Trump cuts funding to SPREP and key agencies impacting the Pacific.

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has announced it will withdraw support for the South Pacific Regional Environment Program.

This is part of a major withdrawal by the US of financial support from organisations which deal with the environment and climate change.

Headquartered in Samoa, SPREP has supported dozens of low-lying island states to raise awareness at UN climate conferences about the so-called threat to their survival from rising sea levels caused by climate change, claims that are disputed by independent science.

The organisation employs more than 150 staff across Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and runs programmes to reduce pollution, improve warning systems for severe weather and plan for disaster response to oil spills. 

U.S. Withdrawal Affects Key Institutions Working with Pacific Island States.
Among those affected are several institutions that work directly with Pacific Island countries on climate policy, oceans governance, development planning, and disaster resilience.

Key organisations with Pacific mandates include:

Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the region’s primary environmental and climate coordination agency, supporting Pacific governments on climate adaptation, biodiversity protection, waste management, and oceans policy.

UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), which provides development planning, infrastructure policy, and disaster resilience support across the Pacific.

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the central forum through which Pacific states advocate on sea-level rise, climate finance, and loss-and-damage mechanisms.

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which assists Pacific economies with trade access, shipping, digital trade, and development finance.

UN Oceans, a coordination platform shaping global ocean governance, fisheries management, and maritime sustainability, critical issues for Pacific nations.

U.S. officials said withdrawals will be implemented “to the extent permitted by law,” with further reviews ongoing. The administration emphasised that the decision is based on domestic policy priorities rather than multilateral consensus.