Cir#19/75: Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion Call for Side Event Application at the UNFCCC COP25 in Santiago, Chile 2 to 13 December 2019

We are now calling for side events applications which will close by 5pm CEST 14 October 2019

Cir#19/74: Clarification on the Rotation of Membership on the SPREP Executive Board

Members at the 29 SPREP Meeting sought confirmation of the membership of the second Executive Board Meeting in light of the rotational nature of non-Troika membership.

[email protected]/73: IPCC Special Report on Oceans and the Cryosphere in a changing climate

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released it Special Report on Oceans and the Cryosphere in a changing climate (SROCC) on 25 September 2019.

Cir#19/72: PacWastePlus Project, National Education and Awareness Plan - Country Nominations

We are please to invite you to participate in the 2nd National Education and Awareness Plan Workshop, Nadi, Fiji, 27 November 2019.

Cir#19/70: Meeting Reports of the Twenty-Ninth SPREP Meeting (29SM) and Associated Meetings in Apia, Samoa, 29 August - 6 Septemeber 2019

Please find attached the following documents for your information:

  • Report of the 15th Noumea Convention;
  • Report of the 10th Waigani Convention;
  • Approved Outcomes of the 2019 29 SPREP Meeting;
  • Approved SPREP Work Programme and Biennial Budget for 2020 and 2021
Cir#19/71: New Zealand Association for Impact Assessment Conference on Climate Change Mitigation Impact Assessment, Pre-conference technical visit and Regional SEA Guidelines consultation 25 -28 November 2019, Auckland New Zealand

The theme of the conference is 'Climate Change Impact Assessment' an issue that is relevant to Pacific island countries and territories.

Cir#19/69: Accepting nominations for the training on "Hazard and Risk Assessment for Coastal Area Management"

Accepting nominations for the training on "Hazard and Risk Assessment for Coastal Area Management" by CBCRP-PCCC, 11-15 November 2019, Pacific Climate Change Centre, SPREP, Apia, Samoa.

The first regional training prepared through the Project for Capacity Building and Climate Resilience in the Pacific (CBCRP-PCCC) in partnership with JICA and the Government of Samoa.

Cir#19/68: 2018 SPREP Annual Report

I am pleased to present the 2018 Annual Report for the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)

Cir#19/67: Staff Appointment

SPREP is pleased to announce the following appointments:

Ms. Faasipa Lemalu, Environmental Monitoring and Governance Programme Assistant.

Ms. Connie Sewere, Technical and Finance Assistant for Climate Information Services for Resilient Development Project.

Mr. Rohit Prasad, Finance and Administration Officer for the BIEM Project.

Mr. Tile Tofaeono, Climate Prediction Services Coordinator.

Cir#19/66: 'Save the date' Inaugural meeting of the Technical Working Group on Information and Knowledge Management (TWG-IKM) for Resilient Development, 29-31 October 2019, Pacific Climate Change Centre, SPREP, Apia Samoa.

The first meeting of the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Information and Knowledgement Management (IKM) for Resilient Development.

Cir#19/65: 'Save the Date' for the training on "Hazard and Risk Assessment for Coastal Area Management"

The Project for Capacity Building on Climate Resilience in the Pacific(CBCRP-PCCC) will have its first regional training above from 11-15 November 2019, Pacific Climate Change Centre, SPREP, Apia, Samoa.

Cir#19/64: Notice for the training on "Hazard and Risk Assessment for Coastal Area Management"

The Project for Capacity Building on Climate Resilience in the Pacific(CBCRP-PCCC) will have its first regional training above on 11-15 November 2019, Pacific Climate Change Centre, SPREP, Apia, Samoa.

Cir#19/63: UPDATED - Call for applications for the Lui Bell Scholarship Fund

SPREP established this fund in 2013, to honor the life and work of Lui Bell and his commitment to the conservation of marine species in the Pacific.

We are resending the Lui Bell scholarship call as one of the topics listed is no longer available 'do anchored FADs reduce pressure on coastal fisheries' Please use this updated scholarship document to share with prospective students.

Cir#19/62: 29th SPREP Meeting: 'Resilient Blue Pacific' and the SPREP Environment Ministers' High Level Talanoa

Please find attached the Environment Ministers' High-Level Talanoa Communique and the Chairs Summary from Friday 6 of September 2019.

Cir#19/61: IMPACT COP25 Pacific Preparatory Meeting, 5-8 November 2019, Pacific Climate Change Centre, SPREP, Apia, Samoa

SPREP in partnership with Climate Analytics and the One CROP Plus team will be convening the Pacific COP25 Preparatory Meeting under the IMPACT Project.

Cir#19/60: Administrative Update for the 29SM and associated Meetings from 29 August to 6 September, Apia, Samoa

Please find the following updated documents for your information.

Cir#19/59: Introduction of Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI)

Introduction of Biodiversity Research (BRI), consultant for Mercury inventory development using the UNEP mercury toolkit (Minamata Initial Project - MIA). Proposed timeline BRI has drafted to undertake the activities in your respective countries.

