Press Releases
Looking for more press releases? Explore our full press release archive by date to access past announcements, news updates, and media releases published on Alofi Today.
Pacific adds voice as attention turns to proposed intersession work to advance plastics treaty development
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 30, 2024
28 April 2024, Ottawa Canada - As the clock ticks towards the final hours of the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine...
Voices of Pacific Women: Marjorie Wells
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 30, 2024
Negotiating a Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution including in the Marine Environment 29 April 2024, Ottawa Canada - Stepping into deep shoes at the Plastics Treaty now underway, this Pacific Islands women negotiator is showing she can...
Trusted Science must ground plastics treaty negotiations - Scientists Coalition
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 29, 2024
28 April 2024, Ottawa Canada - Scientific evidence shows that plastics and associated chemicals, including some bio-based plastics, are destabilising the biosphere, harming the natural environment and living organisms including humans, and...
FSM advocates for a dedicated multilateral fund for plastics to ensure the effective compliance and implementation of the future treaty
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 28, 2024
The Pacific is disproportionately affected by the global plastic pollution, contributing less than 1.3 percent but our ocean is inundated with bulk of the world’s transboundary washed away plastics which has serious negative environmental, health,...
Pacific negotiators feel the pressure as INC ramps up work to meet deadline
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 28, 2024
28 April 2024, Ottawa Canada - Delegates from 14 Pacific countries advocating their national and regional priorities at the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to develop an international legally binding...
Cook Islands joins plastic treaty proposal for chemicals of concern
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 28, 2024
26 April 29024, Ottawa Canada - The Cook Islands, a large ocean island state is making her mighty voice heard at the Plastics Treaty negotiations now underway. The island nation, with Rwanda, has co-sponsored a proposal by Norway on how to address...
Pacific Islands calls on the plastic treaty to include legally binding obligations and implementing mechanisms to address legacy plastics
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 27, 2024
26 April 2024, Ottawa Canada - The plastics treaty needs to include legally binding obligations that cover the full lifecycle of plastics including addressing legacy plastic already in the marine environment. The point was raised by Samoa, as the...
Voices of Pacific Women: Kathleen Taituave Afereti
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 27, 2024
Negotiating a Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution including in the Marine Environment 26 April 2024, Ottawa Canada - With a broad range of UN negotiations experience under her belt, Kathleen Taituave of Samoa, is a young negotiator...
Midway INC-4 update: Contact groups work to streamline revised draft text
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 27, 2024
26 April 2024, Ottawa Canada - The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4) in Ottawa Canada has reached...
Solomon Islands calls on the global community to address the gaps regarding chemicals of concern in the plastic treaty
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 26, 2024
Addressing the gap between the few chemicals in plastics that are regulated globally and the growing number of chemicals of concern that are known to be used in plastics but are not identified for listing either for elimination, avoidance and...
Plastic treaty should reflect comprehensive approach across full lifecycle of plastics – Kingdom of Tonga
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 25, 2024
25 April 2024, Ottawa Canada - An international legally binding instrument to address plastic pollution should reflect a comprehensive approach across the full lifecycle of plastics, respect national circumstances, and be accompanied by accessible...
Partnerships formalised at Plastics Treaty talks to empower a resilient Cook Islands
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 25, 2024
25 April 2024, Ottawa Canada - Enhancing Cook Islands capacity and learning opportunities when it comes to science, environment and legal policy is at the core of a partnership between the National Environment Service and Monash University in...
Balancing the scales, addressing the disproportionate impact of marine plastic pollution on indigenous communities in the Pacific
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 25, 2024
24 April 2024, Ottawa Canada – In the village of Nacamaki on the Island of Koro in Fiji, villagers would at certain times of the year take part in a sacred ancient ceremony where they would make their way to the beach, chant songs, sound the horn...
Voices of Pacific Women: Diana Hinge Salili
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 25, 2024
Negotiating a Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution including in the Marine Environment 24 April 2024, Ottawa Canada - Seeing this Pacific Island woman still active in the UN negotiation space is rewarding given the first time she was...
Samoa, as Chair of AOSIS, flags special circumstances of SIDS at plastic treaty talks
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 25, 2024
24 April 2024, Ottawa Canada - As officials and negotiators sift through the revised draft text of the international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)...
Pacific SIDS calls for global solidarity in addressing the plastics crisis, asks for high ambition
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 24, 2024
Vanuatu, speaking on behalf of the 14 Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), has made a call for the international community to work together in fulfilling its mandate to have an international legally binding instrument on plastic...
Voices of Pacific Women: Tekura Moeka’a
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 24, 2024
Negotiating a Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution including in the Marine Environment 23 April 2024, Ottawa, Canada - For this young Cook Islands woman, she found it was a matter of “fight or flight” when it came to her very first UN...
Canada shows the way to address plastic pollution and calls on members to make INC-4 count
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 24, 2024
23 April 2024, Ottawa Canada - Canada, the host country of the fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), is showing the...
Fiji calls on the plastics treaty to comprehensively address the full lifecycle of ghost fishing gear
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 23, 2024
21 April 2024, Ottawa Canada -Fiji contributes a fraction of one per cent of the global macroplastic leakages from abandoned, lost, discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) but bears a disproportionate burden on its devastating impact on marine life and...
Three-point Q and A with Chair of the Pacific Small Islands Developing States H.E Ambassador Odo Tevi
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
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April 22, 2024
21 April 2024, Ottawa, Canada - The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), is taking place from 23 to...