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A Sustainable Future for Small States: Pacific 2050 is part of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s regional strategic foresight programmes that examines whether current development strategies set a region on a path to achieve sustainable development by 2050. The publication follows a previous study on the Caribbean entitled Achieving a Resilient Future for Small States: Caribbean 2050, which was launched at the Commonwealth Global Biennial Conference on Small States in May 2016.

Several mechanisms have been used to acquire land for tropical-forest reservations. Legislative designation of National Parks on government-owned land, condemnation of private land, debt swaps, and outright purchase of private lands for reserves may, however, be inappropriate strategies in areas occupied by extant indigenous populations. In areas where indigenous peoples have a strong conservation ethic, the creation of reserves under partial or complete aboriginal control represents a viable alternative to the more traditional forms of land acquisition. Recently, three significant rain-forest reserves were created in Samoa using alternative strategies. 1) A US National Park in American Samoa involves the long-term lease of customary lands with local chiefs forming an advisory board on park policy; 2) in the Falealupo peninsula in Western Samoa, a covenant was established between the villagers who pledged to preserve and manage a large rain forest and private donors who provided funds for the construction of an elementary school; 3) in Tafua, Western Samoa, a covenant was established between the village, which vowed to preserve and manage the forest, and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SNF) which provided funds for an elementary school and public works. These reserves suggest that under indigenous control robust solutions to the problems of rain-forest preservation can be achieved.

The importance of coastal and marine environments to every aspect of the lives of Pacific Islanders cannot be overstated. Pacific Island Countries (PICs) maintain resource rights and management responsibilities for over 30million square kilometres of ocean, equivalent to the total land area of Canada, China and the USA. The total population of coastal pacific islanders is only 2.6 million. There are 11 square kilometres of ocean for each Pacific Islander. Jurisdictionally, the ocean is 200 times more significant to the average Pacific Islander than it is to the average global citizen.  

The SPREP Strategic Plan 2017–2026 builds on the successes and lessons learned in the implementation of the Strategic Plan 2011–2015. SPREP has used these lessons together with an extensive consultation process with Members, partners, and the Secretariat to develop this strategic plan. The plan has also been guided by Member commitments to the strategic directions for the region set out in the Framework for Pacific Regionalism, the priorities defined by the SAMOA Pathway,1 commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, and other important regional and global commitments. Le Plan stratégique 2017–2026 s’appuie sur les réussites et sur les enseignements tirés de la mise en œuvre du Plan stratégique 2011–2015. Le PROE a associé ces enseignements à un processus de consultation des Membres, des partenaires et du Secrétariat afi n d’élaborer ce nouveau plan stratégique. Le plan a également été guidé par l’engagement pris par les Membres quant aux orientations stratégiques régionales décrites dans le Cadre pour l’intégration régionale du Pacifi que, par les priorités reprises dans le document Samoa, la voie à suivre 1, et par l’engagement envers les Objectifs de développement durable, ainsi que d’autres engagements majeurs régionaux et mondiaux.

Les ressources et les écosystèmes vitaux dont dépendent les îles océaniennes pour leur alimentation et leur subsistance subissent une pression grandissante. Les principales menaces sont le changement climatique, une question extrêmement problématique pour la viabilité environnementale, économique et sociale des États et territoires insulaires océaniens. Le changement climatique affecte déjà de manière bien réelle les écosystèmes forestiers et littoraux, nos océans, les réserves d’eau douce, la biodiversité, et bien évidemment tous les aspects du quotidien, en particulier les communautés des petits pays à faible altitude, dans lesquels le niveau de la mer et les changements météorologiques créent des perturbations sociales et économiques.

Healthy, resilient communities rely on accurate information, early warning, and a solid understanding of climate and weather patterns from a national team they trust. The Pacific Islands Meteorological Strategy 2017-2026 provides the development priorities of the Pacific Island National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs). PIMs sets out the strategic context and direction for strengthening NMHSs.

Nauru Utilities Corporation was established under the terms of its own Act of Parliament1 on 24 June 2011. The Act sets out the purposes of the NUC and establishes its regulatory, governance, and management structures. The powers and functions of NUC relate to the generation, transmission, and supply of electricity; the treatment, distribution, and supply of water; and the buying, storing, and selling fuel within Nauru. NUC’s corporate form is that of a non-departmental public body in that it has no shareholders or board of directors, but is subject to Ministerial oversight and has a legal personality separate from that of the Government. The Minister is advised by an Advisory Committee in connection with matters related to the operation of NUC, and operational matters are managed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The corporation requires cabinet approval for borrowing, acquisition or disposal of property, and must ensure that proper accounting records are kept. The approval of the Minister is required to appoint the corporation’s external auditor. NUC is the successor body to the Nauru Utilities Authority (NUA) which took over the utilities operation from the predecessor body of Republic of Nauru Phosphate (RonPhos)2 in July 2005. NUC’s fixed assets comprise of those initially inherited from the Nauru Phosphate Corporation (NPC) and those subsequently funded by donor partners or NUC itself.

Biodiversity in Kiribati has always been challenged economically, politically, socially and even judicially. Capacity constraints emanating from limited financial and human resources, limited technical capacity, limited scientific based data and poor monitoring and evaluation of the progress of the national biodiversity action plans have undermined the country’s effort to protect and conserve biodiversity effectively. As a nation with very limited resources, Kiribati cannot afford to sit back and allow the serious degradation to continue.

This document is a product of the GEF-PAS regional invasive species project 'Prevention, control and management of invasive alien species in the Pacific Islands' implemented by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and executed by SPREP.

This, the first report, to the CBD marks the beginning of an impetus that was started with the inception of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) Project. Since February, 2009 when the project started, much work has been carried out consulting local communities in Funafuti and the Outer Islands to determine local knowledge about the environment, perceived trends and threats to biodiversity.