Registration Closes 31 August for 9th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas

A major SPREP conference and significant event for the Pacific islands region, the Nature Conservation Conference takes place every 4-5 years. The 9th conference will be held in Suva, Fiji from 2-6 December at the University of the South Pacific's Laucala Campus and is expected to attract 800 delegates from within and beyond the Pacific region.

Conference participants will include government representatives, donor and development partners, NGOs and Pacific island communities, amongst others. Daily events will see delegates participating in plenary sessions, presentations on the state of conservation work in the Pacific, parallel events, workshops, and cultural displays emphasising the close links of the Pacific peoples with nature.

Outcomes of the Conference will shape nature conservation and biodiversity work in the region for the next 5 years, and will be consolidated in a new Action Strategy for Nature Conservation, 2014-2018. The Action Strategy is the primary output document produced at each Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas, drafted from priority areas identified throughout the course of the week's panel discussions, workshops, and case study presentations.

Preparations are well underway, with SPREP working alongside the host country - the Government of Fiji - and other Pacific-based NGOs to make this an exciting and inclusive event for everyone.

Registration for conference participants closes on 31th August, so register now to secure your place at this important event for the region!

Registration can be completed online at the conference website (www.sprep.org/pacificnatureconference/registraion). Costs and other conference details are also available at the website.

For further information, or if you would like to receive conference email updates, please contact the conference organisers via pacificconference2013@sprep.org.