Report of the meeting of Officials at the (4th) fourth Intergovernmental Meeting, Noumea, New Caledonia, 3-5 July 1991

Abstract

The Meeting was opened by Dr Vili A Fuavao, Director of the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), who welcomed delegates and called upon them to make firm decisions to facilitate both the implementation of the Action Plan and the inevitable evolution of SPREP into an autonomous regional organisation. Outlining the numerous tasks to be undertaken by this Fourth Interovernmental Meeting (IGM), Dr Fuavao referred to the two options identified by the Legal Working Group under which SPREP could evolve into an autonomous body. He highlighted the importance of reaching agreement on this important matter so that the ambiguities, uncertainties and confusion faced by the Secretariat were resolved, providing the Secretariat with clear operational direction for its future work.