Learning by doing at COP 21 in Paris, France is what eight Pacific island students of the University of the South Pacific (USP) are experiencing.
The postgraduate students are part of a team of 10 from the USP, which includes both a legal and a science expert.
Each of the eight students have been accredited to six different Pacific island country delegations and are providing support on issues that are important to the Pacific such as climate finance, loss and damage as well as the Enhanced Durban Platform for Action.
Since 2012, the University of the South Pacific has implemented the program which brings postgraduate students to attend the Conferences of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“What we are achieving through this is that we are seeing students become more confident negotiators,” said Professor Elisabeth Holland, the Director of the PACE-SD of the USP.
“We see the students developing a strategic sense of how to participate in the COP and the students are providing strong support to their countries and their delegations.”
One of the students is attending her third UNFCCC Conference of the Parties under this programme and is now assisting the Vanuatu delegation as Coordinator.
“The students are learning a tremendous amount and it’s not academic book learning, it’s learning by doing and there is nothing that can substitute that,” said Dr Holland.
“By attending the Climate COP’s the students are integrating this experience, boosting their confidence and their ability to do a good job.”
The eight students are; Avnita Goundar - Republic of the Marshall Islands delegation, Diana Salili - Vanuatu delegation, Jale Samuwai and Genevieve Jiva - Fiji delegation, Kaylene Fanega and Lucille Apis-Overhoff - Solomon Islands delegation; Kilateli Falenga - Tuvalu delegation and, Fitilagi Fa’anunu - Tonga delegation.
“I’m quite honoured to be part of this and for me it is a privilege to be able to support the Pacific countries, whether we provide them with scientific information or whether we run errands for them, whatever we can do to help them achieve their goals,” said Lucille Apis-Overhoff who is on the Federated States of Micronesia delegation.
Support to implement this activity is provided by the University of the South Pacific and a range of different projects. For COP21, the funding is provided by the European Union and the USP. This project builds on inter-school collaboration among PaCE-SD, the School of Governance and the School of Law within the University of the South Pacific. - #4PacIslands