September 02, 2026
Thousands of children across the
Pacific will benefit from a new European Union-UNICEF
partnership supporting governments in building safer,
stronger schools that are better prepared for
climate-related disasters.
Across the Pacific, climate
change is increasingly damaging schools and disrupting
children’s education. Almost every year, cyclones, floods,
rising sea levels – amongst other disasters – damage
classrooms, water systems, and school facilities,
particularly in remote communities. In many cases, schools
are repaired only to be damaged again by the next disaster,
leading to a costly cycle of damage and
reconstruction.
The new €17 Million Pacific
Climate Resilient Education Systems* (Pacific CRES)
programme signed and launched at a side event of the
55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in
Palau, reflects the European Union’s (EU)
long-term commitment to working alongside Pacific countries
and UNICEF on shared climate and development
priorities.
The new programme will upgrade existing
school infrastructure, strengthen maintenance systems, as
well as introduce practical solutions that help schools
remain operational during and after
disasters.
Improvements will include climate-resilient
water and sanitation facilities, renewable energy systems,
and enhanced connectivity – creating safer, more reliable
learning environments for children.
The agreement
signed yesterday by the Deputy Director-General for
the Directorate-General for International Partnerships,
Marjeta Jager, and UNICEF Pacific’s Deputy Representative,
Roshni Basu,** is not only an investment in school
buildings. It is an investment in safety, continuity of
learning, dignity, and opportunity for children and
communities facing growing climate and disaster
risks.
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In addition to improving school
infrastructure, the programme will support governments to
plan and budget for the long-term maintenance of school
facilities.
“Launched during this Pacific Islands
Forum Leaders Meeting, and in the same year that the Pacific
hosts pre-COP, the partnership reflects growing recognition
that climate resilience must be built into the systems and
services that children rely on every day,” said
UNICEF Pacific’s Deputy Representative, Roshni
Basu. “With the leadership of Pacific governments
and in partnership with the European Union, this programme
is investing in solutions that will protect learning for
years to come, rather than relying on short-term
fixes.”
Over the next five years, the programme is
expected to directly benefit around 15,000 children through
improved school facilities in Fiji, the Federated States of
Micronesia (FSM), Kiribati, and Solomon Islands. It will
support approximately 2,000 teachers and school
administrators with training on disaster preparedness and
school resilience. It will also engage around 25,000
community members in disaster risk reduction and school
maintenance activities.
The programme will be
implemented by Ministries of Education in partnership with
UNICEF, National Disaster Management Offices, climate change
authorities, as well as regional organizations across Fiji,
FSM, Kiribati, and Solomon
Islands.
Notes:
*Pacific CRES
builds on the experience of the European Union and
UNICEF’s Climate
Resilient Sheltering Schools programme currently
underway in Vanuatu. Together, the two programmes form part
of a broader effort to advance climate-resilient schools
across the Pacific and enable countries to learn from one
another’s experiences and innovations.
An innovative
regional component of Pacific CRES will support the
development of a regional cooperation mechanism to help
mobilize resources, strengthen technical assistance, and
accelerate investment in resilient school infrastructure
across the Pacific.
** The Deputy
Director-General for the Directorate-General for
International Partnerships, Marjeta Jager and UNICEF
Pacific’s Deputy Representative, Roshni Basu, signed this
new partnership at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders
Meeting in Palau during a side event on Advancing Youth
Leadership and Civil Society engagement in the
Pacific.
The side event focused on advancing youth
voices and civil society engagement at local and regional
level in the Pacific. The side event was co-organised by the
EU, UNICEF, the Reng
Collective, and PIANGO and focused on creating platforms
and pathways between local initiatives and regional
decision-making with development partners such as the EU and
UNICEF, positioned as allies and enablers of youth and
community-led leadership.
About the European
Union:
The European Union is an economic and political
union of 27 European countries. It is founded on the values
of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality,
the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the
rights of persons belonging to minorities. It acts globally
to promote sustainable development of societies,
environment, and economies, so that everyone can
benefit.
About UNICEF:
UNICEF works in some of
the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most
disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and
territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a
better world for
everyone.
