21 March 2025, Apia, Samoa – Samoa is taking steps to strengthen its capacity on environmental law, critical to address pressing environmental issues for Pacific resilience.
The Pacific islands are faced with exponential threats and impacts imposed by the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. As a result, Pacific countries are fighting on all fronts to address the impacts with little resources and administrative capacities. The implementation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) is now ever more crucial to address the triple planetary crisis.
Samoa is building its national capacity on international environmental law through a workshop for environment and legal practitioners, on 19 – 21 March 2025. Co-hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Enhancing National Legal and Policy Capacity for the Implementation of Environmental Law workshop seeks to promote environmental governance, implementation and compliance and support the development of policies and legislative reforms to address national environmental issues.
“Environmental law is more than a set of legislation and regulations. It is a reflection of our collective responsibility as custodians of our environment, to protect the natural world around us for present and future generations,” said Chief Executive Officer of the Samoa Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ms Peseta Noumea Simi as she highlighted the importance of sound environmental legislation and governance at the opening of the workshop
“This workshop serves as an opportunity for all lawyers in Samoa whether in Government or private sector, to strengthen their understanding on environmental law, share knowledge, exchange ideas and collaborate in address environmental legal issues that surround environmental protection.”
“We hope that from this workshop, Samoa will be able to improve national environmental legislation, policies and strategies. Increase environmental monitoring and compliance and increase enforcement and prosecution of environmental offences. This is to deter actions that adversely affect our environment and pose threats to our homes and survival,” said Ms Simi.
Samoa is a party to several multilateral environmental agreements, conventions and treaties including the three Rio Conventions, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) and the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and Samoa continues to actively engage in international multilateral negotiations.
The workshop was developed in a response to a request from the Samoa Law Society to enhance legal and policy capacity for the implementation of environmental law. It underpins the Sixth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA6) Resolution 4 and 6 emphasising the critical importance on strengthening and promoting capacity building initiatives to support and facilitate coherent and effective implementation of Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEAs) at the regional and national levels on a member state-driven basis.
Dr Georgina Lloyd, Regional Coordinator for Environmental Law and Governance for UNEP Asia and the Pacific further highlighted the critical role of legal practitioners in the protection of the environment.
“As lawyers and legal practitioners, your role is paramount in shaping the legal and institutional landscapes needed nationally, regionally and internationally to safeguard Samoa's environment for generations to come. Through strengthening capacity in environmental law, promoting environmental governance, and enhancing enforcement and compliance mechanisms, we take a step closer to ensuring justice and sustainability.”
SPREP Director General, Mr Sefanaia Nawadra acknowledged the strong interest from the legal profession in Samoa in environmental law, a positive development that reflects a growing awareness and commitment to address environmental issues.
“From SPREP, we remain committed to providing key support on effectively engaging in MEA negotiations and the implementation of MEAs at the national level. This includes enhancing capacities of national representatives and those involved in the processes from negotiations to domesticating treaties and ensuring enforcement and compliance.”
The SPREP Strategic Plan 2017- 2026, Regional Goal 4 provides that “Pacific people and their environment benefit from commitment to and best practice of environmental governance”. As such, SPREP plays a critical role in assisting countries to develop capacity in environmental governance, policy development, planning, monitoring and reporting for sustainable environmental outcomes.
The Enhancing National Legal and Policy Capacity for the Implementation of Environmental Law workshop was held 19-21 March 2025 in Apia, Samoa.
The workshop was co-organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), through financial support from the ACP MEA Phase 3 Project.
The ACP MEA Phase 3 Project aims to build capacity support to African Caribbean and Pacific States to meet their obligations as Parties to Multilateral Environmental Agreements and to tackle environmental issues. The programme intends to mainstream and implement the MEAs related to biodiversity and chemicals and waste such as in agriculture, management of chemicals and waste, reinforce compliance and enforcement measures, strengthen implementation of the Regional Seas Convention.