The Department of Climate Change’s Senior Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Officer, Mrs Pauliane Basil, participated in a two-night series on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Negotiations Skills and Technical Language Training organised jointly by the Women’s Environment and Development Organizations (WEDO) and UNFCCC Secretariat on behalf the Women Delegates Fund (WDF).

Pauliane Basil with other participants from around the world

The WDF was founded in 2009 to promote women’s leadership in climate change decision-making by providing travel support, capacity building and networking opportunities to women particularly from Least Developed Countries, to join and effectively participate on their national delegations at the UNFCCC.

The WDF is supported by the Governments of Australia and Scotland and administered by WEDO.

This training included a mock negotiation exercise and provides tools and materials that participants can utilize in upcoming UNFCCC meetings.

Mrs Basil is part of the Vanuatu delegation that attended the climate conference in Bonn, Germany in June.

“I wish to express a heartful thank you to Dr Chris, in-country team of MoCC (Ministry of Climate Change) and colleagues Nelo and the Director Mr Mike Waiwai to trust me and allowed me take up this negotiations training by WEDO.

“I have completed the training and feel more comfortable with the UNFCCC platform and when I return home I will encourage other female colleagues to step up and believe in themselves that they can be good negotiators despite language barriers, technicality in science of climate change, fear etc.. you can do it if you love your job and the country you serve,” Mrs Basil said