Held approximately every five years since 1975, the Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas is the region's most important gathering for biodiversity policy and practice. Each Conference adopts a regional Framework that guides Pacific conservation work for the cycle ahead.
Series at a glance
- 11 conferences (1975 → 2026)
- ~5-year cycle
- Convened by SPREP + host country + PIRT
- 10 Frameworks adopted across 22 Pacific countries & territories
The Conference series
The first Pacific Islands Conference on National Parks and Reserves was convened in 1975 to provide a regional voice for Pacific biodiversity at a time when protected-area systems across the region were just being established. The series was later renamed to Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas as its scope expanded to cover the full breadth of Pacific biodiversity, threatened species, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and the connections between nature and Pacific cultures.
Each Conference brings together governments, inter-governmental organisations, conservation NGOs, donors, scientists, customary leaders and Pacific communities to chart the next five years of regional action.
Timeline · 1975 → 2026
- 1st · 1975 — Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. Pacific Islands Conference on National Parks and Reserves. Convened by IUCN with NZ Department of Lands & Survey; established the regional protected-area agenda and the rationale for a recurring 5-yearly forum.
- 2nd · 1979 — Sydney, Australia. Expanded participation to include Pacific Island delegations directly; early focus on marine protected areas as a regional priority.
- 3rd · 1985 — Apia, Western Samoa (now Samoa). First Conference held in a Pacific Island country; coincided with growing regional environmental governance — laid groundwork for what would become SPREP.
- 4th · 1989 — Port Vila, Vanuatu. Adopted the first regional Action Strategy for Nature Conservation in the Pacific Islands Region. SPREP formally established the same year as the secretariat for the regional environment programme.
- 5th · 1993 — Honiara, Solomon Islands. Renewed Action Strategy 1994–1998 adopted; strengthened linkages with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), opened for signature in 1992 at the Earth Summit.
- 6th · 1997 — Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. The Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation (PIRT) was initiated at this Conference to coordinate the many organisations active across Pacific conservation. The first PIRT meeting followed in 1998.
- 7th · 2002 — Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Adopted the Pacific Islands Action Strategy for Nature Conservation 2003–2007. PIRT moved from initiation phase to fully operational regional partnership coordinating 5-year strategy implementation.
- 8th · 2007 — Alotau, Papua New Guinea. Strategy renewed for 2008–2012 cycle; increased emphasis on community-based conservation and customary tenure as foundations for Pacific protected-area management.
- 9th · 2013 — Suva, Fiji. Adopted Framework for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas in the Pacific Islands Region 2014–2020 — a strengthened, results-focused successor to the Action Strategy series. PIRT mandated to lead implementation and monitoring.
- 10th · November 2020 — Noumea, New Caledonia (held virtually due to COVID-19, hosted from the Tjibaou Cultural Centre). 187 speakers, 1,800+ online participants. Adopted the Pacific Islands Framework for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas 2021–2025 and the Vemööre Declaration. Pacific leaders have since carried Vemööre to the global stage at CBD COP, the IUCN World Conservation Congress and other international fora.
- 11th · 7–11 September 2026 (upcoming) — Noumea, New Caledonia. In-person return after virtual 2020. Co-hosted by SPREP, the Government of New Caledonia and PIRT. Delegates will adopt the next regional Framework for Nature Conservation 2026–2030 and an updated Vemööre Declaration aligning Pacific commitments with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. A new State of Environment for the Pacific Islands region will also be released. Register for the 11th Conference →
Frameworks & Declarations adopted
Each Conference produces the Pacific's regional commitments for the next 5 years. The cumulative effect of these declarations is the foundation of contemporary Pacific biodiversity policy.
- 1989 (4th) — Action Strategy for Nature Conservation in the Pacific Islands Region
- 1993 (5th) — Action Strategy 1994–1998
- 1997 (6th) — Action Strategy 1998–2002 · PIRT initiated
- 2002 (7th) — Action Strategy 2003–2007
- 2007 (8th) — Action Strategy 2008–2012
- 2013 (9th) — Framework for Nature Conservation 2014–2020 (renamed from Action Strategy)
- 2020 (10th) — Framework 2021–2025 · Vemööre Declaration
- 2026 (11th) — Framework 2026–2030 · updated Vemööre Declaration · State of Environment Pacific (forthcoming)
Past frameworks & declarations are available in the documents library.
Why the Conference matters
The Conference cycle produces the Pacific's collective negotiating position on biodiversity. Pacific Island countries — small in size, large in ocean stewardship — speak with one voice at global venues like the CBD COP, the IUCN World Conservation Congress and the UN Ocean Conferences thanks to the regional consensus built every five years at this Conference.
Beyond policy, the Conference is where Pacific conservationists, government officers, scientists, NGO leaders and customary authorities meet face-to-face. It builds the relationships that drive the day-to-day collaboration in the years between conferences — through PIRT, its 6 working groups, and bilateral partnerships across the region.
Register for the 11th Conference → Conference 2026 details
