After the Workshop: Delivering on Biodiversity and Legal Obligations

This article was originally published by UNDP in their website.

In the Pacific, biodiversity is not a luxury — it is a lifeline. It feeds us, protects us, defines us. But safeguarding it requires more than policy declarations, it demands financing strategies that work for people and nature alike. That was the driving force behind the BIOFIN Pacific Inception Workshop, held from 7–10 July 2025 in Pacific Harbour, Fiji.

Bringing together government officials from 15 Pacific Island Countries and Territories, the workshop officially launched the regional implementation of the GEF-8 funded Pacific BIOFIN Umbrella Programme, a landmark step toward designing and resourcing National Biodiversity Finance Plans that are actionable, inclusive, and grounded in country realities. 

The tone for the workshop was set from the outset.

As Permanent Secretary for Fiji’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Sivendra Michael stated:

“Biodiversity is not a luxury. It is the foundation of our economies, our food systems, our resilience, and our identity. If we fail to finance it properly, we are not just failing nature—we are failing ourselves.”

From UNDP, Deputy Resident Representative Abduvakkos Abdurahmanov echoed this urgency:

“This is not just a workshop, but this is the start of a new chapter for the Pacific. With BIOFIN, we are working together to unlock financing that reflects the true value of biodiversity. It is about bridging the gap between environmental protection and sustainable development.”

From Global Goals to Local Action

The workshop provided a hands-on learning space to demystify the BIOFIN methodology, explore the climate-finance-nature nexus, and develop first-year workplans tailored to each country’s priorities.  

It was jointly facilitated by technical experts from the UNDP BIOFIN Global Initiative, the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, the UNDP Samoa Multi-Country Office, and the UNDP PNG Country Office, reflecting a whole-of-region approach to biodiversity finance.

Participants engaged in practical sessions on Policy and Institutional Reviews, Biodiversity Expenditure Reviews, and Finance Needs Assessments and Biodiversity Finance Plan which allare all key pillars in unlocking and sustaining biodiversity finance.

A consistent thread emerged: Pacific countries are ready to lead.

“BIOFIN challenges us to think beyond frameworks, to make biodiversity finance real, practical, and inclusive for our communities”, said Kiribati’s Director of Environment and Conservation, Nenenteiti Ruatu.

On Day 3, participants traveled to Naidiri Marine Park in Nadroga which a shining example of community-led conservation. Guided by local leaders, the visit offered more than just scenery, but it reminded delegates that finance must flow to where stewardship already exists. Protecting biodiversity is not only about preserving species, but also about supporting the communities that rely on it daily.

“Seeing how communities, like Naidiri Village finance their own biodiversity initiatives was eye-opening. It’s something we can take back and build into our national systems.”— Julia Marango, Project Development Officer, Ministry of Climate Change, Vanuatu

This message echoed strongly in discussions: finance mechanisms must be people-centered, flexible, and rooted in the Pacific’s customary governance systems.

Financing the Future, Together

The BIOFIN Pacific Programme is made possible through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and co-financing from the European Union, Flanders State of the Art, and the Governments of Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Their partnership signals strong trust in Pacific leadership and a commitment to close the biodiversity finance gap.

“Biodiversity must be a government priority. We need clear plans, strong focal points, and resources that reach our communities.” 
— Simione Tokai, Principal Economist, Ministry of Finance, Tonga

“We face unique financing challenges on remote islands. BIOFIN helps us identify our gaps and work together to close them.” 
— Rosalind Yatilman, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Emergency, FSM

A Preliminary report from the workshop revealed that while 71 percent of participants felt reasonably confident in leading biodiversity finance planning, many requested further technical support. Key concerns included institutional fragmentation, capacity gaps, and timeline misalignment with national planning cycles.

However, the energy in the room and on the reef, pointed to a region rising to meet the challenge.

Pacific Values, Global Vision

The Pacific BIOFIN workshop reaffirmed that financing biodiversity is not only a scientific or economic task, but also a cultural and moral one. Participants repeatedly emphasized that framing matters (“tied to livelihoods, not losses”), language matters (“simple, contextual, clear”), and above all, leadership matters — not just from ministries, but from local champions and communities.

As countries start developing their Biodiversity Finance Plans (BFPs), many are aligning these plans with their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), particularly Targets 15, 16, 18, and 19. They are also integrating their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and national budget frameworks to ensure that biodiversity is mainstreamed into broader development agendas.

The workshop was also a reminder that real transformation happens beyond the venue.  

As Professor Andrew Seidl, Senior Technical Advisor for the UNDP BIOFIN Initiative, shared:

“It’s a very exciting time for BIOFIN in the Pacific. Once folks go home and recharge, the real work begins — rolling up sleeves, finishing the stakeholder maps, completing the assessments, and connecting BIOFIN to other regional efforts.

The Pacific faces unique challenges, but these are also opportunities. Any solution for biodiversity finance here must also address climate adaptation, gender equity, and the stewardship roles of coastal communities. BIOFIN can offer a new platform and a new way of thinking — but it must be done by people on the ground.” 

Building on this, Merewalesi Laveti, Team Leader (a.i) for Resilience and Climate Change at UNDP Pacific, reinforced the importance of country ownership:

“This workshop was just the beginning. What matters now is how we turn shared learning into lasting action. The Pacific is not starting from scratch — we have deep knowledge, strong partnerships, and communities already leading the way. BIOFIN gives us the tools to bring it all together, to design finance solutions that are grounded, inclusive, and built for impact.”

What Comes Next

The workshop concluded with country teams drafting their initial plans, joining a new Pacific BIOFIN Community of Practice, and committing to regular peer learning. The momentum now shifts to national implementation: embedding BIOFIN tools in government systems, engaging stakeholders across sectors, and developing finance solutions, from community trust funds to green and blue bonds.

This work also gains renewed legal and moral weight in light of the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion on climate change. The ICJ reaffirmed that states have clear obligations under international law to protect ecosystems, prevent environmental harm, and safeguard the rights of present and future generations.  

For Pacific Island Countries, which are at the frontline of both biodiversity loss and climate impacts, this opinion underscores the urgency of financing nature as a cornerstone of climate justice.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Risiate Biudole, Communications Analyst, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, risiate.biudole@undp.org