Representatives from the Pacific Island governments, environment ministries, regional partners, biodiversity and climate change expert are gathering in Vailima this week.

They are in Samoa to discuss actions on pressing environmental challenges, safeguarding islands, people, and our way of life. The sub-Regional workshop and dialogue for Pacific Small Island Developing states (SIDS) starts Monday and will continue throughout the week at the SPREP headquarters in Samoa.

The event is co-organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), SPREP, and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in collaboration with the Government of Samoa.

In the first three days, their focus will be on supporting participating countries in developing and leveraging synergies in the implementation of their National Biodiveristy Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). They are being revised or updated in alignment with the Kumming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and Paris agreement. 

The last two days, the dialogue is designed to enhance national capacities for the implementation of the monitoring framework of the KMGBF at national level, in particular development of a national monitoring plan or system for NBSAPs, including development and use of indicators.

Dialogue will support Pacific SIDS in strengthening their capacity to monitor and report progress on their NBSAPs, a critical step toward meeting global biodiversity goals outlined in the KMGBF.

"This workshop represents a significant step towards empowering Pacific SIDS to effectively implement environmental agreements and strategies, fostering regional and enhancing biodiversity conservation efforts," Mr Lijie Cai, Programme Management officer of the CBD, said in a media statement.

The workshop and dialogue is a direct response to a series of decisions by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity which urged parties to align their revised NBSAPs with the KMGBF and take action to incorporate both biodiversity and climate change considerations in their revised National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. They also support operationalising the KMGBF monitoring framework as guided by relevant CBD CoP decisions.

"Pacific nations are on the frontliners of climate and biodiversity crises. This timely workshop is not just about fulfilling international obligations, it's about safeguarding our islands, our people, and our way of life, " said Mr Jope Davetanivalu, the Director Environmental Governance at SPREP. 

"We need strong regional voices and shared solutions. This platform allows us to build those alliances and turn policy into action."

The gathering provides an opportunity to elevate regional leadership, ensure environmental commitments translate into meaningful national action, and solidify the Pacific’s unified voice in the global sustainability agenda.

It also underlines the urgent need for strengthened monitoring systems and integrated environmental governance in the Pacific, where island nations face existential threats from rising sea levels, ecosystem degradation, and climate-induced disasters. 

The outcomes are expected to catalyze more effective national planning, inter-agency coordination, and international reporting.