23 May 2025, Apia Samoa - Representatives from Pacific Island governments, environment ministries, regional partners, biodiversity and climate change experts will gather in Samoa next week to accelerate action on pressing environmental challenges, safeguarding our islands, our people and our way of life.
They will attend the sub-Regional Workshop and Dialogue for Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to begin on Monday 26 May until Friday 30 May at the SPREP headquarters in Apia, Samoa.
The week-long event is co-organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in close collaboration with the Government of Samoa.
The first three days of the =workshop will focus on supporting participating countries in developing and leveraging synergies in the implementation of their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), which are being revised or updated in alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and the Paris Agreement.
It will be followed with a two-day Dialogue designed to enhance national capacities for the implementation of the monitoring framework of the KMGBF at national level, in particular development of a national monitoring plan or system for NBSAPs, including development and use of indicators.
The Dialogue will support Pacific SIDS in strengthening their capacity to monitor and report progress on their NBSAPs, a critical step toward meeting global biodiversity goals outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
“This workshop represents a significant step towards empowering Pacific SIDS to effectively implement environmental agreements and strategies, fostering regional collaboration, and enhancing biodiversity conservation efforts,” said Mr. Lijie Cai, Programme Management Officer of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The sub-regional Workshop and Dialogue directly respond to a series of decisions by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which urged Parties to align their revised NBSAPs with the KMGBF and take action to incorporate both biodiversity and climate change considerations in their revised National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. They also support operationalising the KMGBF monitoring framework, as guided by relevant CBD CoP decisions.
“Pacific nations are on the frontlines of climate and biodiversity crises. This timely workshop is not just about fulfilling international obligations, it’s about safeguarding our islands, our people, and our way of life,” said Mr. Jope Davetanivalu, Director Environmental Governance, SPREP. “We need strong regional voices and shared solutions. This platform allows us to build those alliances and turn policy into action.”
Mr. Jope Davetanivalu, Director Environmental Governance, SPREP.
The gathering next week provides an opportunity to elevate regional leadership, ensure environmental commitments translate into meaningful national action, and solidify the Pacific’s unified voice in the global sustainability agenda.
It also underlines the urgent need for strengthened monitoring systems and integrated environmental governance in the Pacific, where island nations face existential threats from rising sea levels, ecosystem degradation, and climate-induced disasters.
The outcomes are expected to catalyze more effective national planning, inter-agency coordination, and international reporting
For more details on the sub regional workshop and dialogue, please visit: https://www.unep.org/events/workshop/sub-regional-workshop-and-dialogue-pacific-small-island-developing-states
For more information on SPREP’s involvement please contact Mr Jope Davetanivalu at joped@sprep.org, Ms Vanda Faasoa Chan-Ting at vandac@sprep.org as well as Ms Amanda Wheatley at amandaw@sprep.org