14 September 2011: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) are working with Niue to remove pesticide contaminated soil through a project on improved regional pesticide management.

The initiative was announced during a side event of the 22nd SPREP meeting in Apia, Samoa, and it is expected to provide a demonstration of how similar efforts will be carried out in other countries of the region. The activity is part of a larger project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), titled “Pacific POPs Release Reduction Through Improved Management of Solid and Hazardous Wastes,” which focuses on Pacific pesticide management in an effort to improve both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. [SPREP Press Release] [IISD RS Sources]