Environment conventions in the Pacific

MEA's are conventions that are signed between two or more countries which are referred to as parties. They are to guide national environment actions as most activities are not only to help achieve a quality environment, but also ensure they meet the agreements that their countries signed up to.

In the Pacific region our lives are entwined with the environment. It is the basis for Pacific culture and traditions, income and way of life. With a healthy environment, Pacific communities thrive.

"MEA is a big topic because they are the main tools that countries are using today to deal with environment issues in the different pillars of the environmental dimensions," said Mamadou Kane of the United Nations Environment Programme.

Kane is the Project Manager of a multi-million dollar programme to build MEA capacity in the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. In the Pacific, the project is implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and carries out a range of activities such as develop legislative frameworks linked to the MEA focus, awareness raising and, negotiations training both before and after major conference, amongst other.

"We had an activity in Kiribati supporting the mainstreaming of MEA's in the Kiribati development plan, it was a successful activity as the stakeholders in the different government ministries were involved," said Kane.

"This means for Kiribati its main document which will be used for its national development for the next 4 – 5 years will have considerations for the environment and how its cross cutting nature fits into other sectors of life."

Examples of MEA's include the Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Framework to the Convention on Climate Change, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification – all of which were established at the very first Earth Summit in Rio 1992. Now 20 years on, over 30,000 people have gathered again in Rio for the 20th anniversary of the Earth Summit to stock take and drive a way forward for sustainable development.

The MEA capacity building project is a four year one, funded by the European Union, it ends in February 2013 with a second phase scheduled to start in May 2013.

"Overall I think it is too early to say what has been successful or not, but we have at least managed in the last months and years that all different governments and sectors are involved and aware of what we do. The feedback is that they really need this process."