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Convention for the Protection of the Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region

The 1986 Convention for the Protection of the Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region (SPREP) is a comprehensive, umbrella agreement for the protection, management and development of the marine and coastal environment of the South Pacific Region. Sources of pollution that require control under the Convention are listed as:

  • ships
  • dumping
  • land-based sources
  • seabed exploration and exploitation
  • atmospheric discharges
  • storage of toxic and hazardous wastes
  • testing of nuclear devices
  • mining
  • coastal erosion.

It also identifies environmental management issues requiring regional cooperation:

  • specially protected areas
  • pollution in cases of emergency
  • environmental impact assessment
  • scientific and technical cooperation
  • technical assistance
  • liability and compensation for damage resulting from pollution.

Under the 1986 protocols for the Prevention of Pollution of the South Pacific Region by Dumping (ratified on 3 May 1990) and Concerning Cooperation in Combating Pollution Emergencies in the South Pacific Region (ratified on 3 May 1990), parties accept more specific obligations to control pollution from discrete sources, or to cooperate in specific aspects of environmental management.

Note that the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, also known as SPREP, was formally established under a different agreement, called the Agreement Establishing the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, 1993, which was ratified by New Zealand on 16 December 1993.