Environment
Moving Ahead Together
The emergence of shared ideals and vision
In promoting the best environmental interests of our region, it is important for SPREP to take a holistic approach to the way we, Pacific islanders live within our respective communities as well as our values and aspirations for the future.
All communities in the Pacific wish to improve their quality of life in an equitable manner that does not prejudice our cultural and social values or beliefs. We do not want to see developments that increase our vulnerabilities and risks to hazards and disease, nor that, which deplete the quality of water, soil, forests and coastal resources necessary for our survival and sustenance.
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An important means to achieve this goal is to determine how best to integrate environment and economic development — at the national and regional level. Obviously this is not an easy task. It is, however, at the heart of sustainable development and is currently topical with the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) upon us. Integration, coordination, suitable resources and consistent actions aimed at practical implementation of Agenda 21 are the key focuses of the WSSD. There are two functional aspects of linking environment and development for sustainable development. We hear much of the need for the "mainstreaming" of the environment in government, and sometimes in the same breath the need for "integration".
Briefly "mainstreaming" tends to deal with the political voids that become barriers to the mutual consideration of economic development and wise environmental management - so it is usually pitched at the top end level of governance. "Integration" calls more for action for balanced decision making and practice at all levels: in government, at the community level, in science, management, business development, in education etc. They are fairly similar concepts and are worth exploring at a time when we need better ways to implement practical ideas for quality of life improvements and the protection of our environment for the future.
SPREP has been active in promoting the mainstreaming of the environment and the integration of decision-making and practice for sustainable development for some time. The Environment Ministers Forum of the 10th SPREP Meeting in Tonga in 1996 noted that "sustainable development in the region can only be possible if economic development and environmental policies are mutually supportive". The statement called upon their regional cabinet colleagues at the Finance and Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) "to consider in the discussions the environmental implications of economic policy decisions, and to fully take into account environmental information that may assist in clarifying the range of sustainable development options".
These early arguments for action were entrenched as a major focus area in SPREP's Action Plan 2001-2004. SPREP now has a particular Key Result Area 'Sustainable Economic Development' targeting the integration of environment and development in decision making through a number of commensurate programmes. Ministers at the 13th SPREP meeting again reaffirmed their commitment to environmental protection and the sustainable development of natural resources noting the importance of institutional strengthening and integrating environment and development for these outcomes to be achieved. Partnering and collaboration between sister agencies of CROP (Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific) through regional preparations for the WSSD has lately seen positive moves at the regional level. In May this year with assistance from the World Bank, AusAID, NZAID and others, SPREP organised a meeting of High Level Ministers and Officials of Finance, Economic, Planning and Environment Ministries in Nadi, Fiji.
The forum's aim was to explore barriers to mainstreaming the environment and the integration of actions — using Adaptation to Climate Change as the theme. The outcome to this meeting was a communiqué nominating barriers and recommending actions to address them. From this meeting also came the recommendation for the mutual invitation of Chairs of the Finance and Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) and SPREP meetings to attend each other's respective annual Governing Council meetings.
At FEMM in July this year the Ministers discussed linkages of economics and the environment and took up the invitation to the 13th SPREP meeting held in Majuro. This has been a watershed event for the region in the push for integrating environment and development. It was a pleasure to have the Honourable Mr Sela Molisa, Vanuatu's Minister of Finance and Economics, and chair of the sixth FEMM held in Port Vila, attend and speak with Environment Ministers about the need for mutual actions at the regional and national levels.
The Minister spoke of the importance of those working in the fiscal arm of governments to acquire a keener perspective of the environment and to apply that knowledge base to economic and fiscal planning and policy development for the common good of the region. He stated that this was of paramount importance, and a crucial first step toward collaboration within and among governments as well as the private sector for sustainable development leading to a prosperous, secure and alluring Pacific.
The FEMM chairman and the Environment Ministers recognised the recent actions at the regional level reflected some significant changes in the manner in which the environment and the economy of the Pacific is now being viewed by leading politicians of the region. There was unanimous agreement between FEMM and the Environment Ministers that their respective Secretariats should pursue further positive actions to ensure the momentum is not lost. They heard of the intention by SPREP of a follow up to the Nadi High Level Meeting early in 2003, and the plan for a pre-FEMM Ministerial Workshop on Economics and Environment also in 2003 to which an invitation was offered and accepted by the chair of the 13th SPREP meeting. These planned events will be the means to ensure continued dialogue at the political level.
The Ministers consistent with their FEMM counterparts also conveyed their appreciation of the preparations undertaken by Pacific islands governments and CROP agencies, for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) now being held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Efforts for the mainstreaming and integration of environment and development at the regional and national level will provide the foundations for successful implementation of a number of WSSD initiatives generated by the Pacific Islands countries and territories.
The emergence of a series of shared ideals, and the gradual forming of a shared vision between FEMM and the region's Environment Ministers goes to the heart of much of SPREP's programming since the adoption of the Action Plan. Optimistically, these mutual endeavours will lead to paths for real advancement in sustainable development of the Pacific islands.
