U.S. Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia Robert Annan Riley III today was joined by the Secretary of Finance, Sihna N. Lawrence, to lead the completion ceremony of a project preparation training program that has strengthened the capacity of the Federated States of Micronesia’s leaders to develop effective environmental and disaster preparedness projects in the country.

The course is a part of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) support to help Pacific Island countries become more environmentally and disaster resilient. The five-day program, with strong support from the Micronesia Conservation Trust, the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia, and The Nature Conservancy, helped leaders design projects to access international climate finance.

“Resilient development requires everyone across all sectors of the economy and society to work together.” remarked Robert Annan Riley III. “Our partnership with the Micronesia Conservation Trust and The Nature Conservancy builds upon our strong ties, as we together promote a prosperous and stable future for the people of the Federated States of Micronesia.”

This is the first capacity development training course supported by the USAID Ready project in the Federated States of Micronesia. The course was attended by 25 people selected from government and non-governmental organizations.

Through its five-year Ready project, USAID builds the capacity of governments and institutions to develop and implement effective environmental and disaster mitigation policies and strategies. Ready works in 12 Pacific Island countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.