 Further, based upon these efforts by the Coalition, various industrialized countries (including Norway, the UK, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Finland, and others) have currently pledged around US$3.0 billion for capacity building and incentives to reduce rates of deforestation in participating developing countries.At the request of then Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Sir Michael Somare, the participating nations have agreed to base the Secretariat for the Coalition for Rainforest Nations at Columbia University in the City of New York.The CfRN was formed after a speech given on May 10, 2005, at Columbia University by Prime Minister Somare.