SPREP faces huge deficit

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The current cash flow problem for the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, or SPREP, is caused by some member countries not paying their outstanding contributions to the organisation - some as far back as 1991.

With an annual core budget of SUSSOO,OOO, it was still awaiting around SUS4OO,OOO from its members.

Dr Wren Green from New Zealand noted that SPREP was the “region’s newest and ‘shiniest’ organisation, with a high profile both internationally and in this region. Yet it is difficult to assure donors of member countries’commitment (to the organisation) if their contributions are not fully paid”. Dr Green chaired a committee that looked at this growing

problem.

There was much debate over the way contributions are currently paid. With 26 member countries, SPREP is the only

inter-govemmental regional organisation

in the Pacific with voluntary contribu tions from its members for its “core” - the funding it needs to run without any spe cial projects. An alternative method for collecting member contributions is when they are “assessed”, or compulsory.

Some delegations stated that voluntary contributions were the best way for their government to pay these funds - others disagreed, stating assessed contributions were best.

After further negotiations in the com ing year, a decision is expected at the next SPREP Meeting. This will be a ministeri al-level meeting that will review SPREP’s Action Plan, which steers the organisa tion’s work programme, and other major policy decisions.

Around eighty delegates from SPREP’s 26 member countries, as well as other regional and international agencies and non-government organisations, attended the three-day Eighth SPREP

Meeting in Apia, Western Samoa. This gathering is the region’s major annual meeting dealing with environmental problems of the Pacific islands.

Observers were also able to give state ments to the meeting. These included the news that SPREP will host the South Pacific Forestry Project, according to Dr Hari Dewan, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representatives based in Apia. This project is currently based in Suva and is funded by the United Nations Development Programme and FAO.

A local non-government organisation, O Le Siosiomaga Society, presented a strong statement to the meeting condemn ing France’s continued nuclear testing in French Polynesia and calling for an immediate halt. They presented the decla ration on behalf of a number of other non government organisations in Western Samoa. The meeting ended on 13 October.