Pohnpei, FSM: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pacific Office has conducted an initial scoping mission to Palau and Chuuk and Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia to identify and enhance key areas of governance, including border management, maritime governance, gender equality, local governance, support to civil society, public financial management, public service reform, justice, and accountability. The findings and recommendations from this scoping exercise will guide the future programming of governance initiatives.  

For Palau, discussions centered on forward-looking service delivery: focusing on designing a central and local governance system which marries the strength of traditional customs and values with public service delivery, and modern governance system, addressing concerns of the youth, women and remote communities.

In FSM, the team had consultative discussions with Federal and State Governments to understand the current governance structures and strategies, as well as identify pathways to scale up best practices while developing areas that opportunities for improvement, especially in promoting more synergies between the functioning of the different tiers of government. The following areas stood out as areas of potential collaboration:

•    Support to the government’s digitalization strategy
•    Support to the State legislation and judiciary
•    Furthering the inclusion of Women and Youth in governance initiatives

On 14 June a workshop gathered representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia, governmental bodies, and community-led initiatives in Pohnpei. The purpose was to reflect on past engagements between CSOs and UNDP, discuss ongoing needs, and explore avenues for future collaboration in pursuit of good governance and inclusive representation.

During his opening remarks, Kevin Petrini, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Pacific, emphasized the significance of localization and community-led initiatives in development. He stressed the importance of transitioning from reactive to proactive approaches in shaping the future, expressing hope that the workshop would initiate a constructive dialogue on enhancing UNDP's engagement with stakeholders.

“How do we shift from being reactive to being proactive about shaping the future? We hope that this workshop is only the start of a conversation and relationship about how UNDP can work better and more meaningfully with all of you,” he said.

The workshop concluded with reflections on actionable steps for CSOs and potential support mechanisms from UNDP. Marstella Jack, CEO of the Federated States of Micronesia Alliance of NGOs (FANGO), emphasized the critical role of CSOs in mobilizing communities and advocating for transparency and accountability in governance.  

“We have talked about the importance of organizing, mobilizing, and speaking up,” said Ms. Jack. “But we can only do those when we are given the space,” she said.  

This localization workshop served as a platform for fostering collaboration, dialogue, and strategic planning to advance the shared goals of good governance and inclusive representation in Pohnpei and beyond.

For more information please contact:  

Nicholas Turner | Communication and Advocacy Specialist | nicholas.turner@undp.org