Program
Program
With interest in maritime security and marine resources mounting around the globe, people are looking to the waters around the Pacific Islands not only as a possible area for marine development leading to resource discovery, but as a region critical to maintaining safety in the Pacific Ocean.
In coming years, the islands will have a major role to play in keeping the Pacific Ocean a peaceful and open zone. At the same time, Japan, the US, Australia and other countries linked together by the Pacific Ocean may be called upon to collaborate with the Pacific Islands to ensure security in the islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone, as well as effective use of this zone.
Since its establishment in 1989, the Sasakawa Pacific Island Nations Fund has viewed the Pacific Island nations as important partners of Japan, and has thus conducted with the islands a wide variety of exchange and human resource development programs. The guidelines drawn up for the second period of the Fund’s operation were designed to promote smooth and balanced development in Micronesia, a region not only close to Japan in geographical terms but also with a long history of interaction with Japan.
The guidelines for the third period come into effect in 2009, and focus principally on programs to promote maritime security and management in the seas around the Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated Sates of Micronesia and Republic of Palau. Besides, the Fund will strive to provide resource management training for sustainable development and capacity building programs that contribute to the islands’ efforts to develop and become self-supporting. When the Fund has carried out its intended programs throughout Micronesia, it will aim to expand its scope to cover Melanesia and Polynesia. By conducting activities in these nations in the below-mentioned program areas, the Fund will attempt to contribute to the overall stability of the Pacific Ocean and prosperity of the island nations.
1.Cooperation for peace and solidarity between maritime states
1-1 Maritime management in the Micronesian region
The Fund will make use of its status as a private non-profit foundation to promote communication and collaboration between the public and private sector, and between various countries, with a view to promoting collaborative maritime management in the Republic of Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. The support provided by the Fund for improvement of maritime security function in the three island nations will be focused on conducting surveys and making recommendations on the basis of agreements with the countries concerned, and human resource training for maritime security.
1-2 Communication and exchange for maritime safety
The Fund supports communication and exchange between the Pacific Islands in the fields of maritime security and management. In these fields, specific aims are to pool knowledge and experience among the Pacific Island nations in order to improve education and training in marine transportation, maritime security, environmental conservation and sustainable fishing, and to create a system of inter-island collaboration.
2.Cooperation with development towards self-supporting island nations
2-1 Education
The Fund supports programs to raise the standard of and increase access to distance education in the Pacific region, thereby building the capacity of the island citizens. The Fund also either conducts or supports programs in which particularly talented individuals are offered the opportunity to receive education and training in Japan or other country outside the Pacific region.
2-2 Health care
In the sparsely populated and isolated islands that comprise the Pacific Island nations, there is a pressing need to lay down the foundations of a healthcare system. The Fund supports education and training for specialists in healthcare, and aids programs for ideal systems of medical treatment and preventative medicine suited to the particular needs of each Pacific Island.
2-3 Information sharing
The Fund supports programs that promote information sharing and exchange between the Pacific Island nations, as well as programs to deepen mutual understanding between the islands and Japan.
