The main legal response to many environmental problems is by way of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), a large number of which have been ratified by Pacific Island Countries. Domestic environmental policies and laws therefore, to a large extent are driven by obligations imposed on the country by these MEAs. Countries still formulate policies and laws which are totally domestic in origin and scope but as with MEAs, there is a tendency towards harmonisation amongst countries as a result of benchmarking against international standards and in adopting best environmental practices and sharing lessons learned.
What we do
SPREP assists countries with implementing their MEA obligations through activities such as negotiations training, and provision of technical support for major MEA meetings. SPREP also acts as the Secretariat for two regional MEAs, the Noumea (marine pollution) and Waigani (transboundary movement of hazardous waste) Conventions. At the domestic level SPREP assists with environmental legislative reviews, formulation of policy and drafting of environmental laws.