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The inaugural regional workshop for the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)-European Union (EU) EDF10 Deep Sea Minerals (DSM) Project was held at the the Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi, Fiji Islands, during 6-8 June 2011. The workshop was titled: High-Level Briefing on the Status of Deep Sea Minerals in the Pacific Islands Region and Planning for a Regionally Integrated Way Forward. The meeting noted that this summary was determined on the 8th of June 2011, the United Nations World Oceans Day.

The Regional Training Workshop on the Geological, Biological, Technological and Environmental Aspects of Deep Sea Minerals, is about bringing regional participants together to an appreciation and understanding of the extent of knowledge of the deep sea and the minerals contained therein. The workshop continues the SPC-EU EDF10 Deep Sea Minerals (DSM) Project objective for area-specific assistance provided for Pacific States in order to better position them to determine policies for deep sea minerals activities that occur within the region, and properly manage these activities within internationally acceptable levels of sustainable resource management.

This “fact finding” trip was undertaken within the SOPAC/EU EDF 8/9 Reducing Vulnerability of Pacific Islands States Project. The trip was a follow up to an earlier Multi-Stakeholder Consultation meeting (29th October 2003), where the following issues pertaining to Aggregates and Coastal Processes were identified. Otherwise, the trip was initiated to meet the EDF 8/9 project tasks for Tuvalu as outlined in the Work Plan (Task No.’s. TV 1.1.1; 1.1.2 and TV 1.2.4; 1.2.5; 1.2.6 [TV 3.5.2]).

"SOPAC is mandated by 18 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) to provide technical policy and project level advice on the sustainable development, utilization and protection of water resources in its member countries. Of particular concern is the capacity of urban and rural water supply systems to provide safe drinking water, and the impact of inadequate sanitation facilities on water resources, the environment and public health. While solutions to the water and sanitation challenges in the region clearly require technical input, long-term sustainability calls for equal and sustained attention to the social aspects of human behaviour and relationships."

There is ongoing and increasing vulnerability of Pacifi c Island nations and communities to the impacts of disasters. This has led to increased national and regional commitments to disaster risk reduction and disaster management on an ‘all hazards’ basis in support of sustainable development. These commitments derive from the Pacifi c Forum Leaders decision in Madang 1995, the Auckland Declaration in 2004 and Forum Communique 2006. This Framework for Action 2005 – 2015 has been developed to respond in part to these commitments