Last updated: 24 April 2026

1. Introduction

This privacy policy describes how the Pacific Islands Roundtable ("PIRT", "we", "us") collects, uses, and protects personal data through this website.

2. Information we collect

We collect: information you provide (registration, contact form submissions, newsletter sign-up, PIELA nominations); usage data (with consent — anonymous analytics via Google Analytics 4); and technical data (IP, browser type, referrer).

3. How we use your information

To deliver site features (registration, agenda, bookmarks); to send service emails (confirmations, password resets, newsletters you subscribe to); and to improve the site via aggregated analytics.

4. Cookies

See the Cookie policy for details. We do not set non-essential cookies before you opt in.

5. Sharing your data

We do not sell your data. We share with service providers (mail, hosting) only as needed, under contract, and never for marketing purposes.

6. Your rights

You may request access, correction, deletion, or export of your data — contact us. EU/EEA visitors have rights under GDPR; Pacific visitors are covered by the equivalent regional protections.

7. Data retention

Registration data is kept for 7 years (audit). Newsletter subscriptions until you unsubscribe. Analytics data 14 months max.

8. Security

We use HTTPS, encrypted database backups, and access controls. Despite our care, no internet transmission is 100% secure.

9. Contact

Questions? Email the PIRT Secretariat via the contact form. Final legal text supplied by PIRT/SPREP legal — placeholder copy.

Last updated: 24 April 2026

1. Acceptance of terms

By using this site you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.

2. Use of content

Content (text, images, documents) is owned by PIRT or its members. You may share with attribution for non-commercial use; commercial reuse requires written permission.

3. User contributions

By submitting content (abstracts, posters, comments) you grant PIRT a non-exclusive licence to display it on the site and in conference materials.

4. Accounts

You are responsible for the security of your account. Notify us immediately of any unauthorised use.

5. Intellectual property

All trademarks (PIRT, PIELA, SPREP, member logos) belong to their respective owners.

6. Disclaimer

The site is provided "as is". PIRT is not liable for indirect or consequential losses arising from use of the site.

7. Changes

We may update these terms; the "Last updated" date will reflect changes.

8. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of Samoa, where the PIRT Secretariat is hosted by SPREP.

Final legal text supplied by PIRT/SPREP legal — placeholder copy.

Last updated: 24 April 2026

1. What are cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help sites remember preferences and measure usage.

2. Cookies we use

Necessary (always on): session, language preference, cookie-consent record. Analytics (with consent): GA4 (_ga, _ga_*) — anonymised IP, expiry 14 months. Marketing: not used.

3. Managing cookies

You can withdraw consent at any time via the cookie banner at the bottom of any page, or by clearing site data in your browser.

4. Third-party cookies

Embedded third-party content (YouTube videos, Twitter timelines) may set their own cookies — we do not control these. We aim to use privacy-preserving embeds where possible.

5. Retention

See the table above for per-cookie expiry. Necessary cookies are removed when you close your browser.

6. Contact

Questions about cookies? Contact us.

Final legal text supplied by PIRT/SPREP legal — placeholder copy.

Our mission

To safeguard Pacific biodiversity through coordinated, indigenous-led, and science-grounded conservation across the 22 island countries and territories of the Pacific.

Vision

A Pacific where nature and people thrive together — where reefs, forests, and traditional knowledge are passed on stronger than we received them.

How we work

Governance

PIRT operates under a steering committee of representatives from its 18 member organisations. The Secretariat is hosted by SPREP in Apia, Samoa. See governance for the full structure.

History

The Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation has met every two years since 1998.

1. 1998
   PIRT founded

   Inaugural Pacific Islands Conference convenes at Apia, Samoa with 9 founding member organisations.

2. 2008
   Coalition expanded

   Membership grows to 14 organisations; first dedicated Secretariat established at SPREP.

3. 2018
   PIELA awards launched

   First Pacific Islands Environmental Leadership Awards held at PIC9, Suva.

4. 2024
   2024–2028 strategy adopted

   Five-year strategic plan endorsed at PIC10, Apia, Samoa.

5. 2026
   PIC11 in Noumea

   11th conference convening 200+ delegates 7–11 September in New Caledonia.

Our mission

To safeguard Pacific biodiversity through coordinated, indigenous-led, science-grounded conservation.

Placeholder copy.

Governance

PIRT operates under a steering committee of representatives drawn from member organisations.

Placeholder copy.

Secretariat

The PIRT Secretariat is hosted by SPREP in Apia, Samoa.

Role at PIRT

Birdlife International (Pacific) is a founding member (BIRDLIFE) of the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation. Birdlife International (Pacific) contributes regional expertise and networks to PIRT working groups, partner programmes and the Pacific BioScapes initiative — supporting the four-year Pacific Islands Framework for Nature Conservation across all 22 Pacific Island countries and territories.

