5 September 2024, Apia Samoa – The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) continues to strengthen efforts to build a resilient Pacific environment.
During the past 31 years, amidst many challenges, SPREP has continued to strengthen its services through its four technical programmes – Climate Change Resilience, Environmental Monitoring and Governance, Island and Ocean Ecosystems, and Waste Management and Pollution Control as well as its Governance and Operations Departments to achieve strategic outcomes contributing to positive and tangible impacts in the lives of Pacific communities.
One such example is the support provided by SPREP to strengthen national capacities and systems to access climate finance through the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness and Support Programme for Nauru, Niue, Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Solomon Islands, strengthening their ability to deal with the impacts of climate change.
In efforts to reduce the impact of invasive species, 105 islands are now rat-free, with the delivery of an additional 28 rat eradication operations in the islands of French Polynesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu and Wallis and Futuna.
In Tonga, SPREP has successfully completed the asbestos abatement activity with approximately 2,622.79 m2 of non-friable asbestos removed from five government buildings and properly disposed.
In Samoa and the Solomon Islands, progress has been noted in the management of used oil through the development of their national used oil management plans. In the Solomon Islands, SPREP, through Pacific Ocean Litter Project, assisted to Green the Pacific Games 2023, promoting a plastic free Honiara.
These are just some of the examples of the work of SPREP and partners highlighted in SPREP 2023 Annual Report presented by SPREP’s Director General, Mr Sefanaia Nawadra, to the Membership of the Secretariat, during the first day of the Fourth SPREP Executive Board Meeting in Apia.
The Director General presented an overview of key achievements for each of the Regional Goals and Organisational Goals achieved in 2023. He also presented an overview of progress since the 31st SPREP Meeting in Apia in September 2023. SPREP Members commended the Director General and the Secretariat for progressing the work and notable achievements.
“In the Pacific, we face a great threat. Our people and our communities are at the forefront and at the mercy of the impacts of the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution,” Mr Pasuna Tuaga, the Chair of the 31st SPREP Meeting of Officials and Secretary for Tuvalu’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Labour and Trade, noted in the 2023 Annual Report.
“I would like to acknowledge with gratitude the Director General of SPREP, Mr Sefanaia Nawadra, and the staff of SPREP for their work. Over the years, SPREP has made significant strides in promoting sustainable environmental management across the Pacific, continued to facilitate meaningful partnerships, foster cooperation among member nations, and worked tirelessly to ensure that the voices of the Pacific island nations are heard at the global stage.
“SPREP’s work has never been more important for the sake of “a resilient Pacific environment, sustaining our livelihoods and natural heritage in harmony with our cultures.”
Aside from the work on the ground in countries, another key role of SPREP includes support to Pacific Island countries to the various Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) they are parties to, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as the ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including the marine environment.
The 2023 SPREP Annual Report also highlights the Secretariat’s efforts in strengthening Gender Equality and Social Inclusion within SPREP and the work it carries out within its Member countries, knowledge management and information resource sharing, robust financial mechanisms and controls, and improved working conditions and strengthened staff engagement.
“All the work we do across our strategic priorities includes teams of people from our engine rooms, such as Communications and Outreach, Finance and Administration, Human Resources, Information Communications and Technology, Internal Audit, Knowledge Management, Legal, Project Coordination Unit, Strategic Planning and Monitoring, Sub-regional offices and Executive Support,” Director General Mr Nawadra noted in the Report.
“This teamwork ensures our work is implemented on the ground and across the regional and international fora in a strategically planned, coordinated, actioned and reported in a transparent and accountable manner.
“I want to acknowledge our valued Members, development partners, donors, our CROP family, stakeholders, and collaborating partners for their continued support. I also wish to thank the Government of Australia (DFAT) and the Government of New Zealand (MFAT) for their continued significant contribution to SPREP core and programme funding including the annual contribution from the People’s Republic of China and I welcome with appreciation the new contribution from the United Kingdom. I also acknowledge the long-term and substantial support from the European Union and Japan. Lastly, I want to thank my staff for their tireless work in delivering services to support the priorities of the Pacific islands countries and territories.”
The 2023 Annual Report was endorsed. It is available at this link: https://www.sprep.org/
The fourth SPREP Executive Board Meeting is held in Apia, Samoa, from 4-6 September 2024.
The meeting is being held via a blended platform, with participants joining virtually and those in Samoa joining face-to-face from the Pacific Climate Change Centre at the SPREP Campus in Vailima.
SPREP’s Executive Board includes the Troika of past, present and future chairpersons of the SPREP Meeting, and representatives of Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, Metropolitan, and French speaking Member countries of SPREP.
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, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna. The five Metropolitan members of SPREP are: Australia, France, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
In our efforts to fulfil our vision of ‘a resilient Pacific environment, sustaining our livelihoods and natural heritage in harmony with our cultures’, SPREP is extremely grateful to our valued Members, development partners, donors, our CROP family, and stakeholders. For more information on the fourth SPREP Executive Board Meeting, please contact: [email protected]