The 10th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas will now become a virtual event and be held in the last week of next month.

The rescheduling of the conference, which was initially planned for April this year in the New Caledonia capital Noumea, will now be held from 23-27 November 2020.

The Director General of the Vailima-based Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (S.P.R.E.P.), Leota Kosi Latu, said it is hoped that the virtual conference next month will show how they can overcome challenges associated with the new normal.

“The 10th Pacific Islands Nature Conservation Conference and Protected Areas will hopefully demonstrate a new way of navigating the new normal," he said.

“It is our aim to ensure the conference achieves its goals, and that it will greatly enhance collective efforts and work being done to protect and conserve our Pacific biodiversity and livelihoods for future generations.”

Leota added that the S.P.R.E.P. is happy to work with the 2020 conference host New Caledonia and the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation to ensure that the conference is a success, and this website will be an important resource to enable participants to get the most out of the conference.

According to a statement issued by S.P.R.E.P. the conference website is open to all members of the public to watch the conference proceedings.

However, those wishing to gain access to the agenda, speakers, sessions, exhibition booths, side events, news, data galleries and more are required to register at no cost.

The Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas is convened every five to six years by the S.P.R.E.P, the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation and the host nation.