Vemööre Declaration : Commitments to nature conservation action in the Pacific Islands region, 2021-2025

“Vemööre” is a term in the Kwenyï language spoken by people from the Isle of Pines in New Caledonia. It is used to highlight a collective commitment and responsibility to implement the principles of life, to preserve balance, to build alliances, and to respect the word between people and between the spirits of our environment.

The Declaration directly states that the global biodiversity crisis is an “existential threat to the Pacific Ocean, the Pacific islands, and to Pacific peoples”. Under the Vemööre Declaration, Pacific island countries and territories declared that the global biodiversity crisis is urgent and that transformative action must not be delayed, as the crisis is an existential threat to the Pacific Ocean, the Pacific islands, and to Pacific peoples.