“The Micronesian Challenge” initiative began in 2006 with the agreement of the three countries Palau, FSM, and Marshall Islands, as well as the two areas of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands; the aim is to protect the biodiversity in these regions and to promote the use of sustainable resources. Each country/region is planning on promoting environmental protection by setting goals of effective protection of 30% of coastal waters and 20% of land by the year 2020. APIC’s contribution will go to further deepening the understanding of the initiative in other countries. Specifically, APIC contributed to the printing fees of public relations pamphlet on the Micronesian Challenge, as well as meeting fees for the international conference on environmental issues in the fall of 2014.

The PR pamphlet for the “The Micronesian Challenge” was handed out as part of awareness activities, mentioning the September 2014 UN “Program of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States” held in Samoa, as well as the October Convention on Biological Diversity in Seoul, South Korea. Leaders of nations and parliament ministers took part in the conferences and read the Micronesian Conservation Trust’s (MCT) pamphlets, giving positive prospects to the expansion of donor countries’ financial and technical support in the future.

The photo above is from the August 21st Presentation Ceremony that took place at MCT’s head office, with APIC Director Mr. Megumi Araki handing MCT Executive Director Mr. Kostka a ten-thousand dollar check; Mr. Kostka expressed his deep gratitude towards APIC for their support. At the same ceremony, then-Japanese Ambassador to Micronesia Mr. Shoji Sato (at the time of this article APIC trustee) invited Sophia University’s President Mr. Takeshi Hayashita and others to attend the event. This ceremony was largely covered in the local press.