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<b><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US">From:</span></b><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-US"> press-releases-bounces@lists.spc.int [mailto:press-releases-bounces@lists.spc.int]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>SPC Media<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, April 11, 2017 11:36 AM<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [SPC-News] TONGA TO HOST PACIFIC REGIONAL ENERGY AND TRANSPORT MINISTERS MEETING<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%">JOINT PRESS RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:18.0pt;line-height:115%">Tonga to host Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers Meeting<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">11 April 2017<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Nuku’alofa, Tonga</span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"> – Over 100 high-level delegates and experts will convene
in Tonga at the end of April for the<sup> </sup>Third Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministerial Meeting to discuss the latest international and regional developments in energy and transport sectors affecting the region.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">The high-level meeting, which will be hosted at the Fa’onelua Convention Centre in Nuku’alofa, will cover energy and transport challenges and priorities
included in the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific, the Framework for Action on Energy Security in the Pacific and the regional Framework for Action on Transport Services.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">“The meeting is timely. Individually as sovereign nations, we have obligations to these global and regional instruments, but more importantly, to our
own respective nationally determined contributions and government’s energy and transport targets and aspirations. The meeting will therefore look at adopting regional positions, which we can task our regional agencies and partners to assist us on and which
we can go out to global forums and negotiations and promote with an united voice,” said Hon.<b>
</b>Siaosi 'Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni, Deputy Prime<b> </b>Minister, Minister for<b>
</b>Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) and Minister of Foreign Affairs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Pacific Community Director-General Dr Colin Tukuitonga said: “This meeting provides an important platform for energy and transport ministers to discuss
and commit to regional positions and interventions that will complement national
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">efforts towards achieving accessible, affordable, safe and clean energy and transport services for all in the Pacific region in the context of sustainable development.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">The theme of this year’s meeting is
<i>Affordable, Reliable and Sustainable Energy and Transport Services for All</i>, which supports the vision of Pacific energy and transport ministers of their sectors being key pillars to enable sustainable development and eradicate poverty.</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">The week-long meeting will feature a combined plenary for energy and transport officials ahead of the ministers meeting.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">High on the agenda for energy officials are discussions around needed reforms and regional commitments to facilitate the rapid transition of the region
to a more cost competitive, reliable and low carbon economies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Transport officials will have the opportunity to explore among other things, ways to improve the governance of the maritime sector; the energy efficiency
and safety of shipping and ports; prevent marine pollution; facilitate access and contribution of women to the maritime sector; and improve coordination and contribution of Pacific Island countries to international negotiations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">The energy and transport ministers will consider the resolutions of the officials and will also discuss the concept of Green and Blue Economy as well
as the challenges of access to multilateral environment funding to support addressing the region’s energy and transport challenges.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">As part of the week’s events, SPC together with its members and partners will celebrate its 70<sup>th</sup> Anniversary in Tonga.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">The inauguration of the Nuku’alofa-based Pacific Centre of Excellence on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (PCREEE) will also take place.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">The Centre is part of a global network of regional centres and will work alongside Pacific Island countries and territories to accelerate their progress
towards their respective national renewable energy and energy efficiency targets.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Among the high-level speakers at the meeting will be the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, LI Yong, the CEO
of the Sustainable Energy for ALL (SE4ALL) & Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for ALL, Rachel Kyte, and the Senior Deputy Director of the Technical Cooperation Division of the International Maritime Organization, Juvenal
Shiundu. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">The Third Pacific Regional Meeting for Energy and Transport Ministers’ Meeting is scheduled for 24 to 28 April.</span><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;font-weight:normal"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><strong><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Media access:</span></strong><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"> Media representatives
are welcome to attend. Media interested in covering the Third Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers’ Meeting are invited to contact
</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Inga Mangisi-Mafileo, Acting Director – SPC Communications and Public Information,
<a href="mailto:fonongam@spc.int">fonongam@spc.int</a> or +679 337 9451. </span>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Follow the event via
<b>#PRETMM</b>.</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><strong><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Footage and still images:</span></strong><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"> SPC will provide
packaged interviews and raw footage for free use, along with still images. For more information and to lodge specific requests, please contact Kelepi Koroi:
</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><a href="mailto:kelepik@spc.int"><span lang="EN">kelepik@spc.int</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify">
<b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">About Us:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">SPC is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, supporting sustainable development since 1947. It is an intergovernmental development organisation owned and governed
by its 26 country and territory members.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Cambria",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Useful links:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color:#1F497D"><a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http://prdrse4all.spc.int/data/content/third-pacific-regional-energy-and-transport-ministers-meeting-24-28-april-2017&c=E,1,cSvDK-oboGusf3j-OdZLQaLuD-OU2tig2cmjVGMbjpoCbeNgGj2Sn5VjaUsaQGU2f1G26UuqFvOobfFUIUcZm7__7SvW06KnTm3Y_XXX3JysIP9P42Pxsg,,&typo=1">http://prdrse4all.spc.int/data/content/third-pacific-regional-energy-and-transport-ministers-meeting-24-28-april-2017</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color:#1F497D"><a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http://www.spc.int/edd&c=E,1,DJeWQipVLr_oTqXcIegAekDlQdh2Cwt9ikdmZ0G6ho4IqCpgAWQUso4pRYMMzkOytUCSfEIa1IKQy-qG3dipk9MfpQEvoc3dG-SOmGF0hPYd-D8,&typo=1">www.spc.int/edd</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color:#1F497D"><a href="https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http://www.pcreee.org/&c=E,1,u1y8NYaaiQVK95YvWSB29BU8GnOYYAVLNRdweNEXP-m4qZFA7dpDxbxeEdT_gGzS7uqPl0H_Dah2y_GFIzovP1xXykKvE2YUDjZx_0wJW9zEAxIJjw,,&typo=1">http://www.pcreee.org/</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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