Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)

🌺 𝐂𝐁𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝟏𝟔 𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓 📆When: Thursday 31 October 2024, 10.30pm 📍Where: Nature Positive Pavilion Join us to learn more about how Pacific Islands approaches to working with nature, grounded in understandings of local, Indigenous cultures, knowledges and values, contribute to community wellbeing and resilience, and how to support these efforts. See you there! Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade La politique étrangère du Canada – Affaires mondiales Canada European Union in the Pacific AFD - Agence Française de Développement New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme - SPREP Pacific-Community-SPC IUCN Oceania #NatureBasedSolutions #KiwaInitiative #ClimateChange #PacificRegion #RegionalCooperation #ResilientPacific #PeacewithNature

SPREP 💗Pinktober Event: Celebrating Resilience and Creativity with Ms. Atelina Hunkin Mamae To wrap up Pinktober awareness month, the SPREP office hosted an inspiring Pinktober event featuring Ms. Atelina Hunkin Mamae, a cancer survivor and esteemed local businesswoman. Ms. Mamae shared her personal journey of courage and survival, touching all in attendance with her powerful story of hope, faith and perseverance. Her story is a moving tribute reflecting the strength and resilience of those affected by cancer. As part of the celebration, Ms. Mamae, known for her floral arrangement skills, led SPREP staff in a flower arranging workshop. This creative session not only showcased her exceptional talent but also provided a therapeutic and uplifting experience for staff, encouraging them to channel their emotions into the beauty of floral designs. This event underscores SPREP’s commitment to fostering a supportive, inclusive workplace that values the stories and contributions of every individual. With events like these, SPREP not only highlights crucial health awareness but also builds a close-knit, compassionate community—where work goes beyond the office and is deeply connected to empowering and uplifting each other making it more than just a workplace—it’s a family. #Pinktober💕🌸

#RoadToCOP29 - 𝐔𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝟖𝟎 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 As the clock ticks towards COP29 Azerbaijan, Pacific delegates heading there will have a ‘home away from home’ at the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion and the Pacific Delegation Office. And already, the excitement is building with up to 80 side events confirmed for the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion, making it one of the most active Pavilions at COP. More than 20 of these side events will involve Leaders, Government Ministers and High-level representation. The Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion stage is a crucial space that empowers Pacific Islands climate change stories told by Pacific Islands people on the global stage to an international audience. “The Pavilion is a space in which we can tell our own stories in our own voices, the side events in our Pavilion bring the human element to the negotiations happening behind closed doors sharing Pacific experiences with the international community,” said Ms Tagaloa Cooper, Director of Climate Change Resilience at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme - SPREP Read more ⬇⬇⬇ https://lnkd.in/g69CVpcr #ResilientPacific #ClimateAction #COP29 #1point5tostayalive

𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐣𝐢 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 Many of the world’s most biodiverse areas are found within the ancestral lands of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLC) and comprise of diverse ecosystems maintained through customary laws, spiritual values and traditional practices. Vanuatu and Fiji showcased IPLC leadership in protecting and managing high biodiversity areas in a range of initiatives in their countries, sharing with a global audience today on the margins of the Sixteenth Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16), in Cali, Colombia. Read more ➡ https://lnkd.in/guXK8STu #ResilientPacific #PeacewithNature #Vanuatu #Fiji

🌊𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐁𝐃 #𝐂𝐎𝐏𝟏𝟔 "As small island nations, we face significant challenges in securing funding resources needed to effectively conserve and manage our biodiversity. In Kiribati, with our vast marine biodiversity, it is important that we leverage available support to enhance our capacity. We need increased resourcing to implement initiatives on the ground as well as fulfill our commitments to international agreements." -Mika Bita, Kiribati 🇰🇮 #ResilientPacific #PeaceWithNature

🌺 𝐂𝐁𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝟏𝟔 𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐞𝐟𝐬: 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 📆 When: Tuesday 29 October 2024, 3.00pm 📍 Where: ICRI #ForCoralPavilion Pacific coral reefs are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, providing critical ecosystem services to Pacific Island communities, including food security, coastal protection, and tourism revenue. However, climate change, ocean acidification, overfishing, and pollution pose severe threats to these coral ecosystems. This side event at CBD COP16 will highlight the urgent need for safeguarding Pacific coral reefs, showcasing regional efforts and collaborative actions to strengthen the resilience of coral reefs in the face of a changing climate. The event will bring together Pacific leaders, scientists, policymakers, and conservationists to discuss strategies for sustainable coral reef management, promote innovative conservation practices, and align with the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework to meet the biodiversity targets under the Convention on Biological Diversity. International Coral Reef Initiative #ResilientPacific #PeacewithNature #ForCoral #CBDCOP16

