Project Implementation Review Workshop
and the
2nd Project Steering Committee Meeting
Piloting Integrated Processes and Approaches
to Facilitate National Reporting to Rio Conventions
(FNR_Rio)
Presented By The:
Office of Environmental Response & Coordination
(Office of the President of the Republic of Palau)
Palau represented by Lulu Techur & JeRome Temengil
Mauritius, Port-Louis
January 26-28, 2011
The institutional set up and staffing arrangements
at the national level of the Government of the Republic of Palau!
Office of the President
Traditional Council of Chiefs
Special Prosecutor’s Office
Office of Environmental
Response & Coordination
Office of Budget and
Grants Oversight
President’s Cabinet
(Eight Ministerial Offices led by a Minister)
STATE --- FINANCE --- JUSTICE --- HEALTH --- EDUCATION --- COMMUNITY & CULTURAL AFFAIRS
NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT & TOURISM; and PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, INDUSTRIES & COMMERCE
COUNTRY FACTS
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The Republic of Palau is made up of about 350 islands in the far western Pacific Ocean. It
stretches between 2 and 8 degrees north of the equator with the main island group lying between
6 and 8 degrees north latitude and 134° and 135° east longitude. The island is approximately
3,220 kilometers south of Tokyo and 1,600 kilometers east southeast of Manila. Palau has a total
land mass of 487 square kilometers. The largest island is Babeldaob, with an area of 334 sq. km.
The 2005 Census count place Palau’s population at 19,907. Another Census was scheduled to
take place in 2010 however due to the country’s diminishing funds it was reported that the Census
will take place late in year 2011.
Palau is part forests (upland jungles, swamps, limestone wooded area, atoll plants, and
mangroves); part savanna & grasslands [Babeldaob, Ngerkebesang]; with freshwater habitats
(rivers, streams, lakes, swamps, taro patches in Babeldaob); and brackish water habitats
(wetlands, coastal lagoons also in Babeldaob, Peleliu, Angaur, Southwest Islands);
Marine lakes [surrounded by some of the Rock Islands];
Near shore habitats (mudflats, sea grass beds, sandy beaches) [all islands]; and
Coral reefs (barrier, patch and fringing) [all islands].
Kayangel State
There are at least 10,000 species of living organisms in Palau:
- The marine life consists of nearly 1,500 species of reef
fishes and over 300 scleractinian corals.
- Approximately 1,000 endemic organisms are found, the
bulk of them from the terrestrial environment. Terrestrial
endemics include about 200 endemic plants, of which 60
are orchids, 300 terrestrial gastropods, 500 insects, 16
birds, 12 amphibians and reptiles, two freshwater fishes,
and two species of bat.
Introduction
Established as an independent country on October 1, 1994, the Republic of Palau is approximately 550 miles from the Philippines,
813 miles from Guam, 450 miles from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and 2500 miles from Japan. Palau is by far most western of the
Caroline Islands cluster of the Southwest Pacific.
The Republic of Palau is an island chain consisting of about 586 islands, twelve of which are inhabited. The total land area is 188
square miles and encompasses more than 560 square miles of lagoon areas. Babeldaob, the largest island in the Palau archipelago has
an area of 332 square kilometers. It is believed that Babeldaob came to being about 70 million years ago, resulting from a series of
Eocene volcanic activity and composed of basalt and andesite. The world renowned “Rock Islands” are formed from limestones, situated
to the south of Koror State. Babeldaob is also known as the second largest island in Micronesia, comprising of seventy percent of Palau’s
total landmass. At its greatest width, Babeldaob reaches fifteen kilometers/nine miles across (APCC, 2001). It is where Mt.
Ngerechelechuus can be seen 719 feet/ 275 meters above sea level establishing itself as the highest point in Palau.
The Micronesian area
(identified with the red
border) is divided into three
regions, namely the Republic
of Palau (circled in blue), the
Federated
States
of
Micronesian (Yap, Chuuk,
Pohnpei, & Kosrae) in the
center, and the Republic of
the Marshall Islands (east).
Palau has 12 nautical
miles of territorial seas with
200
nautical miles of
exclusive economic zone
which encompasses 600,900
square kilometers.
