Nadi, Fiji, 1 September 2011 - Pacific Island countries are busy preparing for the biannual world conference on the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) that will take place in Korea in October.
This week, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has brought together over 25 people from 13 different countries with partners to forge a united way forward for the Pacific region at the conference.
While the Pacific region may not be experiencing desertification, there are significant concerns and evidence of land degradation. This is when soils become impoverishment and lose their ability to regenerate thus losing its productive potential.
"We've come together to look at the agenda of the coming meeting in October and to find ways to strengthen our Pacific viewpoints under the agenda items that impact us in the region," said Bruce Jefferies, the Terrestrial Ecosystems Management Officer at SPREP.
"We plan to strategise Pacific momentum at the UNCCD Convention of the Parties so that we have a strengthened negotiating position and we apply a One Pacific Voice."
During the week participants are also undergoing negotiations training with Ian Fry, a negotiator for Tuvalu. He is sharing his expertise with the participants and providing them with tips on writing statements, language to use and a simulated negotiations activity.
Participants also underwent a half day media and communications session to prepare the Pacific Voyage Communications campaign for the UNCCD COP 10. This session also raised their awareness of media skills so as delegates will be able to address media requests with confidence, while at the UNCCD COP in Korea.
"The media is a great way to be able to share our messages from the Pacific," said SPREP's Media and Public Relations Officer, Nanette Woonton.
"We hope that the delegates from the region will make the most of every media opportunity while in Korea so that the Pacific voice is heard, loud and clear."
Each of the 14 Pacific island countries that are parties to the UNCCD is implementing Sustainable Land Management Projects. These are activities on the ground in the different countries that are geared towards meeting the objectives of the convention.
Countries attending the meeting this week are - Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu. The partners attending the meeting are - University of the South Pacific, Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the United Nations Development Programme Sub Regional Office in the Solomon Islands.
The meeting is being held at the Tanoa Skylodge in Nadi from 29 August to 3 September 2011.