SIDS (Pacific Island Countries) Consultation Meeting on new 3R and Circular Economy Declaration in Asia-Pacific (2024-2034), 14-17 May 2024, Apia, Samoa

The Untied Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) will co-organize the “SIDS (Pacific Island Countries) Consultation Meeting on the Pre-Zero Draft of New Declaration on 3R and Circular Economy and the Capacity Building Workshop” from 14 to 17 May 2024 at the headquarters of SPREP in Apia, Samoa. The meeting and workshop will be supported by the Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific (SWAP) project, the Japanese Technical Cooperation Project for Promotion of Regional Initiative on Solid Waste Management in Pacific Island Countries Phase 3 (J-PRISM 3), and SWITCH-Asia.

The Hanoi 3R Declaration and its 33 sustainable 3R goals for 2013-2023, agreed at the 4th Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific, which was co-organized by the Government of Vietnam, the Ministry of the Environment, Japan, and UNCRD in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, in 2013, was the first unprecedented voluntary commitment of Asia-Pacific countries in moving towards a more resource efficient and circular society. The past 3R Forums expressed strong support to develop a successor of the Declaration for 2024-2034, given the ongoing need for Asia and the Pacific countries to integrate sustainable production and consumption actions and circular economy principles in the overall policy, planning and development. Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement, among others, the new Declaration is expected to be discussed and agreed at the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in the Asia-Pacific in late 2024.

To this end, the consultation meeting aims to discuss and enrich the draft new Declaration from the perspective of SIDS and the Pacific Island countries, highlighting the issues and goals that need to be addressed in the Declaration. Following the consultation meeting, the two-day capacity building workshop is also expected to discuss key challenges and opportunities in the Pacific Island Countries in the areas of waste management, 3R and circular economy.

The meeting and workshop will be participated by government representatives of the Pacific Island countries (Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu) and local, regional and international organizations.