25 September 2024, Nadi Fiji - Parties to the Noumea Convention met in Nadi Fiji from 17-20 September to chart a course for concrete actions to enhance the convention’s ability to protect the Pacific's environment, uphold its cultural significance, and strengthen the collective resolve to tackle environmental threats through regional cooperation.
The ad-hoc meeting of the Noumea Convention was a significant gathering, aimed at aligning the regional environmental agreement with contemporary challenges. Fiji's Minister of Lands and Mineral Resources, Hon. Filimoni Vosarogo, opened the meeting.
“The meeting is a timely opportunity for members to consider ways to further develop the convention and its application in these increasingly challenging times,” Hon. Vosarogo said. “The Noumea Convention must continue to serve to address the triple planetary crisis posed by the accelerating impacts of biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change.”
The parties discussed a range of topics over the four-day event, including the strengthening of the Noumea Convention Secretariat, improving regional cooperation on seas and oceans, developing communication and awareness strategies, and ensuring the sustainability of the convention.
The meeting also fulfilled one of the decisions of COP17 the Noumea Convention in 2023, which called for discussions around the work plan and budget necessary to implement the recommendations from the review of the Convention conducted in 2021.
Minister Vosarogo also reminded the delegates that “as representatives of the Contracting Parties to the Noumea Convention, you have a profound task ahead of you to chart the course that will define the future direction of this important regional convention and the political will and priorities it represents.”
The Noumea Convention represents more than a framework for environmental protection—it symbolises the deep connection between the Pacific's rich cultures, heritage, and values with our ocean.
For Pacific Islanders, the environment is not merely a physical landscape but a vital part of our identity, traditions, and way of life. This intimate relationship underscores the importance of preserving ecosystems not only for survival but also to maintain cultural integrity and ancestral knowledge.
The Noumea Convention serves as a bridge, linking the region's environmental stewardship with its cultural essence, reinforcing that environmental protection is intertwined with the very identity of Pacific peoples.
European Union representative, Ms. Aurelie Godefroy emphasised the support by the European Union of the Noumea Convention through the ACPMEA Programme and the efforts of the Pacific people to safeguard its environment.
Parties need to take concrete actions to strengthen the Convention, aligning its relevance with present environmental threats and providing the necessary direction for the Secretariat to be more effective in its role.
The ad-hoc meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Noumea Convention to discuss and endorse the work plan and budget to implement the recommendations from the review of the Noumea Convention completed in 2021. The Contracting Parties are Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and the United States of America.
The meeting is supported through the European Union initiated capacity building project phase 3 titled, "Capacity Building related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Countries", implemented by UN Environment executed by SPREP.
For further information on the Noumea Convention please visit:
https://www.sprep.org/convention-secretariat/noumea-convention