Accelerating Actions for a Resilient Blue Pacific.
This is the theme under which the 30th Meeting of Officials of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has convened.
The meeting brings together the Secretariat’s 21 Pacific Island and 5 Metropolitan Member countries and territories to discuss strategic, programme and governance issues pertaining to the organisation, as well as to approve the 2022-2023 work programme and budget.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and resulting border restrictions across the Pacific, the meeting is being held via a blended platform, with participants from across the Pacific joining virtually and those in Samoa joining face-to-face from the Pacific Climate Change Centre at the SPREP Campus in Vailima.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Samoa, Peseta Noumea Simi, delivered the keynote address to officially open the meeting, and stressed the importance of focusing on issues that are pertinent and of importance to the region.
“The reaffirmation by our leaders at the 51st Pacific Island Forum that climate change is the single greatest threat facing the Blue Pacific, has meant recommitment to the goals of the Paris Agreement and a call for bold, decisive and transformative action to address the challenges of climate change under the Kainaki II Declaration.” Peseta said.
“We cannot allow COVID-19 to disrupt ambitious climate action, and our meeting this week should continue to address the commitments we made as a region in this important climate change declaration,” she added.
SPREP Director General, Mr Kosi Latu, reflected on how much SPREP has evolved in the 30 years it has served the Pacific.
“When I first started at SPREP 12 years ago, we had a staff of roughly over 60. Today, SPREP staff is 120 strong. Our presence in the region has also been enhanced, with offices now in Fiji, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.”
He also stressed the importance of partnership and working together with not only SPREP Members but with its development partners, and that this is key to achieving the Secretariat’s strategic objectives.
The first order of business for the 30th SPREP Meeting of Officials was the appointment of the new Chair and Vice-Chair. The Rules of Procedure of the SPREP Meeting provides that where the Meeting is hosted by the Secretariat, the Chair shall rotate alphabetically, and where the Meeting is not hosted by the Secretariat, the Chair shall be provided by the host country.
Thus, in accordance with SPREP Meeting procedure, the new Chair of the 30th SPREP Meeting was named as Tokelau, with Kiribati being as the Vice Chair.
This will be Director General Kosi Latu’s last SPREP Meeting at the helm of the organisation, with his contract ending in December 2021. Samoa’s MFAT CEO Peseta expressed her gratitude to Mr Latu on behalf of the officials for his leadership during his six year tenure as Director General.
“This being the Director General’s last SPREP Meeting, as officials we acknowledge with deep appreciation and gratitude the work you have undertaken in the last six years. We all are extremely fortunate for the opportunity to work with and be guided by you to better support and encourage the development aspirations of our SPREP Members,” Peseta said.
“Thank you in particular for your support and ready assistance to Samoa on the many issues of significant importance to us and to the region. We wish you all the very best in your future endeavours,” she concluded.
The week will conclude with the Pacific Environment Ministers’ Talanoa, which will bring together Ministers of Environment from around the region to discuss key issues pertaining to the Pacific environment.
The 30th SPREP Meeting of Officials is being held virtually for participants from around the Pacific and face-to-face for participants in Samoa.
The Meeting brings together SPREP's 21 Pacific Island Member countries and 5 Metropolitan Members to discuss strategic issues pertaining to the organisation, and to approve the 2022-2023 work plan. The Environment Ministers' High-Level Talanoa will be held on Friday 10 September 2021.
The 21 Pacific Island Member countries and territories of SPREP are: American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna.
The five Metropolitan members of SPREP are: Australia, France, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The 30th SPREP Meeting of Officials follows on from the Second Executive Board Meeting which was held in 2020.
For more information on the 30th SPREP Meeting of Officials, please visit www.sprep.org or contact Ms Audrey Brown-Pereira, SPREP Executive Officer, at [email protected].