30 August 2024, Fiji – The APN Secretariat made a courtesy call to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and was welcomed by Ms Genevieve Jiva, Manager of the Climate Change Division and APN’s national Focal Point for Fiji. They discussed future collaboration in research and capacity building in Fiji, such as focusing on microplastics and other environmental issues aligned with Fiji’s research priorities and addressing global change issues.

2-3 September 2024, Samoa – The Secretariat visited the National University of Samoa and met Prof. Tuifuisa’a Patila Malua Amosa, Vice-Chancellor and President. The Secretariat introduced the APN call for proposals, exchanged information on their recent activities and discussed a potential link between APN and the Pacific Academy of Sciences.

The next day, the Secretariat visited the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and met Mr Sefanaia Nawadra, Director General; Ms Yvette Kerslake, Technical Adviser, Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC); and Mr Taiji Watanabe, Project Coordinator, JICA. They introduced their activities and discussed the challenges of engaging with the Pacific from Asia, as well as the importance of strategic stakeholder engagement and collaboration with local institutions. Both agreed on the need for clear frameworks and guidelines to ensure priorities align with regional needs. The Secretariat also had an opportunity to take a tour around the PCCC office building.