TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A meeting of the Taiwan co-led Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) was held in the Pacific island country of Tuvalu for the first time on Friday (Aug. 15), featuring workshops on mitigating the impacts of climate change.

The two-day workshop was attended by Tuvaluan, Taiwanese, US, and Australian dignitaries, and discussed climate change resilience in small island states. Tuvalu has a total area of around 26 square kilometers, a population of just over 11,300, and is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

During the CGTF workshop, a coastal adaptation initiative and a floating solar panel project spearheaded by the Tuvalu Energy Department were discussed. Discussions of Tuvalu’s climate change department, its national adaptation plan, and its approach to water use were also held, according to a schedule of events.

Around 60 people including Tuvalu’s Climate Change Minister Maina Talia attended the meetings, which were opened by Taiwan’s Ambassador to Tuvalu Tung-heng Lin (林東亨), Taiwan's foreign ministry said. Also in attendance at the workshops were USAID Pacific Islands Director Michael Glees, and Australia’s High Commissioner to Tuvalu Brenton Garlick.

Tuvalu is one of 12 countries to maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan and one of three in the Pacific region.

The GCTF was established by Taiwan and the US in 2015, and Japan joined as a partner in 2019. According to the GCTF website, the initiative assists countries in the Indo-Pacific region with training programs while building Taiwan’s international presence.