Strengthening Climate Resilience through Civil Society Engagement in Tonga

Nuku‘alofa, Tonga – 23–24 March 2026. The Government of Tonga, through the Ministry responsible for Climate Change under MEIDECC, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), convened a two-day Socialisation Workshop for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from 23 to 24 March 2026 at Ancient Tonga, Nuku‘alofa.

The workshop forms part of ongoing national efforts to strengthen climate-adaptive and resilient development across Tonga, with a strong focus on enhancing collaboration between government and civil society. It highlighted the Tonga Climate Change Fund (TCCF) as a key national mechanism supporting community-driven climate action.

Over the two days, participants engaged in sessions covering the TCCF governance framework, application processes, and reporting requirements, as well as practical guidance on developing high-quality project proposals aligned with national climate priorities.

The workshop also emphasized the importance of Risk-Informed Development and the integration of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion in climate initiatives, delivered by UNDP and Civil Society Forum for Tonga (CSFT). Interactive group activities enabled participants to apply these concepts in practice, strengthening their capacity to design inclusive and impactful projects.

A key outcome of the workshop was the identification of technical capacity gaps among CSOs, which will inform future targeted support under the UNDP Governance for Resilience in the Pacific (Gov4Res) Program, which is supported by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The support is part of the Gov4Res’s Small Grants Initiative Phase 2, focused on enhancing government – civil society collaboration and the supporting CSO-led community resilience projects in Tonga.

The Government of Tonga reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening partnerships with civil society and development partners to ensure inclusive, effective, and sustainable climate resilience efforts across the country.

ENDS