OPENING REMARKS by Sefanaia Nawadra – Director General – SPREP

SAMOA, May 20 - Hon. Fiame Naomi Matafa – Prime Minister of Samoa

Hon Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster – Minister of Natural Resources and Environment

Hon Seuula Ioane – Minister of Education Sports and Culture

Country Delegations Members of the Diplomatic Corp,

CROP Members UN Agencies Donors and partners from governments,

Non-government Organizations and the Private Sector and lastly but most importantly Members of our Ocean and Climate Scientific Community Bula Vinaka, Talofa lava and good morning

1. A warm welcome to the 4th Pacific Ocean Pacific Climate Change Conference (4POPCCC). SPREP and the Pacific Climate Change Centre is pleased to collaborate with the National University of Samoa and Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) in co-hosting the fourth Pacific Oceans Pacific Climate Change Conference here in Samoa. I am encouraged that there is interest from other universities in the region to host the next conference.

2. The Synthesis Report of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Cycle for climate action tells the story of an escalating global issue, threatening human health, development aspirations and the environment on which our well-being depends. We are faced with the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss and waste and pollution in addition to climate change.

3. Science plays a key role in informing the climate and other international environmental negotiations processes. Some countries continue to block meaningful negotiation and action on the climate -ocean nexus. Providing critical scientific evidence and information is needed to build the case for climate action and urgency for implementation. In the pacific we need to rapidly build our capacity to do the science needed for science-based solutions to address our climate and environment related challenges.

4. Our Ocean, Our Home – Climate Resilience for a blue pacific. The theme and the meeting this week speak volumes of the need for commitment and a dedicated space through this conference to share the science that we are doing and discuss what science is needed to better manage our Pacific Islands region to allow our Pacific Island communities to thrive and prosper. Climate and Disasters and Ocean and Environment are two of the thematic areas under the 2050 Blue Pacific Strategy our Leaders have put in place. SPREP and SPC lead both these themes. A week ago, SPREP successfully re-convened after a hiatus of 7 years the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable. We also now have the mandate to convene a Ministerial for Climate Change Ministers. This conference can be part of the regional architecture to implement these two themes of the 2050 Strategy to ensure the scientific voice is engaged in implementation and the strategies continual improvement and revision.

5. We at SPREP are co-hosting through our Pacific Climate Change Centre. I thank the Government of New Zealand, the Government of Australia and the Government of Japan for your investment in the Pacific Climate Change Centre that allows us to play this convening and technical support role. Through this conference we contribute to the 4 objectives of the PCCC – Research, Knowledge brokerage, capacity building and innovation.

6. I thank our co-hosts Victoria University of Wellington and National University of Samoa.

7. I wish you all well for the conference and know you will gain inspiration from each other to work together to address our existential challenges. I value the outcomes of the conference and pledge to do what I can to ensure it backstops negotiations, policy and implementation.

8. Faafetai, Vinaka Vaka Levu and thank you