Press Release – Pacific Environment Ministers

The 21st Meeting of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme convened in Madang, Papua New Guinea, 6 – 10 September 2010. The high-level segment was attended by Ministers from Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga …Pacific Environment Ministers’ Communiqué

1. The 21st Meeting of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme convened in Madang, Papua New Guinea, 6 – 10 September 2010. The high-level segment was attended by Ministers from Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga and Vanuatu and Heads of Delegation from American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, France, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Niue, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United States of America.

2. Heads of Delegation thanked the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Provincial Government and people of Madang for the kind hospitality extended to them during their stay in Madang.

3. The Ministers and Heads of Delegation of the Pacific region responsible for environmental conservation and management, having met in Madang, Papua New Guinea during this International Year of Biodiversity, affirmed that:
• biological diversity is the foundation of the well-being of our communities and cultures;
• in the face of the predicted irreparable damage to the ability of ecosystems to provide the goods and services on which people depend, all must work together to conserve biodiversity, use it sustainably and respond to threats to its integrity; and
• the loss of biodiversity is compounded by the overwhelming threat of climate change, and the region’s response to climate change must be linked to its efforts to conserve and manage the region’s species and ecosystems.

They further:

2011-2015 Strategic Plan

4. Adopted the new Strategic Plan 2011-2015 as the guiding document for regional environmental priorities and the work of SPREP to address these in the coming five years. They welcomed the consultative process that led to development of the plan, and endorsed the vision of ‘The Pacific environment, sustaining our livelihoods and natural heritage in harmony with our cultures.’
5. Adopted the four priorities of the Strategic Plan as climate change, biodiversity and ecosystem management, waste management and pollution prevention, and environmental monitoring and governance.

6. Encouraged the Secretariat to prioritise and facilitate systematic monitoring and reporting on outputs and contributions to outcomes at the national level in order to demonstrate results.

7. Directed the Secretariat to ensure that resource allocation reflects the priorities in the Strategic Plan with core resources prioritised to core functions in the first instance, and to secure the resources and to facilitate and implement partnerships to meet the goals of the Strategic Plan.

8. Requested donor agencies and partner organisations to note that the Strategic Plan outlines the key environmental priorities for Pacific countries and territories and urged them to support implementation of the Strategic Plan.

Climate Change

9. Noted with concern the ongoing issues of global climate change and the resulting impacts on Pacific islands including threat to the survival of some of these islands.

10. Endorsed the leadership role played by SPREP in supporting climate change activities in the region; in particular its leading role in the effective coordination and implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, including on coordination and harmonisation of climate change financing in the region.

11. Urged Members of SPREP to enhance capacity at the national level to continue access and coordination of financing from bilateral partners and multilateral sources, noting the principles adopted at the 2010 Forum Leaders’ Meeting.

12. Noted the commitment of all Members to move towards a durable, environmentally effective and legally binding outcome in the UNFCCC as quickly as possible and to use COP16 in Cancun to achieve this objective.

13. Urged all countries to fulfil their voluntary commitments enshrined in the Copenhagen Accord including the implementation of mitigation commitments and actions, enhanced adaptation actions and commitments to fast-start and longer-term financing. They welcomed the fast-start pledges of developed countries and the delivery of fast-start funding to date.
14. Directed the Secretariat to continue to provide technical information and support to Pacific island countries and territories (PICTs) on climate change issues and negotiations, including assisting PICTs with a preparatory meeting prior to UNFCCC COP16 in Cancun.

15. Reiterated, in relation to climate change issues and negotiations, the value and significance of cooperation and exchange of information between SPREP Members and with the Secretariat.

16. Endorsed the approach to revision of the PIFACC to take account of the findings of the mid-term review and developments over the first five years of its operation. Furthermore, timely support from donors to implement the PIFACC over the next five years was called for.

Conservation of the Ocean

17. Emphasised the critical importance of ensuring the sustainable development, management and conservation of our ocean.

18. Reiterated the critical role of SPREP in the promotion of, and support for the management and conservation of island, coastal and marine ecosystems through its new Strategic Plan.

19. Welcomed the decision of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in Port Vila in August 2010 to endorse the Framework for the Pacific Oceanscape, noting with appreciation the role of SPREP in its development, and welcomed their request to CROP agencies to implement the Framework in partnership with other relevant organisations.

20. Directed the Secretariat to work with CROP agencies and to develop a recommended approach for SPREP in implementing the Framework in the context of the Strategic Plan for consideration by the 22nd SPREP Meeting.

Biodiversity

21. Noted with concern the increasing challenge and need for greater commitment to achieve the 2010 biodiversity targets and the continuing high rate of biodiversity loss and decline of ecosystem services in the Pacific.

22. Commended the Republic of Kiribati for establishing the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, the world’s largest marine protected area, and its successful inscription as a World Heritage Area; the United States for the establishment of its new Pacific marine monuments; and the successful inscription of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument as a World Heritage Area; and New Caledonia’s lagoons and coral reefs that were inscribed as a World Heritage Area in July 2008.
23. Encouraged other Pacific island countries and territories to take similar action to conserve and manage important terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

24. Noted the importance of having One Pacific Voice at the forthcoming 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan, to ensure that COP decisions, including on developing post-2010 strategic plan goals and targets, take into account the needs of Small Island Developing States, as well as at other international conventions, in particular the UNFCCC.

25. Noted and welcomed the collaborative work of Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Palau, which aims to conserve 30% of their nearshore marine resources and 20% of their terrestrial resources by 2020 as part of the Micronesia Challenge.

26. Noted the success of the regional pre-COP 10 meeting held in Nadi, Fiji, and

27. Directed the SPREP Secretariat to support Pacific island countries at the CBD COP10 meeting in Nagoya and at the UNFCCC COP16 meeting in Cancun.

ENDS

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