NBSAP Accelerator Partnership | Recent News

August 2025

The Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC) of Vanuatu is advancing the update of its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) across the nation’s outer islands, ensuring the voices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities are central to shaping Vanuatu’s biodiversity future.

Recent consultations have focused on gathering traditional ecological knowledge, identifying community-level conservation priorities, and promoting culturally appropriate approaches to sustainable resource use. This inclusive process supports the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly Target 3, which recognises Indigenous and traditional territories and safeguards community rights over lands and resources.

“Communities are the custodians of biodiversity,” said Rolenas Tavue Baereleo, Principal Officer (Biodiversity and Conservation) at DEPC. “Their perspectives are essential to building a national strategy that is truly connected to our land and sea.”

With support from the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, DEPC has produced informative banners, including in Bislama, to better communicate key biodiversity messages. DEPC also showcased its work during Vanuatu’s Public Service Week, engaging directly with the public.

Looking ahead, the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership will fund an upcoming Private Sector and NGO consultation workshop in Port Vila at the end of August, ensuring all sectors can contribute to shaping Vanuatu’s renewed biodiversity strategy.

Stay tuned with Vanuatu’s progress and other country members on our Recent News page. Curious about the Facilitator Programme? Learn more about its role in accelerating NBSAPs here. 

The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership is a country-led global initiative that supports the implementation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) to collectively achieve the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and, ultimately, the global vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050. It is co-chaired by Colombia and Germany and supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection (BMUV) through its International Climate Initiative (IKI), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), through the global project “GBF Implementation,” implemented by GIZ. Its work is facilitated by a Global Coordination Unit (GCU) hosted by the Secretariat of the CBD, UNDP and UNEP.