Pacific Community of Practice

Note: previously the Asia-Pacific Community of Practice was grouped together, however due to both CoPs expanding, the Secretariat has divided the communities to separate CoPs for Asia and for the Pacific.

The GOAP Pacific Community of Practice (PCoP) is a regional collaboration platform bringing together governments, international organisations and research institutions to promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity development in the field of ocean accounting within the Pacific.  This CoP is led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), closely coordinated with Kami Pasifiki  and the Pacific Community (SPC). 

 Pacific CoP Objectives 

• Support countries in the Pacific with the development and implementation of ocean accounts. 
• Assist countries in the Pacific to mainstream ocean accounting into ocean governance tools, economic accounts and national development planning. 
• Demonstrate how ocean accounts can support evidence-based decision-making and policy development to underpin the sustainable development of the ocean*.* 
• Showcase how information on the ocean and ocean resource-use can be utilised to produce statistics and indicators to aid sustainable development decision-making. 
• Provide a communication and collaboration platform for regional GOAP member institutions and regional stakeholders to engage in mutual capacity building and share knowledge on ocean accounting. 
• Promote learning through training and the creation of new knowledge to advance the development and uptake of ocean accounting in the Asia-Pacific 

Pilots 

• Ocean Accounts for Fiji: a focus on Mangroves 

Pacific Fellows 

The Ocean Accounts Fellows Program is an interdisciplinary initiative that brings together experts from Africa, Asia and the Pacific with the aim of enhancing ocean governance through innovative research. 

As part of the Pacific Fellows program, the GOAP Secretariat collaborates with Kami Pasifiki to support three fellows across the region from Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.

Resources 

ESCAP maintains a Regional Ocean Accounts Platform and has developed the following resources: 

• Scoping reports, presentations and final reports for national ocean accounts pilots in China, Canada, Malaysia, Samoa, Thailand and Viet Nam. 
• Training materials on the Ocean Accounts Framework (Overview, Tools and Methods, Linking to the SEEA Central Framework, Ecosystem Extent and Condition, Ecosystem Services Supply and Use, group exercises). 
• Training materials on environment statistics (FDES, SEEA Central Framework, SEEA Ecosystems). 
• A Global Ocean Data Inventory which includes descriptions of data on spatial units, ecosystems and their condition, services provided by these ecosystems and how these services are used. 
• A feasibility study for Mapping Global Ocean Ecosystems and the feasibility of integrating these data into a user-centric Pacific Ocean Accounting Portal. 

Meetings 

• 1-5 July 2024 | Talanoa | Bali, Indonesia 
  At the Global Dialogue on Sustainable Ocean Development in Indonesia, the Pacific CoP convened for a Talanoa knowledge sharing event. Participants discussed the next steps for sustainable ocean development in the region, highlighting regional needs and priorities. 
• Ongoing virtual meetings with the GOAP Secretariat 

Contact 

We encourage you to reach out to us for more information, for assistance with your ocean accounting projects, or collaboration opportunities within the PCoP. 

Contact: Liz Hollaway, Researcher, GOAP.