Q&A with Dr Jimmie Rodgers, Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)

By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS: http://www.pina.com.fj/index.php?p=pacnews&m=pacnews

9 July 2013, Nadi, Fiji - The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is convening with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the UNISDR, the historical regional meeting to consider a proposed regional strategy framework on climate change and disaster risk reduction

SPC Director General, Dr Jimmie Rodgers discusses with PACNEWS Editor, Makereta Komai, the role and responsibilities on some misconceptions about the roles and responsibilities of the new framework.

 

PREVIEW below – for the full Q and A feature please visit: http://www.pina.com.fj/?p=pacnews&m=read&o=44748498551db3e9daba4bc2008305

MK: In your opening address, you emphasised the point ‘that it’s about people and not us.’ Please explain.

Dr Rogers: I think that is a very important point. For me one of the things I struggle with at SPC is that we don’t emphasise about the organisation but what the organisation does for the people that we serve. We are not perfect and it will take us time to understand that. To move forward, discussions like this should be about what is the impact on the people and people would need to have to position ourselves to achieve that goal. If that means loving each other to death so be it! We are getting better – it’s not perfect but we will get there. We have a working relationship with SPREP. The two CEOS meet regularly and with the senior managers and we have agreed that within the next few weeks we will meet formally with the two high- level consultants to review our next steps.