Press Releases

Noumea Convention supports significant strides in protecting our shared environment.

Our very own Pacific Convention to protect our natural resources and environment known as the Noumea Convention was recognised as a cornerstone of our regional collective efforts in addressing the environmental challenges facing our region....

Papua New Guinea becomes the 19th signatory of the Pacific Leader’s Sustainable Tourism Commitment

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) has welcomed Papua New Guinea as the most recent signatory of the Pacific Leader’s Sustainable Tourism Commitment (SOC), which consolidates support for collective action on the implementation of the Pacific...

Our Pacific People, Our Pacific Environment! Celebrating 30 years of SPREP.

The SPREP Treaty was signed in 1992, in Apia, Samoa. Under the Treaty, the purpose of the organisation is to provide assistance to the Pacific to protect and improve the environment and to ensure sustainable development for present and future...

Cook Islands and Federated States of Micronesia join over 50 countries calling for an end to plastic pollution by 2040

30 May 2023, Paris France – Two Pacific Island countries, the Cook Islands and Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), have joined Ministers from 56 countries to sign a Ministerial Statement calling for an end to global plastic pollution by 2040....

Pacific countries take call for treaty to end plastic pollution to INC2 in Paris

26 May 2023, Paris France - Pacific countries continue to call on world leaders to deliver a high-ambition treaty to end plastic pollution urgently, as the clock ticks closer to the second session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to...

Dealing with chemicals in plastics must be part of the global action on plastic pollution

30 May 2023, Paris, France – Overwhelming evidence globally shows that the toxic chemical, additives and pollutants found in plastics have serious risks to human and planetary health. Findings from a recent United Nations Environment Programme...

Pacific SIDS state their case for a robust and ambitious treaty to address plastic pollution

31 May 2023, Paris France – The Pacific region is world-renowned for its pristine beaches, turquoise waters, vibrant forests and colourful reefs. While this postcard image remains, its environment has been contaminated by exorbitant amounts of...

Pacific Climate Change Centre supports Knowledge Broker Support Programme Training of Trainers

01 May 2023, Suva Fiji - Sixteen participants, including Australian Pacific Climate Alumni Network (APCAN) National Coordinators from Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu benefitted from a four-day...

Pacific Island Countries Move Together on Sustainable Waste Management Solutions for the Region

Pacific Island countries converged in Rarotonga, Cook Islands and reaffirmed their commitments, in a collective voice, echoing the region’s aspirations to implement appropriate and sustainable solutions for their waste management challenges at the...

Punching above its weight, Pacific leads calls for ambitious targets to end global plastic pollution

Q and A with Mr Sefanaia Nawadra, Director-General of SPREP. 1 June 2023, Paris France - The first scientific findings of marine plastic debris were published in 1972 and reported on small plastic particles found in the Sargasso Sea. Ten years...

Impact of plastic pollution on Pacific highlighted as France draws global attention to “ticking time bomb”

29 May 2023, Paris France - The plight of Pacific countries, where entire communities are at risk from the scourge of the plastic crisis despite contributing less than 1.3 per cent to global plastic statistics, has been highlighted in Paris where...

Simplifying climate change information for communities a key Pacific priority

08 May 2023, Nadi Fiji – The Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) is working with eight Pacific countries to enhance and integrate knowledge brokerage on climate change into aspects of the work they are doing in their communities. Knowledge...

Our Pacific People, Our Pacific Environment! Celebrating 30 years of SPREP.

This year, SPREP is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the signing of the SPREP Treaty, which brought about the establishment of the organisation as a separate, autonomous body, tasked with the protection and conservation of the Pacific...

Cook Islands calls for ambitious targets to reverse and end plastic pollution

24 April 2023, Rarotonga, Cook Islands - “Saying No to single-use plastics” is not enough, much more must be done by our global community to address the plastic crisis we now face. Recognising this, the UN Environment Assembly passed a resolution...

Pacific countries support establishment of Science-Policy Panel to manage chemicals, waste and prevent pollution

13 March 2023, Apia - Pacific countries have added their voice to a growing chorus of support for the establishment of a science-policy panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution. The latest...

Solomon Islands : 2019 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Solomon Islands

Author/Editor: International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept Publication Date: February 18, 2020 Electronic Access: Download PDF. Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file Summary: Solomon Islands has made substantial progress...

Progress of work to improve climate change adaptation and mitigation in 15 Pacific countries commended

20 April 2023, Suva, Fiji - Whether it is providing water tanks for villages in Papua New Guinea (PNG), tree planting on the Tagabe riverbank in Vanuatu to ensure steady supply of freshwater for communities there or providing support for climate...

El Niño watch continues as Pacific Met Services convene 187th Ocean and Climate Online Forum

14 April 2023, Port Vila, Vanuatu – The current state of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) was one of the items on the agenda for discussion during the 187th session of the Online Climate and Ocean Forum (OCOF) which was convened this...

Sogavare commends PNA for sustainable management of Tuna Fisheries

Sogavare commends PNA for sustainable management of Tuna Fisheries Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has highly commended the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) group of nations for its tremendous leadership in ensuring the region’s tuna stocks...

Tree planting on Tagabe riverbanks increasing Vanuatu’s climate change resilience

29 March 2023, Port Vila - The Tagabe river is critical to Vanuatu’s ecosystem, supplying fresh water to a population of over 50,000 in Port Vila and its nearby suburbs. But as climate change worsens, the river continues to be severely impacted...