🌊 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐁𝐃 #𝐂𝐎𝐏𝟏𝟔 Today, we honour the vital role our oceans play in the lives of Pacific communities. For generations, the ocean has been more than just a body of water; it is our lifeline, our source of sustenance, culture, and identity. The ocean cuts across nearly all elements of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and is also a critical cross-cutting element of nearly all aspects of work under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Oceans Day at COP16 featured thematic sessions organised and co-led by various entities including SPREP around the central theme of the “Ocean as the Great Connector”. SPREP Director General, Mr Sefanaia Nawadra joined a panel discussion on people and the ocean with a focus on 'Fishers as Stewards of Biodiversity' where he highlighted the importance of the Blue Pacific Continent. He said, “Pacific Island States see themselves as Large Ocean States because together they have jurisdiction over an area equivalent to the combined land area of Canada, China and the USA. The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency was formed to assist our governments to collectively manage our tuna stocks to be the healthiest globally and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community helps to sustainably manage our coastal fisheries. The integrated nature of the issues we face is apparent in that despite these management efforts the oceanic impacts of climate change through ocean warming and acidification and the emerging issue of microplastics in fish and seafood mean we may not fully benefit." "Pacific Island communities possess many traditional knowledge and management practices that need to be recognised, organised and resourced to enable island communities to manage their fisheries while maintaining and improving the health of the ocean and its ecosystems.” Members of the SPREP team also joined the Oceans Day celebrations with a skit highlighting the Pacific region as part of the Connected Ocean. As we enter the second week of CBD COP16, let’s remember that the health of our oceans is directly linked to our well-being. The Pacific Leaders through the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent have called for strengthened collaboration and coordination to deliver the priorities of the Pacific, acknowledging that there is a need to listen to and respond to the voices and aspirations of all Pacific peoples, including our young people and children as they will inherit what we leave behind – the same knowledge and sense of belonging knowing that the ocean will provide for them too. We must unite in advocating for the protection of our oceans and marine ecosystems, ensuring they remain vibrant for future generations. Together, let’s champion sustainable practices that safeguard our oceans and empower Pacific people. #ResilientPacific #OceansDay #CBDCOP16 #PacificVoices #PeacewithNature

𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐮 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 With the potential weak La Niña event developing in the Pacific, the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-hazards Department (VMGD) with its El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Committee members and stakeholders have convened the Sixth National Outlook Forum (NCOF-6) in Port Vila. The Forum is to review climate developments during the past six months and provide an outlook for the next six months. Most importantly, it is to provide the tropical cyclone outlook for 2024/24 cyclone season, and to review the ENSO Directive. Read more ⬇⬇⬇ https://lnkd.in/gUNb8zBb #ResilientPacific #weatheroutlook #Vanuatu #VMGD

𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐁𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝟏𝟔 In a demonstration of regional solidarity at the Sixteenth Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16), Colombia, the "One Pacific - One People, One Ocean" side event showcased innovative conservation initiatives aimed at addressing biodiversity loss in the Pacific region. Hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) on 26 October 2024, the event brought together conservationists, development partners, private sector and representatives of the Pacific region to highlight innovative strategies for combating biodiversity loss. Showcasing collaborative efforts and locally managed initiatives, the event emphasised the critical need for unity in preserving the Pacific ecosystems and ensuring adequate resourcing to support these initiatives. Read more ➡ https://lnkd.in/gf-y5NRr #ResilientPacific #CBDCOP16 #PeacewithNature

🌊#𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐂𝐁𝐃 #𝐂𝐎𝐏𝟏𝟔 "Pacific youth are the stewards of tomorrow, and their voices must be heard at CBD COP16. As the guardians of our fragile ecosystems, they will face the consequences of today’s decisions on biodiversity loss. It’s important we include their perspectives now for a sustainable future for our islands.” - Jessie Nicholson, Cook Islands 🇨🇰 #ResilientPacific #PeaceWithNature