1 September 2025, Apia - The critical importance of partnerships and collaboration to address the impacts of the triple planetary crises has been brought to the fore at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Second Partnership Dialogue in Apia.
Guided by the theme: “Resilient Futures: Mobilising Resources for Climate and Environment in a Shifting Donor Landscape”, the Dialogue held at the Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey’s Hotel kick-starts the week of the thirty second SPREP Meeting of Officials (SM32), with over 120 partners in attendance representing SPREP Members, global and regional development partners including multilateral and bilateral donors; technical and implementing agencies.
SPREP’s Director General, Mr Sefanaia Nawadra opened the meeting, providing the context for the conversations during the Dialogue. He reminded that the Dialogue was established because SPREP’s partners requested a platform to engage more directly with the Secretariat and its Members.
“The Pacific is on the frontline of the climate, biodiversity and pollution crises,” said Mr Nawadra. “Our countries are facing multiple pressures, from climate impacts; to economic shocks; and shifting geopolitics. This Dialogue is therefore not just about today’s discussions – the insights we generate here will directly inform SPREP’s next Strategic Plan, as well as key strategies in our programme areas of work including the Cleaner Pacific Strategy and the Nature Conservation and Protected Areas Framework.”
Building on the success of SPREP’s first Partners Dialogue in 2023, this year’s Dialogue is structured as a working space, complementing the SPREP Meeting by allowing open exchange with non-SPREP members including donors and technical partners. It is designed to foster transparency, reduce duplication, and ensure alignment between partners’ priorities and SPREP’s mandate.
SPREP ‘s Director General encouraged officials to bring forward real solutions and understand where priorities converge with the needs of SPREP’s member countries.
“We need to be clear about the gaps and barriers that stand in the way of resources being mobilised where they are needed most,” he said.
“The outcomes of your deliberations today, will also shape SPREP’s approach to resource mobilisation – helping us to identify where to align with donor priorities; how to better facilitate access to finance; and how to ensure that resources flow more predictably and efficiently to our members.”
The Dialogue provides an opportunity to deepen strategic engagement between SPREP and its donors and technical partners, looking beyond 2026, providing a platform to co-design forward-looking partnerships and solutions that align with current and emerging regional priorities and global commitments.
The day’s agenda featured three interactive panel discussions in the morning. The first focussed on Partner Insights on Strategic Alignment for a Resilient Blue Pacific; the second panel tackled the Changing Financial Landscape - sharing perspectives from both supply and demand of climate and environment finance; with the third panel focussing on the Means of Implementation of SPREP’s strategic priorities in particular the importance of mainstreaming people centred approaches in light of new technology and innovation.
A world café setting in the afternoon focussed on Mobilising Resources for Integrated Action in Climate Change, Biodiversity and Conservation, Waste Management and Pollution, and Environmental Governance - Oceans. The sessions allowed space for partners and donors to offer targeted feedback on investment potential, co-financing opportunities, and alignment with existing or emerging programming opportunities.
During the discussions, Pacific countries highlighted that access to climate and environment finance continues to be one of the greatest challenges across the region and noted that despite continued reforms to multilateral financing mechanisms – lack of transparency in the implementation of policy reforms, slow harmonisation of reforms across multilateral funds, and remaining gaps in simplifying access that does not increase administrative burdens; continue to persist.
Another crucial point highlighted was the issue of sustainability and the need to ensure environment and climate finance investments are sustainable and have long lasting impacts in the region.
“This dialogue is a key step in addressing it together,” said Mr Nawadra. “Our members have been invited to participate in today’s dialogue, as they will benefit from hearing directly from you – our partners. The strength of this Dialogue will be measured not by what is said in this room, but by the partnerships and actions that follow.”
Partners reaffirmed the important role played by SPREP in its areas of leadership and co-leadership under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent; relating to Oceans and Environment, and Climate and Disasters.
The outcomes of the Partnership Dialogue will shape the direction of SPREP’s next strategic plan including the future of the Pacific across the nexuses of climate change, biodiversity, oceans and waste management/pollution.
The Thirty second SPREP Meeting of Officials (SM32) and associated meetings are taking place at Sheraton Aggie Grey’s Hotel & Bungalows in Samoa, from 1-5 September.
Guided by the theme “Sustaining our Pacific Environment in Harmony with our Cultures”, the SM32 and associated meetings bring together SPREP Members to discuss strategic issues pertaining to the organisation, and to approve the 2026-2027 Work Programme and Budget.
The 21 Pacific Island Members of SPREP are: American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna. The five Metropolitan members of SPREP are: Australia, France, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
In our efforts to fulfil our vision of ‘a resilient Pacific environment, sustaining our livelihoods and natural heritage in harmony with our cultures’, SPREP is extremely grateful to our valued Members, partners, donors, our CROP family, and stakeholders.
For more information on the 32SM, visit https://www.sprep.org/sprep-meeting/2025/32nd-meeting-of-officials or contact [email protected]