Pacific Regional Environment Programme

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is an intergovernmental organisation based in Apia, Samoa with more than 90 staff members. The organisation is held accountable by the governments and administrations of the Pacific region to ensure the protection and sustainable development of the region's natural resources. The organisation actively promotes the understanding of the connection between Pacific island people and their natural environment and the impact that these have on their sustenance and livelihoods. The organisation was established in 1982.^[1] Previously "South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)", the word "South" was replaced with "Secretariat" in 2004, in recognition of the Members north of the equator. The French equivalent name is PROE, Programme régional océanien de l’environnement. ^[2]

Members

SPREP Members comprise 21 Pacific island countries and territories, and five developed countries* with direct interests in the region:

• American Samoa
• Australia*
• Cook Islands
• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• France*
• French Polynesia
• Guam
• Kiribati
• Marshall Islands
• Nauru
• New Caledonia
• New Zealand*
• Niue
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Tokelau
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• United Kingdom*
• United States of America*
• Vanuatu
• Wallis and Futuna.

Divisions

SPREP is guided by its Strategic Action Plan (2011 - 2015) and has created and established four strategic divisions within the organisation:

• Climate Change - The goal under the Climate Change Strategic Priority is that "By 2015, all Members will have strengthened capacity to respond to climate change through policy improvement, implementation of practical adaptation measures, enhancing ecosystem resilience to the impacts of climate change, and implementing initiatives aimed at achieving low-carbon development." Under this first strategic priority, the Secretariat will support Members in planning and implementing national adaptation strategies (pilot projects included), and integrating climate change considerations into national planning and development processes.
• Biodiversity and Ecosystems Management - The goal of this strategic division is that by 2015, all Members have improved their sustainable management of island and ocean ecosystems and biodiversity, in support of communities, livelihoods, and national sustainable development objectives, through an improved understanding of ecosystem-based management and implementation of National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plans. The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management Strategic Priority will be delivered through the following four main priority thematic areas: 1) Invasive Species, 2) Island and Oceanic Ecosystems, 3) Threatened and Migratory Species, 4) Regional and International Instruments.
• Waste Management and Pollution Control - SPREP is mandated to take action on waste management and the control of pollution. The Secretariat's focus is to improve Members' technical capacity to manage pollution, solid wastes and hazardous chemicals through provision of training, technical advice and support. SPREP also encourages the development of national and regional waste management infrastructure and innovative funding measures, and the sharing of best practices across the region in order to support environmentally sound and sustainable waste management and reduce pollution. SPREP also supports renewed efforts in educating communities through national and other targeted awareness campaigns. With the support of bilateral and multilateral partnerships, the goal is for all members to have national waste management and pollution control policies, strategies, plans and practices in place to minimize terrestrial, atmospheric and marine pollution, hazardous waste, solid waste and other land-based sources of pollution.
• Environmental Monitoring and Governance - The overall aim for the Environmental Monitoring and Governance Division (EMG) under the SPREP Strategic Plan 2011-2015 is to ensure that country members "will have the capacity to develop and implement transparent and robust frameworks and processes for improved environmental governance, planning, monitoring and reporting". In addition, SPREP Secretariat aims to establish an effective regional monitoring system for producing periodic regional State of the Environment reports.

Governance

The SPREP Annual General Meeting is the main governance mechanism of the organisation. SPREP Members meet once every year to discuss the workplan and budget and other matters relating to administration and corporate affairs. The 25th SPREP Meeting was held in the Republic of the Marshall Islands in October 2014.^[3]

SPREP began life in the late 1970s as a joint initiative of SPC, SPEC, ESCAP and UNEP - eventually functioning as a component of UNEP's Regional Seas Programme. The Programme received further impetus as a result of the 1982 Conference on the Human Environment in the South Pacific. Following a period of expansion and long deliberations, SPREP left SPC in Nouméa in 1992 and relocated to Samoa. It achieved autonomy as an independent inter-governmental organisation with the signing of the Agreement Establishing SPREP in Apia on 16 June 1993.

SPREP (the Secretariat) is the region’s key inter-governmental organisation for environment and sustainable development, and is one of several inter-governmental agencies comprising the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP). Under the Agreement Establishing SPREP, the purposes of SPREP are to promote cooperation in the South Pacific Region and to provide assistance in order to protect and improve the environment and to ensure sustainable development for present and future generations (Art.2). SPREP's vision is: the Pacific environment - sustaining our livelihoods and natural heritage in harmony with our cultures. SPREP also functions as the Secretariat of 2 (formerly 3) regional conventions: the Nouméa Convention, the Waigani Convention and the Apia Convention (suspended).

David Sheppard, Director General (term ending December 2015)

Senior Management Team

• Kosi Latu, Director General
• Roger Cornforth, Deputy Director General
• Stuart Chape, Director Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management
• Netatua Pelesikoti, Director Climate Change
• Director Environmental Monitoring and Governance (Vacant)
• Director Waste Management and Pollution Control (Vacant)
• Clark Peteru, Legal Adviser
• Finance & Administration Adviser (Vacant)
• Simeamativa Leota-Vaai, Human Resources Adviser

References

External links

• SPREP