SPC Geoscience Division

The 2012 STAR Conference will be held in Noumea, New Caledonia from November 3rd to 6th, and hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and L’Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD). As in recent years, there will be a joint session with the Circum Pacific Council.

The STAR Conference will immediately precede the 2nd Meeting of the SPC Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC Division) and the 42nd Meeting of the SPC Conference of Regional Governments and Administrations (CRGA). Note that no membership is required to attend the meeting and no conference registration fee is charged.

STAR was founded in 1984 as a vehicle to assist the international research community to provide advice to SOPAC. A strength of STAR has been its ability to mobilise science to address the national needs of Pacific island nations and provide, as an independent and voluntary body, an important scientific and advisory role. SPC has requested the continuation of this relationship following the integration of SPC and SOPAC in January 2011.

Thus, as in recent years, STAR’s Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Groups will continue to provide independent commentary on SPC/SOPAC’s work programmes, and all delegates to the STAR conference are invited to attend the SOPAC Division meeting that will follow STAR and contribute their technical expertise to the discussions.