Cir#19/58:Regional Action for Coral Reef Conservation

As part of the Pacific Year of the Coral Reef, SPREP is committed to developing a Regional
Action Plan for Coral Reef Conservation. SPREP has contracted BMT Consulting to work
with Members, to develop a draft Action Plan.

Cir#19/57: SPREP New Staff Appointments

SPREP is pleased to announce their new staff appointments

Cir#19/56:Sub-regional capacity building training on the use of ‘Access and Benefit Sharing Clearinghouse (ABS-CH)’, monitoring and reporting on the utilization of genetic resources under the Nagoya Protocol

SPREP is pleased to inform you that a sub-regional capacity building training on the use of Access and Benefit Sharing Clearing House (ABS-CH) and monitoring the utilisation of genetic resources under the Nagoya Protocol will be held from 7-10 October, at the Tanoa International Hotel, Nadi, Fiji. The Secretariat of the Pacific Environment Programme (SPREP) will organise and facilitate the training.

Cir#19/55: Consultancy for the Completion of Drafting Instructions for Model legislation for UPPOPS Project and consultancy for the review of used Oil Regulations

The Pacific POPs Release reduction project is a GEF funded project under the Pacific Alliance of Susutainability, with components co-financed by the French Development Agency(AFD). The project is in its final year of implementation and is being co-implemented by United nations environment(UNE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN(FAO).

Cir#19-54: Upcoming Meetings of the Parties to the Noumea Convention (29 August 2019) and Waigani Convention (30 August 2019) - Provisional Agendas and additional information

15th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region and related protocols (Noumea Convention) and the 10th Ordinary Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention to Ban the Importation into Forum Island Countries of Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes and to Control the Transboundary Movement and the Management of Hazardous Wastes within the South Pacific Region (Waigani Convention) that will be held in Apia, Samoa, on Thursday 29 August 2019 and Friday 30 August 2019 respectively, prior to the 29th SPREP Meeting. Both Meetings will be held at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, Apia

Cir#19-53:Accepting Nominations for the 2nd Pacific Islands Environment Leadership Awards 2020

It is with great pleasure to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 2nd Pacific Islands Environment Leadership Awards (PIELA). The PIELA commemorates and promotes the outstanding contributions of individuals, communities, non-governmental organisations, private enterprises and countries towards achieving an environmentally sustainable Pacific in the following key thematic areas:
• Biodiversity and ecosystem protection
• Environmental governance
• Climate change adaptation and resilience
• Waste management and pollution control

Cir#19/52: Introduction of Biodiversity Research Institude (BRI), consultant for Mercury inventory development using the UNEP mercury toolkit (Minamata Initial Project- MIA)

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The major highlights of the convention include a ban on new mercury mines, the phase out of existing ones, control measures on air emissions and the international regulation of the informal sector for the artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM)

Cir#19/51:Pacific Environment Forum PEF - 2 September 2019

Further to the Circulars #19/35 and 19/47 on the Invitations and Arrangements for the Twenty Ninth SPREP Meeting (29SM) of Officials and associated meetings, please find attached the Agenda the Pacific Environment Forum (PEF). As advised previously, the Environment Forum will be held on Monday, 2nd September 2019 at Tanoa Tusitala Hotel.

This year the PEF is being hosted by the Waste Management and Pollution Control Programme and will focus on plastic pollution, which has become a critical concern globally.

Cir#19/50: Survey to gauge Capacity Building and Training Needs on Environment Impact Assessment of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) are important planning and decision-making tools which are critical to the achievement of national sustainable development priorities including SDGs and multilateral environmental commitments that countries in the region have signed up to. As you are aware, EIA focuses at the project level while SEA is applied at the strategic planning level and both tools mutually support and complement each other.

Cir#19/49: Administrative Note: Revised Provisional Agenda and List of Side events for the 29SM

Further to circulars 19/35 and 19/47, please find attached the following documents for the meeting.

Cir#19/48: Save the date: IMPACT Pre-COP25 Pacific Preparatory Meeting 5-8 November 2019, Pacific Climate Change Centre, SPREP, Apia, Samoa

SPREP in partnershop with Climate Analytics and the One CROP+ team will be convening a COP25 Preparatory Meeting under the IMPACT project.

Cir#19/47: 29th SPREP Meeting: 'Resilient Blue Pacific' and the SPREP Environment Ministers' High Level Talanoa on 6 September 2019

Further to Circular 19/35 on the Invitations and Arrangements for the Twenty Ninth SPREP Meeting (29SM) of Officials and associated meetings, please find attached the Provisional Agenda for the Environment Ministers' High Level Talanoa.

Cir#19/46: Apia Convention - suspension in accordance with the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties

As you will be aware, at the Eighth Ordinary Meeting of Parties to the Convention on Conservation of Nature in the South Pacific (the Apia Convention) in 2006 Parties discussions on the future of the Apia Convention.