severe challenges from natural disasters and climate change impacts and New Zealand is committed to doing its part to help meet them,” Mr Luxon says.

“We’re joining with other countries in helping to progress the Pacific Resilience Facility, which will encourage public and private sector investment in preparedness for natural disasters and resilience to the effects of climate change.”

Mr Peters says the Pacific Resilience Facility will help ensure Pacific Island countries have access to the climate finance they need.

“We urge more countries to join us in making it a reality. The Facility’s focus on community-level projects will ensure practical benefits for Pacific Island communities. It is also a demonstration of what our region can achieve collectively.”

“As we head into COP29 next month, where a new global climate finance goal will be agreed, it’s important to emphasise small island states and their communities need climate finance that they can actually access.”

Mr Luxon and Mr Peters made the announcement today while in Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Note:

The Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) aims to increase the grant financing to Pacific Islands Forum members to build resilience against natural disasters and the impacts of climate change by accumulating a capital fund, from which to invest in preparedness for natural disasters and the impacts of climate change. The PRF will have a particular focus on community-level projects and rapid response to disasters. The proposal to establish the PRF was first endorsed in principle at the 50th Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu in August 2019. New Zealand’s $20 million contribution will be funded by New Zealand’s International Development Cooperation (IDC) budget. Other major contributors to the Facility so far include Australia (A$100m), Saudi Arabia (US$50m) and the United States (US$25m).

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