Agenda

Registration and Coffee

Session 1: Welcome and Opening of Pacific Resilience Week
Opening address by Mr Meleti Bainamarama, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management, Fiji.

Affected People at the Centre of Humanitarian Action
Setting the scene for today’s sessions and underpinning the PHP as a whole, this session focuses on the experiences and perspectives of disaster affected people. The aim of the session is to explore how the humanitarian system can truly work in partnership with affected people to better prepare for and respond to disasters.

Session 3: Community Participation & Strengthening the Role of Traditional Support Systems
Presenter/Facilitator: Doris Susau (Live and Learn Environmental Education)

This session will examine the function and role of traditional support systems during emergencies disaster response, recovery and rehabilitation. Acknowledging previous experiences of community engagement, participants will identify strategies for strengthened and improved community engagement that can address challenges faced during emergencies.

Session 4: Protection
Presenter/Facilitator: Laisani Petersen (UNICEF)

At the end of the session, participants will have a better understanding of issues surrounding inclusion, and be able to identify ways to better engage with diverse segments of the affected community, including women, persons with disabilities, young people, children, older persons, LGBTI individuals, ethnic minorities, and those living in informal settlements. The session will entail a theatre sketch, followed by a moderated discussion amongst a panel of practitioners and experts.

Session 5: Simultaneous Session – Stakeholder Group Discussions
Participants will break into stakeholder groups as listed above. The purpose of the session is to create a space for stakeholders to discuss matters of relevance for humanitarian action in the Pacific, including how to ensure affected people are at the center of the humanitarian action. Groups will identify specific follow-up actions to ensure meeting outcomes lead to change.

Welcome reception hosted by OCHA, sponsored by TOLL Logistics. (Banyan Room).

Women at the Frontline of Climate Change
A photography exhibition telling the stories of women around Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila and offshore islands to highlight the gendered impacts of disasters, and the risks and challenges women and local communities face associated with climate change. This exhibition was made possible by the support of members of the Silae Vanua Market Vendors Association on Efate, Moso and Nguna Islands who generously gave up their time and shared their personal life stories. The images and stories were collected by UN Women photographer, Murray Lloyd, and UN Women Markets for Change Communications Officer, Fiona Morris, both based in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

Session 1: National Government Perspectives
National disaster authorities and regional frameworks
Presenter/Facilitator: Mosese Sikivou

Global, regional and national frameworks advocate for an integrated approach to disasters, framing it as part of the disaster response and broader development agenda. There is an increasing role for ministries and government agencies beyond the NDMOs, particularly in terms of determining and implementing measures to reduce disaster risk. This session will provide the opportunity for representatives from national governments, donors and regional organizations to examine how they can better support a united vision for disaster response and preparedness in the Pacific.

Session 2: Realigning the Pacific Humanitarian Team Approach
Tailoring regional support to national systems
Presenter/Facilitator: Peter Grzic (UNOCHA)

This session will outline how the Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT) is changing its approach to better build on local capacity. The Country Preparedness Package concept will be presented and participants will have the opportunity to provide feedback on these new PHT approaches. By the end of this session participants will have a clearer understanding of the PHT role and functions, particularly in relation to existing national structures. Participants will also have identified key questions to be answered in each country, to better define how PHT support can function in their unique context and build on national capacity in a major disaster response.

Session 3: Simultaneous Session – Regional to National
Realigning regional cluster support to build on existing local structures and capacities
Sectoral Groups: Clusters & NDMOs

In this session participants will break into sectoral/cluster groupings, with an additional group looking at support to NDMOs. The purpose of the session is to identify specific ways in which to regional and international support can be realigned to better build on existing local capacities during a disaster response.

Session 4: Information Management
Conducting initial assessments during emergencies – an interactive workshop
Presenter/Facilitator: Rashmi Rita (UNOCHA), Michael Arunga (UNOCHA)

Significant ‘information gaps’ are commonly identified after a disaster impact, which affect critical decision-making. A lack of coordination in responding to these information gaps can mean information being collected is not harmonized and shared. The objective of this session is to gain consensus on how humanitarian actors can collaborate with local authorities to bridge the information gap and address challenges. Innovative tools and processes providing a collaborative platform to bridge the information gaps will be highlighted. The challenges faced in ensuring an enabling environment for implementation of new technologies will also be discussed with recommendations for better preparedness for assessments in the region.

Session 1: Coordination of Capacity Development
Improving collaboration for disaster resilience
Presenter/Facilitator: Peter Grzic (UNOCHA)

This session will look at how humanitarian and development partners can work together to better share information on capacity development initiatives. Previous initiatives to strengthen information sharing and coordination will be considered and participants will work to identify key barriers and solutions. By the end of the session, participants will have identified specific and realistic steps they can take to improve information sharing related to disaster and climate change capacity development initiatives.

Session 2: Bridging the Humanitarian-Development Divide
Specific linkages and approaches to effective collaboration.
Presenter/Facilitator: Melchior Mataki (Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology – Solomon Islands)

Participants can expect to have a clear and more unified understanding of the need for and consequences to bridging the humanitarian-development divide in the Pacific context. This will form the basis of a more collaborative approach and clearly defined governance arrangements to bridging the divide from the perspective of multiple stakeholders at national and regional levels.

Session 3: Capacity Development for Response Effectiveness
A coordinated approach for effective use of simulation exercises
Presenter/Facilitator: Anthony Blake (SPC), Bret Bestic (WFP)

The aim of this session is to discuss and agree on a framework that provides the foundation for improving coordination of international, regional and national support for disaster simulation exercises in the Pacific. The framework would lead to the formation of a simulation working group consisting of key supporting agencies-organisations. The group would share information, jointly engage with requesting national governments and providers and to develop guidance and resource materials for Pacific disaster simulations in line with the needs of Pacific governments.

Session 4: Private Sector Engagement
Harnessing private sector capacity to strengthen resilience
Presenter/Facilitator: David Kaatrud (WFP)

This session will explore the role of the private sector in disaster resilience and response, and how a private sector network can strengthen the overall coordination mechanism. The newly established private sector network in Fiji will be highlighted. Plans to expand the work of the Connecting Business Initiative in the Pacific will also be discussed, including planned support to additional private sector networks for disaster risk reduction, preparedness, response and recovery at the national and regional levels.