08.21.2014: POHNPEI The Association for the Promotion of International Cooperation gives $10,000 for Micronesia Challenge

Photo MCT

On August 21, 2014, Kolonia, Pohnpei, Mr. Megumi Araki, the Director of the Association for the Promotion of International Cooperation (APIC), presented Mr. Willy Kostka, Executive Director of the Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT), a check for $10,000.  The Honorable Shoji Sato, former Ambassador to the FSM from Japan and his colleagues, Prof. Takashi Hayashita, President of Sophia University, Prof. Hiroshi Yamamoto, President of Sophia Junior College and Mr. Yoshihiko Miwa, Director of General Affairs Bureau of Sophia University witnessed the handover. The APIC funds are aimed at a Micronesia Challenge and Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) project, “Enhance the awareness of the Micronesia Challenge among the donors, thereby increasing financial and technical support.”  Specifically, the funds will support the printing of 600 booklets entitled, “We are One: Business Plan and Conservation Campaign – Micronesia Challenge.”  The grant will also fund distribution of the booklets at high level events during the UN Small Island Developing States Conference in Samoa in September and at the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties in South Korea in October.  To raise the awareness of the Challenge, MCT and members of the Micronesia Challenge (MC) Steering Committee and the Regional Coordinating Office will distribute booklets to heads of states, ministers, donors, and technical/development partners who can potentially support the Micronesia Challenge.  The ultimate goal of the project is to garner increased awareness of and leverage additional support for the Micronesia Challenge, globally.

The Micronesia Challenge is a commitment made by the leaders of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), U.S. Territory of Guam and U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to effectively conserve at least 30% of the near-shore marine resources and 20% of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020. For more information about the Micronesia Challenge, please visit www.micronesiachallenge.org.