Palau is comprised of 16 states from Kayangel to the
north, and Ngerchelong, Ngaraard, Ngiwal, Melekeok
(current capital), Ngchesar, Airai, Aimeliik, Ngatpang,
Ngeremlengui, and Ngardmau located on the big island of
Babeldaob to Koror (former capital) across the bridge to the
south and Peleliu and Angaur farther south through the
rock islands and Sonsorol and Hatohobei about a days boat
ride far south. The Palau archipelago stretches 700 km
from Ngeruangel atoll in the north to Helen’s atoll to the
south.
Globe picture courtesy of google earth map!
Art-work design copyright © JeRome Temengil 2004
Overview of Palau Island:
Art-work design copyright © JeRome Temengil 2004
Former Capital Koror State
Right after the World War II in the Pacific
in the mid-40’s, Koror State remained the hub
of population of the island due to its
development by the German Administration to
the Japanese Administration and of which the
American Administration continued during what
we call the Trust Territory years in that the
United Nations mandated the United States of
America to oversee the region known as
Micronesia.
The almost 20,000 population, threefourth actually reside on this small island while
the big island of Babeldaob is practically
devoided of
habitation except for the
remaining ¼ of our people, but gradually
building as many moving to their own villages.
THE REPUBLIC OF PALAU IS A DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Headed by a President
“Chief Executive”
THE JUDICIARY BRANCH
Headed by the Chief Justice
“The Judiciary”
THE MEDIA
Of course, like all democratic
system, the media as a
private entity is considered
publicly the fourth branch of
the government… it is what
one may call the government
watch dog, and is protected
by the Constitution!
THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
(Two Houses – Law Making Body)
The Senate (represent the people)
Senate President
b
and the
House of Delegates (represent each state)
House Speaker
THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT IS THE 8TH AND WAS INSTALLED TWO YEARS AGO
Palau First Constitutional Government was installed in 1981 with government
leaders elected to the Office of the President and the Congress every four years. There
are no political parties and each candidate run for office on their own resources with their
own campaign platforms so basically once elected each have their own agenda and may
change the direction of the country. The Country’s beginning was mired in an ugly
situation with the First President assassinated and the Third committing suicide in less
than two years apart however we have made progress… slow but improvements still.
The President is the head of the country with the Vice President, under Palau’s Constitution, the
Vice President shall hold one of the Ministerial Cabinet. All cabinet members are appointed by the
President but must be approved by the Senate except for the Vice President.
The Congress is a bi-cameral institution with the Senate (currently with 14 members) representing
the people elected by all citizens eligible to vote. House of Delegates (16 members) represents each of
the sixteen states of the Republic of Palau elected by citizens of each states eligible to vote. The leaders
of the Eight Constitutional Government of the Republic of Palau is President and Chief Executive
Johnson Toribiong and Vice President Kerai Mariur (also Minister of Finance) with Senate President Mlib
Tmetuchel and House Speaker Noah Idechong in the Congress. Chief Justice Arthur Ngiraklsong heads
the Judiciary Branch.
OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE & COORDINATION (OERC)
Executive Order No. 189
“Establishing the Office of Environmental Response & Coordination in 2001”
Executive Order No.189 established the Office of Environmental Response and Coordination to:
●
Provide coordinated planning and staffing for the Nation's response to issues of global climate
change, biodiversity, desertification, land degradation and other internationally identified and funded
environmental initiatives;
●
Develop a broad and coordinated planning approach to all issues of environmental response
in the Republic of Palau;
●
planning;
Integrate all governmental environmental programs in Presidential environmental response
●
Establish a coordinated grant writing capacity on all environmental issues faced by the
Republic and to assist environmental support agencies in the development of funding assistance for
environmental programs in Palau; and
●
Permit economies of scale in the government's staffing of environmental programs funded by
international agencies.
The Office of Environmental Response & Coordination is the Operational Focal Point for the three Conventions,
namely the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); the United Nations
Convention on Biodiversity (UNCBD), and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTIONS
► Palau ratified the CBD, UNCCD, and UNFCCC in 1999, five years after achieving independence on October 1994.
Palau also ratified the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC in 1999 and the Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety (CBD) in 2003.
► The Office of Environmental Response & Coordination (OERC) is the National Operational Focal Point for the UNCBD,
UNCCD, and UNFCCC (and indeed, all Multilateral Environmental Agreements). The head of OERC is the National
Environmental Planner. According to “Actions for Palau’s Future: Palau’s Medium-Term Development Strategy 20092014”, it was established in 2001 to coordinate and implement the UNFCCC, UNCBD, and UNCCD, and to develop a
broad and coordinated planning approach to issues of environmental response.
