Furthering commitments to nature: Melanesian Spearhead Group and IUCN ink partnership

Through the MOU, both parties agree to develop a mutual partnership to address nature conservation and promote sustainable development in the region.

At the signing today, both the MSG Secretariat and IUCN Oceania heads recognised the significance of the joint collaboration and what it meant for the Pacific region.

“MSG Leaders envision that green growth shall be the pillar of MSG Members’ development into the future as championed in the Leaders Declaration on Environment, Climate Change, and Green Growth Goals. Therefore the MSG region has a lot of opportunities to offer in terms of strengthening our efforts in the areas of climate change, environment protection, conservation, and other sustainable development initiatives,” Ambassador Yauvoli, MSG Director General remarked. 

He further added that “I am pleased to note that the objectives of this MOU is to establish an effective collaborative partnership between IUCN and MSG to jointly undertake actions towards the achievement of the respective mandates in relation to nature conservation and sustainable development through complementarity and reciprocal support and other principles of collaborations as outlined in this MOU”

Established in 2007, the MSG is an intergovernmental organisation comprising the four Melanesian states of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, and the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front of New Caledonia.

“The IUCN Oceania Regional Office looks forward to working closely with the MSG Secretariat to find common approaches to common challenges facing the MSG countries, especially so now given the threat posed by COVID19 and the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Harold. It is only by working together in partnership that we can truly bring to the fore the benefits that valuing and conserving nature can bring to our local communities”, said Mason Smith, Regional Director of IUCN Oceania.

For over 70 years, IUCN has been a unifying force for biodiversity conservation and continues to work with its Members and partners to support and pursue the importance of nature, both for nature and humanity.

The MOU will make way for joint implementation of activities in areas such as biodiversity, forest landscape restoration, sustainable forest management, climate change, disaster risk management, food security and planetary health.

The signing took place earlier today at the IUCN Oceania Regional Office.