The Pacific region will soon benefit from a new Pacific Community Centre for Ocean Science after an agreement was made by Pacific Island countries and territories at the Pacific Community’s (SPC) governing body conference, held in Noumea, New Caledonia late last month.

The new centre will be hosted at SPC and draw on the scientific and technical expertise across the organisation’s different work programmes including fisheries and geoscience.

It will also look to complement on-going sustainable management efforts of the Pacific region’s oceanic resources.

The decision was made as Heads of State, representatives and development partners from 26 SPC’s country and territory members discussed the strategic direction of SPC as the organisation marked its 70th year of operations.

Discussions at the conference were centred around further exploration of innovative partnerships to support sustainable development priorities and efforts in the Pacific Islands region.

During the conference, Dr Colin Tukuitonga was re-appointed as Director General of SPC for a further two-year term.

The next SPC governing body conference will be hosted in the Cook Islands in 2019.

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region and has been supporting development since 1947.

It is an international development organisation owned and governed by its 26 country and territory members: American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, United States of America, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna.