Dr Stuart Minchin, Director General of the Pacific Community (SPC), joined the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Partnership Dialogue as part of its annual meetings this week in Samoa.
Dr Minchin emphasised the deeply rooted relationships between our two scientific and technical organisations to drive development solutions for our Blue Pacific region.
“Our two organisations have a long history of working together – SPC has been around for 75 years, and SPREP is now celebrating its 30th year. In that time we’ve worked closely to address challenges facing the Pacific region.”
Dr Minchin outlined the existing gaps in addressing the challenges faced by the region and outlined the role SPC has taken to develop flagship programs focused on areas of gender equality, oceans, food systems and climate change that will also connect and engage with regional organisations across the Pacific to drive development outcomes for Pacific people.
Mr Minchin also acknowledged the urgency to increase climate finance accessibility, an area which he touched on as requiring greater capability within the Pacific, so the region is able to transition to clean energy and adapt to climate change through enhanced resilience.
“We need to solve the climate crisis together, and we need the capability of everyone working together to deliver climate change action for our Pacific communities because it is urgent,” said Mr Minchin.
Speaking specifically on the climate change flagship program, Mr Minchin acknowledged the work of SPREP in climate change and added that SPC intends to collaborate and work together with SPREP to better meet capability needs, improve regional collaboration, and tailor resources for Pacific Island countries and territories.
SPC remains committed to working closely with SPREP and other partners, including fellow Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) agencies, to achieve shared goals and support our member countries and territories towards a more resilient region into the future.
SPC and SPREP will renew their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) first signed in 2017, at the SPC annual meeting in Noumea in October. The MoU renewal will strengthen the collaboration between SPC and SPREP for the benefit of our Pacific people.
