Regional Partnership Framework : For Kiribati, Republic of Nauru, Republic of The Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, Independent State of Samoa, Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, FY17-FY21
This Regional Partnership Framework(RPF) outlines the World Bank Group (WBG) strategic programfor nine Pacific island countries (PIC9): Kiribati, theRepublic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), Federated States ofMicronesia (FSM), Republic of Nauru, Republic of Palau,Independent State of Samoa, Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, andVanuatu. Seven of these countries are IDA-eligible and haveseen a substantial increase in WBG presence and engagementin recent years. The RPF builds upon the deepeningengagement with Samoa, Tonga, and Kiribati, and the abilityto channel significantly more resources to FSM, RMI, Vanuatuand Tuvalu following their recent reclassification as IDAeligible. The RPF also outlines options for engagement withNauru and Palau, which are IBRD countries. In summary, thisRPF will guide a WBG engagement in the Pacific which willbuild on what has been achieved so far but also seek toachieve further impacts in three main ways. First, increasedIDA18 allocations will provide opportunities to financeprojects that are larger in size and scope. Second, buildingon the results of the SCD and other recent analytical work,the WBG program will be highly selective and focused onhelping the PICs make the most of a few key opportunitiesand effectively mitigate the main risks to incomes andlivelihoods which they are facing. Third, the WBG programwill put special emphasis on addressing the drivers offragility in the Pacific (issues related to institutionalcapacity, growth in youth population and urbanization,climate change and natural disasters, as well as gender) toenhance the sustainability of the activities being carriedout and of the progress being achieved.