About the organisation

Birdlife International (Pacific) operates across the Pacific from a base in Fiji, contributing to nature conservation through capacity-building, technical assistance, partnerships with member states and civil society, knowledge management, and direct programme delivery on the ground. As a PIRT member, Birdlife International (Pacific) aligns its regional priorities with the Roundtable framework agreement and reports against pan-Pacific biodiversity targets.

Active programmes that intersect with PIRT

• Pacific BioScapes — EU-funded action managed by SPREP; Birdlife International (Pacific) contributes regional or thematic expertise across the workstreams.
• NBSAP coordination — supports member countries' updates of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
• GBF Target 3 (30×30) — area-based conservation work, including marine protected areas, indigenous-led conservation areas and trans-boundary corridors.
• Conference 2026 — co-delivers the 11th Pacific Islands Conference for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in Noumea.

Working group involvement

• Nature-based Solutions Working Group (NbSWG) — active member.
• Pacific Area-based Conservation Network (PACoN) — active member.
• Pacific Species Working Group (SWG) — active member.

View all PIRT working groups →

Last updated: 24 April 2026

1. Our commitment

The Pacific Islands Roundtable is committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. We aim for conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

2. Standards

This site is designed and tested against WCAG 2.1 Level AA. We use automated testing (Pa11y CI, Lighthouse) on every release plus manual screen-reader testing on key flows.

3. Accessibility features

• Skip-to-content link on every page
• Keyboard navigation for menus, dropdowns, and forms
• Visible focus indicators on all interactive elements
• Alt text on all informative images
• Color contrast ratios meeting AA on all text
• Bilingual EN/FR with proper lang attributes
• Honors prefers-reduced-motion

4. Known issues

We are working on the following items:

• Some embedded third-party content (e.g. registration payment widget) may not yet meet AA — being addressed with the gateway vendor.
• Older PDF documents in the library are being remediated; new uploads from 2026 onward are accessible.

5. Feedback

If you encounter an accessibility barrier, please contact us. We aim to respond within 5 business days.

6. Preparation of this statement

This statement was prepared in April 2026 by the PIRT digital team and SPREP communications. It is reviewed quarterly and updated when significant changes are made to the site.

Pacific leaders gathered in Apia last month to formally endorse the PIRT 2026 roadmap — a comprehensive five-year framework for coordinated biodiversity conservation across all 22 Pacific Island Countries and Territories. The roadmap, developed over 18 months of regional consultation, establishes binding commitments on marine protected area coverage, indigenous knowledge integration, and climate finance mobilisation. Its adoption marks the strongest political alignment on Pacific conservation priorities since the founding of the network in 1998.

The roadmap was endorsed by environment ministers from 16 PICTs, with the remaining six signalling intention to endorse following domestic consultation processes expected to conclude by mid-2026. Key commitments include the establishment of a permanent Pacific Biodiversity Monitoring Council, the creation of a regional biodiversity emergency fund capitalised at USD 25 million over five years, and the development of a Pacific-specific reporting framework aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets.

PIRT Executive Director Dr Amelia Bale described the endorsement as a turning point for the network. "For the first time, we have a document that carries both political authority and operational specificity," she said at the closing session. "Every commitment in the roadmap has a named responsible party, a timeline, and a measurable indicator. That accountability architecture is new, and it matters."

Implementation of the roadmap will be overseen by a new Regional Steering Committee meeting quarterly, with PIRT providing technical secretariat support. The first quarterly review is scheduled for July 2026 in Port Vila, where member organisations will present initial implementation plans aligned with the roadmap priorities.

A new USD 2 million funding pool dedicated to community-based reef monitoring has been established through a partnership between PIRT, the Coral Triangle Initiative, and three bilateral development agencies. The pool provides grants of USD 50,000 to USD 200,000 to community organisations conducting systematic coral reef surveys using the Pacific standardised monitoring protocol, with a particular focus on sites identified as climate refugia — areas where reefs have shown greater resilience to recent bleaching events.

The funding pool responds to a critical gap identified in the 2025 State of Pacific Reefs report, which found that fewer than 30 percent of high-priority reef sites in the Pacific are monitored with sufficient frequency and standardisation to detect meaningful trends. Community-based monitoring offers a cost-effective solution that simultaneously builds local capacity and generates scientifically credible data, but has historically been underfunded relative to academic and government-led monitoring programmes.

