SPC pledges support for Solomon Islands in hosting the 9th Pacific Water Ministers Forum, aligning with PIF Leaders Meeting.
The Pacific Community (SPC) has committed to supporting the Solomon Islands Government in hosting the 9th Pacific Water Ministers Forum, scheduled to take place later this year.
The Pacific Water and Wastewater Association (PWWA) Secretariat will collaborate with SPC to assist in organizing the high-level forum, which aims to address critical water issues in the region.
As part of its preparations, SPC is finalizing a framework to integrate the forum’s outcomes into the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting, set for September. Aligning the Pacific Water Ministers Forum with the PIF is seen as a crucial step in ensuring that water-related challenges and solutions receive attention at the highest regional level.
The Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Mines, Energy, and Rural Electrification (MERE), Honourable Bradley Tovosia, MP, has been a vocal advocate for improved water quality in the Pacific. During the 8th Pacific Water Ministers Forum in the Cook Islands last year, he pushed for water issues to be prioritized at the PIF level. In response, SPC has taken the initiative to facilitate discussions on hosting the upcoming forum in Honiara and ensuring water concerns are adequately addressed at the regional leaders’ meeting.
In a recent meeting with Acting Prime Minister Tovosia, SPC’s Deputy Director for the Disaster and Community Resilience Program, Exsley Taloiburi, highlighted the importance of making water a legacy outcome of the PIF.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Rural Electrification, Dr. Chris Vehe, suggested that the Pacific Water Ministers Forum consider advocating for all Pacific nations to establish dedicated ministerial portfolios for water management. He also proposed the appointment of “water champions” in each Pacific Island country to drive water and sanitation initiatives.
The 9th Pacific Water Ministers Forum will take place ahead of the PIF Leaders Meeting in September. PWWA, a key stakeholder, will work closely with SPC and the local organizing committee to ensure the forum’s success.
PWWA envisions “Sustainable Water and Sanitation for Pasifika” and is dedicated to “strengthening advocacy, collaboration, and capacity-building for sustainable and resilient water and sanitation” across the region.
Source: OPMC