► The OERC office is located in the capital of Melekeok State on the big island of Babeldaob, directly under the Office of
the President, which is located also in the capital in Melekeok, however within the former capital of Koror State, it
shares an office space with the Compact Review Advisory Group (CRAG) in the former Congressional building.
Sebastian Marino
National Environmental Planner (OERC)
P.O. Box 6051
Ngerulmud Capital, Melekeok State
Republic of Palau 96940
Tel: (680) 767-8681 • Fax: (680) 767-8638
E-Mail: meiho42@hotmail.com
Reagan Belechl
Chief Financial Officer (CRAG & OERC)
P.O. Box 6051
Ngerulmud Capital, Melekeok State
Republic of Palau 96940
Tel: (680) 767-8681 • Fax: (680) 767-8638
E-Mail: nrbelechl@gmail.com
Lulu Techur
Senior Administrative Officer (CRAG & OERC)
P.O. Box 6051
Ngerulmud Capital, Melekeok State
Republic of Palau 96940
Tel: (680) 767-8681 • Fax: (680) 767-8638
E-Mail: lmtechur@gmail.com
► Currently, the person acting as the National Focal Point is the
National Environmental Planner. There are currently only five
personnel of OERC and all are shared by other government
entities in running various operations. Personnel working within
OERC are appointed by the President and so are not protected
under the Civil Service Act thus work under the discretion of the
President of Palau through his appointed Special Assistants.
Jordan Malsol
Administrative Assistant (CRAG & OERC)
P.O. Box 6051
Ngerulmud Capital, Melekeok State
Republic of Palau 96940
Tel: (680) 767-8681 • Fax: (680) 767-8638 • E-Mail: jordanmalsol@gmail.com
JeRome Temengil
Climate Change Coordinator & Interim PACC Coordinator
P.O. Box 6051
Ngerulmud Capital, Melekeok State
Republic of Palau 96940
Tel: (680) 767-8681 • Fax: (680) 767-8638 • E-Mail: jerome@palaunet.com
FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS - CHALLENGES - NEEDS
Unlike other government agencies provided an
annual budget, there are no allocations of funds for the
operation of OERC provided on a yearly basis under
the Fiscal Year appropriations. Personnel under OERC
are compensated mainly through grants funding.
OERC is the institution responsible for reporting
but is not responsible for implementation of project of
which that tasks falls under one of the President’s
Cabinet, namely the Ministry of Natural Resources,
Environment & Tourism. However, according to our
draft report by our National Consultant, there is an
immediate disconnection between the individuals with
the information necessary for completing reports and
the office preparing the reports.
Furthermore, the report points out that the chain
of command does not lead to easy sharing of
information: information from OERC and from various
government offices only converges at the President’s
Office, by which time convention reporting is only a
minor priority. As gaps in the draft 4th National Report
to the UNCBD show, OERC simply did not know about
available and existing information and/or data.
Conversely, implementing agencies do not know about
convention obligations (both outcome and reporting
obligations), and thus the collection of necessary
information is not streamlined into their activities.
continue
FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS - CHALLENGES - NEEDS
OERC was established by the former Administration who held the
office for Eight Years and so operation created than run smoothly
(with slight ups & downs) with staffs building their capacities in this
regard. However as mentioned earlier, personnel under OERC are
appointed therefore they work under the discretion of the Head of
State supervised by his Special Advisors and/or Special Assistants.
An issue that must not be ignored is the political interference in the
work and this issue touches on many of the countries… in Palau’s
case… we have to satisfy the elected politicians who many of them
places personal issues above the overall needs of the many.
Once the 8th Government took over, the OERC system broke down
with information and data gone missing when the office’s former
head placed in an unfortunate circumstances thus those who
worked under her slowly vanished and moved to other greener
pastures.
Current personnel of OERC are less adept at the work required and
have been building their knowledge and capacity for more than a
year now and slowly but surely trying to piece together the puzzle
in order to meet Palau’s obligation as a signatory to conventions.
With Palau Conservation Society (PCS) assisting OERC in this
regard the challenges and needs we face today that have been
identified can be worked out for the benefit of all.
Islands are the victims of
irresponsible actions by
others… however if we
sit and do nothing than
we are no better than
those we are pointing
fingers at… so here is
Palau’s solution… not
much,… but… the cultural
of corals can be of help…
…at least Palau seeks to utilize
what is available at the
moment in an effort to do its
part in the fight against the
phenomenon known as the
Climate Change not only for
our benefit but the world at
large as well!