Applications for the first funding round are now open and will close on 31 July 2026. Eligible applicants include registered community organisations, conservation NGOs, and indigenous community groups operating in one or more Pacific Island Countries and Territories. Applicants must demonstrate access to trained monitors using the PIRT standardised protocol and must commit to uploading data to the Pacific Biodiversity Information Facility within 30 days of each survey.

PIRT member organisations can access technical assistance for application preparation through the Grants Intelligence Service. Priority will be given to applications from countries with less than three existing permanent monitoring sites and from organisations monitoring sites identified as climate refugia in the 2025 State of Pacific Reefs report.

The organising committee for the 11th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation (PIC11) has formally opened the call for abstracts, with submissions accepted across six thematic streams. The deadline is 30 April 2026. PIC11 will convene in Noumea, New Caledonia from 7 to 11 September 2026, bringing together conservation scientists, indigenous leaders, policy-makers, and practitioners from across the Pacific and beyond.

The six streams reflect the core priorities of the PIRT 2026 roadmap: marine and coastal ecosystems; terrestrial biodiversity and forests; climate adaptation and resilience; indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge; youth leadership and capacity; and biodiversity finance and justice. Submissions are welcome across all formats — oral presentations, interactive workshops, panel discussions, lightning talks, and field demonstrations. The programme committee particularly encourages submissions that integrate indigenous and scientific knowledge systems and that present findings from community-led monitoring or conservation projects.

Abstract submissions should be 300 to 500 words and must specify the proposed stream, format, and presenter biography. All abstracts will be reviewed by a programme committee with representation from each of the six streams. Accepted presenters will be notified by 15 June 2026 and will be eligible for a discounted registration rate. Priority travel support is available for early-career researchers and indigenous knowledge holders from Pacific Island Countries and Territories with limited access to research funding.

The full call for abstracts, including submission guidelines and stream descriptions, is available through the PIRT website. Prospective presenters are encouraged to review the programme principles, which prioritise Pacific voices, community relevance, and actionable findings over purely theoretical contributions.

PIRT's Indigenous Knowledge Working Group convened its second plenary meeting of the year in Suva last month, bringing together 28 knowledge holders, researchers, and conservation practitioners from 11 Pacific Island Countries and Territories. The meeting focused on developing the implementation framework for the Traditional Knowledge chapter of the Pacific Biodiversity Strategy 2026–2030, endorsed at the regional assembly in March.

The core output of the meeting was agreement on a set of Pacific Traditional Knowledge Protocols — a framework governing how traditional ecological knowledge is documented, used, attributed, and protected within regional biodiversity programmes. The protocols draw on customary law principles from participating communities and are designed to complement, rather than replace, national intellectual property frameworks. They establish requirements for free, prior, and informed consent, benefit-sharing arrangements, and community veto rights over the commercial application of their traditional knowledge.

Joe Vakatale, Chair of the working group, described the protocols as the most significant output in the group's history. "We have been told for years that traditional knowledge is valuable, but the systems around us were not built to protect it or to compensate the people who hold it," he said at the closing session. "These protocols change that — they create enforceable expectations, not just aspirational language."

The working group also agreed to establish a Pacific Traditional Knowledge Registry, to be hosted by the University of the South Pacific and governed by a board of indigenous knowledge holders. Development of the registry is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026, with the first community documentation cohort enrolling in early 2027. PIRT member organisations working on traditional knowledge documentation are invited to apply to participate in the pilot cohort.

Role at PIRT

Conservation International (CI) is a founding member (CI) of the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation. Conservation International (CI) contributes regional expertise and networks to PIRT working groups, partner programmes and the Pacific BioScapes initiative — supporting the four-year Pacific Islands Framework for Nature Conservation across all 22 Pacific Island countries and territories.

About the organisation

Conservation International (CI) operates across the Pacific from a base in Samoa, contributing to nature conservation through capacity-building, technical assistance, partnerships with member states and civil society, knowledge management, and direct programme delivery on the ground. As a PIRT member, Conservation International (CI) aligns its regional priorities with the Roundtable framework agreement and reports against pan-Pacific biodiversity targets.

Active programmes that intersect with PIRT

• Pacific BioScapes — EU-funded action managed by SPREP; Conservation International (CI) contributes regional or thematic expertise across the workstreams.
• NBSAP coordination — supports member countries' updates of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
• GBF Target 3 (30×30) — area-based conservation work, including marine protected areas, indigenous-led conservation areas and trans-boundary corridors.
• Conference 2026 — co-delivers the 11th Pacific Islands Conference for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in Noumea.

Working group involvement

• Nature-based Solutions Working Group (NbSWG) — active member.
• Pacific Area-based Conservation Network (PACoN) — active member.
• Pacific Species Working Group (SWG) — active member.

View all PIRT working groups →