Sefanaia Nawadra is the new Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).
Announced at the 30th SPREP Meeting of Officials which concluded this afternoon, Nawadra, a national of Fiji, will take over at the helm of the Pacific’s premiere organisation for the conservation of the environment from his predecessor, Kosi Latu, who has served as Director General since 2016.
Nawadra is currently the Head of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Pacific Office based at the SPREP Campus in Vailima, Samoa. He is no stranger to SPREP, having worked for the Secretariat in previous years in many different roles, with his last role being the Director of the Environmental Monitoring and Governance programme before he took up his current position with UNEP.
The Secretariat’s Members – comprised of 21 Pacific island and 5 Metropolitan countries and territories, confirmed Nawadra’s appointment from a pool of high calibre applications who underwent a rigorous selection process.
“SPREP Members would like to congratulate Nawadra on his appointment as the new Director General, and we look forward to working with him at the helm of SPREP. We have every faith that he will continue the work of the great leaders who came before him in ensuring that we foster a resilient Pacific environment that will sustain our livelihoods and natural heritage in harmony with our cultures, for present and future generations,” said Mika Perez of Tokelau, Chair of the 30th SPREP Meeting of Officials.
Nawadra will officially begin his duties on 4 April 2022. Kosi Latu, has had his contract extended to 03 April 2022, and will continue to serve as the Director General until Nawadra assumes his new role.
SOURCE: SPREP/PACNEWS
