Pacific Small Island Developing States are pressing for clear funding guarantees to ensure their full participation in the new high-seas biodiversity treaty, as a two-week Preparatory Commission session in New York centers on financing ahead of the treaty’s entry into force.
A representative from Papua New Guinea, speaking for the Pacific SIDS, urged that a voluntary funding mechanism be made available to help least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing States attend the first Conference of the Parties. He also called for a dedicated funding stream to support the participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. He noted that the final form of the financial rules will hinge on how the treaty’s secretariat is structured, highlighting the linkage between governance arrangements and financing needs.
The session comes as the treaty—adopted in June 2023—positions its entry into force to occur 120 days after the deposit of the 60th ratification. A CARICOM representative warned that without resources for participation, small states risk being sidelined, stressing that meaningful participation is foundational for ensuring their priorities are integrated into decision-making. Delegates also discussed the future shape of the treaty’s secretariat, with calls for a body that operates with sufficient independence and for a budgeting approach that supports a biennial cycle. The Preparatory Commission’s talks this week also focused on the Clearing-House Mechanism and secretariat arrangements.
This focus on financing resonates with broader biodiversity funding discussions taking place in parallel negotiations. Earlier conversations at CBD COPs have highlighted ambitious resource mobilisation goals, such as a strategy to raise about $200 billion per year by 2030 for biodiversity initiatives and to eliminate harmful incentives worth hundreds of billions of dollars, in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Pacific leaders have stressed the need for a global financing instrument for biodiversity and stronger support beyond bilateral and private-sector funding, calling attention to gaps in financing that threaten ecological resilience and Indigenous and local-community rights.
Context from regional and international discussions underscores the stakes for the Pacific. SPREP officials and Pacific negotiators have emphasized that a united regional stance can bolster demands for robust funding, better access to finance, and capacity-building to implement biodiversity projects while safeguarding the livelihoods of Pacific communities. Fourteen Pacific Island countries are Parties to the biodiversity framework, with a significant portion actively participating in key negotiations, and the outcomes of these discussions are expected to shape biodiversity action and regional resilience for years to come.
What this means for the Pacific
– Financing is as essential as the text of the treaty itself. Without predictable funding, meaningful participation by Pacific SIDS, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities could be constrained.
– Governance and budgeting arrangements for the secretariat must align with robust financial rules to ensure independence and sustainable operations.
– A broader, catalytic financing framework—potentially a global biodiversity financing instrument—could complement existing funds and mechanisms, helping the region meet its biodiversity and climate resilience goals.
Summary
Pacific Island leaders are pushing for dedicated and accessible funding to participate in high-stakes biodiversity negotiations and to ensure Indigenous Peoples and local communities have a voice. As negotiations continue, the region is reinforcing the link between governance, finance, and meaningful participation to secure a resilient ecological future for the Pacific.
Hopeful angle
The Pacific’s coordinated demand for financing signals a growing momentum toward inclusive, well-funded biodiversity governance. If financing mechanisms are designed with transparency and long-term stability, they could unlock practical action on safeguarding oceans, livelihoods, and cultural heritage across the region while influencing global biodiversity finance toward more equitable outcomes.
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