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Pacific ACP States

ACP member states from the Pacific Region, comprising Cook Islands, Timor-Leste, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu

Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change project 2009-2014

A major climate change adaptation project funded by the GEF and the Australian Government, and implemented by UNDP and SPREP in the Pacific region. It worked to enhance the adaptive capacity and mainstreaming of climate risks into national development and planning and activities of Pacific Island countries.

Pacific Community-focused Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction Project 2008-2011

A project implemented in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu by the National Council of Churches in Australia, and organized by faith-based networks. It was designed to integrate community-focused disaster risk reduction programs with existing disaster risk reduction institutions.

Pacific Concerns Resource Centre

A secretariat for the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Movement. The Centre collects and disseminates information, advocates and lobbies, promotes understanding, and mobilisation of resources within and outside the region on five campaign areas: demilitarisation, decolonisation, environment, human rights and good governance, and sustainable human development.

Pacific Conference of Churches

The regional ecumenical organisation representing the Christian church in the Pacific Region. It seeks to pursue the visibility and unity of the member churches of the organisation and promote the ecumenical movement in the Pacific region.

Pacific Disaster Center

An applied science, information and technology centre, working to reduce disaster risks and impacts on life, poverty, and economies worldwide. The PDC delivers information, tools and services used to support decision making in disaster response and civil-military humanitarian assistance operations, disaster risk reduction, mitigation and planning.

Pacific Disaster Risk Management Partnership Network

The PDRMPN was established in 2006 to support capacity building and assist Pacific island countries and territories in the implementation of the Pacific Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management Framework for Action 2005-2015.

Pacific Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management Framework for Action 2005-2015

A regional strategy for disaster risk management (DRM) in the Pacific. It is due to be replaced in 2015 by an integrated regional strategy that combines DRM and climate change (the Strategy for Climate and Disaster Resilient Development or SRDP).

Pacific Emergency Management Training Advisory Group

A Pacific regional body formed to provide a forum for agencies involved in the design and delivery of emergency management training and development within the region to work together to ensure that through partnership arrangements there is an integrated regional approach to the building for national capacity.

Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations

A network of Pacific NGOs existing to facilitate communication and provide a common voice at regional and international forums. It also aims to strengthen Pacific forms of social development and improve the wellbeing of communities that are served by members of the NGO.

Pacific Islands Countries Trade Agreement

A free trade agreement amongst the 14 Forum Island Countries. The agreement enhances liberalisation of trade in goods through the removal of virtually all economic trade barriers between member States.

Pacific Islands Forum

An intergovernmental organisation that aims to enhance economic, social and political cooperation between 16 independent countries of the Pacific Region. Members include Australia, Cook Islands, federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency

An intergovernmental agency established to facilitate regional cooperation and co-ordination between Pacific Ocean states with respect to fisheries policies. It aims to strengthen national capacity and regional solidarity of its 17 member countries to manage its fishery resources.

Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

An international organisation established by treaty that enjoys legal personality in each of the sixteen member countries. It is responsible for implementing the decisions made by the Pacific Islands Forum and for a range of activities designed to improve the capacity of Forum member countries and co-ordinating actions on matters of common interest.

Pacific Islands Framework for Action on Climate Change 2006-2015

A regional strategy for climate change action in the Pacific. The framework aims to inform the decisions and actions of national, regional and international partners, and seeks to mainstream climate change into regional and national policies and plans. It is due to be replaced in 2015 by an integrated strategy (SRDP) that combines DRM and climate change.

Pacific Islands Greenhouse Gas Abatement through Renewable Energy Project

A 5-year project that began in 2007, and worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the Pacific region through the promotion of renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels.

Pacific Partnership Network Initiative Pacific Regional Non State Actors

Non-state actors are entities that participate or act in international relations but do not belong to any established state institution. In the Pacific they include non-profit, voluntary groups organised at a regional level and headquartered in a PIF member state.

Pacific Plan

A strategic framework endorsed by Pacific Island Forum Leaders in 2005, with the purpose of strengthening regional cooperation and integration in the Pacific. It is a high-level framework that guides the economic growth, sustainable development, good governance and security of member states of the Pacific Islands Forum.

Pacific Regional Economic Integration Programme

A programme funded under the 9th European Development Fund to assist capacity building in trade for the 14 Pacific ACP states. The project was administered through the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat with a number of regional agencies implementing the various components of the project.

Pandemic

Epidemic disease that spreads across a large region or even worldwide.

Permanent Court of Arbitration

An intergovernmental organisation with 117 member states. It encourages the resolution of disputes that involve states, state entities, intergovernmental organisations, and private parties by assisting in the establishment of arbitration tribunals and assisting their work.

PFC

Perfluorocarbon.

Planning

The process of formulating goals and objectives and determinating strategies and activities to achieve them.

Policies

Procedures developed and implemented by government(s) regarding the goal of mitigating climate change through the use of technologies and measures.

Policies and measures (PAMs)

A frequently used phrase -- sometimes abbreviated as PAMs -- referring to the steps taken or to be taken by countries to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol. Some possible policies and measures are listed in the Protocol and could offer opportunities for intergovernmental cooperation.

Policy

A general statement or understanding that guides thinking in decision-making.

Pollution

Degradation of one or more elements or aspects of the environment by noxious industrial, chemical or biological substances as a result of human or mechanical failure or mismanagement of natural and environmental resources.

Precautionary principal

Avoiding a solution that is irreversible, because the assumptions on which the solution is based may prove incorrect, in favour of a seemingly inferior solution that can be reversed.

Preparedness

Activities and measures taken in advance to ensure effective community and national response to the impact of hazards.

Private-public Partnerships

Collaborative arrangements between the public sector (government/intergovernmental organizations) and the private sector (business enterprises/civil society organizations)

Public Awareness

The process of informing the population, increasing consciousness of risks and spreading knowledge of how people can reduce the effects of hazards.