Multilateral Environmental Agreements

1. Multilateral Environmental Agreements for Pacific Island Countries

3. Objectives Summarise MEAs >> improved conservation in Pacific Island Countries & Territories (PICTS) Identify PICTS issues & problems Recommend action via MEAs for improved conservation; Recommend how Secretariats can assist

4. Participants Environmental managers, lawyers, fisheries experts from Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Marshalls, Niue, PNG, Samoa, Solomons, Vanuatu MEA experts & advisors (CBD, CMS, CITES, Ramsar, WHC) SPREP, UNU - IAS, IUCN, IOI, S&O Fndn GBR experts (AIMS, CRC Reef, JCU, GBRMPA)

5. Concerns Limited country capacity to handle complexConventions ‘Invasive conventions’ in competition NOT collaboration to assist PICS Excessive reporting requirements – no timing and format coordination Getting the ‘Pacific message’to global & regional blocks Meetings, travel & lack of coordination time

6. Problems Local strategies & coordination – ‘the countries need to get their act together’ Regional Coordination – how to get the Pacific message across MEA Coordination – then they can request better coordination

7. National Constraints Institutional Strengthening Poor attention in national strategic plans Lack of appropriate legislative frameworks Weak enforcement & monitoring systems

8. National Constraints Information, Gathering, Sharing & Management Lack or fragmented baseline data. Capacity Building Poor technical capacity to understandlegal language of MEAs

9. National Constraints Capacity Building (ctd) Inadequate time & resources to brief complex issues. Lack of $$ - Pacific delegations often have low technical & negotiations capability   Unable to effectively mobilise resources.

10. National Constraints Capacity Building (ctd) Financial, Technical and human constraints to implement MEAs Must depend on others (SPREP SOPAC) for briefings on MEAs (ongoing need).

11. National Constraints Education & Awareness  • Lack of political will (environment is low priority vs development) Environmental issues low priority (misconception - environment considered as anti-development). Poor awareness & appreciation of MEA role in sustainable development

12. Regional & International Constraints Lack of coordination amongst the MEA Secretariats. Clarify CROP backstopping Need standardised surveys & monitoring Standardised reporting for MEA reports

13. NATIONAL Recommendations Institutional Strengthening Review legislation, policy & processes Mobilise finances Establish or strengthen National Coordination Mechanism for Sustainable Development i.e. economic, social and environment sub- committees; inter-linkages amongst stakeholders

14. Recommendations on MEAs Institutional Strengthening Need national Environment Agency Ask regional organizations to assist PICTs Better data gathering & management Better salaries to stop loss of capacity

15. Recommendations on MEAs Capacity Building Assess human resource needs Build & retain human capacity Use international reporting processes: ·        BPOA+10 review process; ·        Millennium Development goals

16. Recommendations on MEAs Education & Awareness Raise awareness Use Barbados Programme Of Action & Millennium Development goals reviews showing weaknesses in MEAs; Identify & exploit international programs to implement MEAs; Learn from PICTS initiatives on MEAs,

17. Recommendations on MEAs Information Gathering & Management Review legislation, policy & practice Better data & information management & sharing Build stronger institutions - researching and monitoring

18. REGIONAL Recommendations Institutional Strengthening IGOs need resources to coordinate advice and implement Information, Gathering, Sharing & Management IGOs to be more effective in dissemination SPREP, CROP, SOPAC etc. should coordinate regional implementation strategies of MEAs

19. REGIONAL Recommendations Capacity Building in IGOs research constraints of MEA implementation; scope mandates to assist specific MEAs need resources to coordinate advice and implement; PICTs need Prep Coms before MEAs COPs

20. REGIONAL Recommendations Education & Awareness IGOs to follow recommendations of Interlinkages Between MEAs Use multilateral pacts to address MEAs e.g. Melanesian Spearhead Group, African Caribbean Pacific with EU; SPREP, CROP, SOPAC should coordinate regional implementation strategies of MEAs;

21. INTERNATIONALRecommendations Plan for Pacific sub-regional prep coms Recognise Pacific sub-region as autonomous from the Asia group at COPs Fund PICT Prep Coms for MEAs – ask SPREP to coordinate Coordination & decentralisation to regional blocs e.g. SPREP Simplify procedures for SIDS & PICTS to get funding e.g. GEF Harmonise & simplify MEA reporting & make available

22. Conclusions on MEAs Problems - National Have low environmental focus & will Have low capacity & funding Lack integrated national structures Problems– Regional Organisations Some confusion on who is doing what & ….. Lack the resources to assist Problems – MEAs Often low Pacific focus or presence Complex reporting (not integrated with other MEAs) Complex meetings Lumping different regions together at COPs

23. Conclusions on MEAs Solutions - Countries Need to ‘get their act together’ Will need help to do this e.g. training Develop integrated national structures Solutions – Regional Organisations Need to assist countries with MEAs Need the mandate & resources to assist Form Pacific groupings before / at global forums Solutions – MEAs Collaborate with each other – NOT compete Simplify reporting; combine meetings & reports Work with & through Regional Organisations Focus on conservation – not the process