PURPOSE
1. The Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre in the Pacific (MTCC-Pacific) will held its Second Regional Workshop in Apia, Samoa, from 16 to 17 September 2019 prior to the Fourth Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Ministers’ Meeting.

BACKGROUND
1. The MTCC-Pacific is one the five centres that form the Global MTCC Network (GMN), a project aiming at building the capacity of developing countries for climate mitigation in the maritime shipping industry. This project is funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). MTCC-Pacific is hosted by the Pacific Community (SPC) in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Fiji is the MTCC-Pacific Host Country.
2. MTCC-Pacific was established from May 2017 as part of a project implemented by SPC and became fully operational in October 2017. It was launched at the occasion of its first regional workshop held in Suva, Fiji in December 2017. In the scope of the project, MTCC-Pacific has delivered capacity-building activities and two pilot-projects on ship and port energy efficiency and data collection for the uptake of low-carbon technologies and operations in Pacific Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The overall objective of MTCC-Pacific is to support Pacific Islands Countries move towards sustainable sea transport reducing the reliance on fossil fuel and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the implementation of standards, best practices and innovative solutions.
3. In 2017-2019, almost 250 professionals involved in ship and port operations and government officers in 9 Pacific Islands Countries have been trained on energy efficient operations of ships and ports. MTCC-Pacific will have worked with seven Pacific port to introduce energy management and achieved significant results in terms of energy and dollar savings and reduction of GHG emissions in 2 ports through implementation of short-term energy saving measures. Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP) will have been drafted and included in the management system of 39 domestic ships and fuel oil consumption data are collected from 9 of those ships. As demonstration projects, 3 ships in 3 countries are uptaking solar power systems and biofuel is experimented on board one domestic ship.

OBJECTIVE
4. The Regional Workshop will gather the Heads of Maritime and Energy departments of Pacific Islands Countries and territories as well as partners involved in this area to take stock of MTCC-Pacific results and achievements. They will be in position to discuss progress and priorities from the first MTCC-Pacific regional workshop and recent international and regional developments leading to consider GHG emissions reduction targets and how the energy and transport sectors contribute to achieve the countries’ National Determined Contributions (NDCs).