Pacific environmental leaders have gathered in Samoa to review the performance and future direction of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme as the region faces growing pressure from climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and disaster risks.
The fifth SPREP Executive Board Meeting is being held at the Pacific Climate Change Centre in Apia from 12 to 13 August 2026.
SPREP Director General Sefanaia Nawadra said the meeting provides members with an opportunity to assess the organisation’s progress through its Annual Report and Performance Implementation Plan.
“We gather today as Pacific communities continue to face increasing environmental challenges and pressure from climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and disaster risks,” Nawadra said.
“SPREP works according to the mandate given to us by our member states and noting the linkages between the impacts of the triple planetary crises continues to be the core of the work that we do.”
The “triple planetary crisis” refers to the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Nawadra said members would also examine SPREP’s governance and ensure that the organisation continues to manage its resources responsibly.
A major item before the board is the initial draft of SPREP’s next Strategic Plan, which is expected to be presented at next year’s full SPREP Meeting.
“This week, we will look at the zero draft of SPREP’s next Strategic Plan, something we have been developing with you, and will be presented at next year’s SPREP Meeting,” Nawadra said.
The meeting will also consider SPREP’s regional engagement, implementation of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and an ongoing review of the Pacific regional architecture.
Members are also expected to receive updates on international environmental negotiations, including COP31 and work connected to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The Executive Board includes the current, previous and incoming chairs of the SPREP Meeting and representatives from Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, the Metropolitan members and French-speaking member countries.
Representatives attending the fifth meeting include the United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Australia and France.
The meeting is chaired by Wallis and Futuna and opened with a blessing from Reverend Dr Wesley Taotua.
SPREP was established by Pacific governments and administrations to promote regional cooperation and protect and manage the Pacific’s environment and natural resources.
Its 21 Pacific island members and territories include Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
Australia, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States are SPREP’s five Metropolitan members.
This article is based on information released by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme on 12 August 2026.
