More than 100 decision-makers from the Pacific and beyond meet in Wellington next week for HOPS7, the region’s highest-level platform for planning and statistics. Co-hosted by SPC and Stats NZ, the week champions Pacific leadership and innovation with the theme ‘Setting the Trend’.
Pacific statistics, planning and development leaders gather in New Zealand for the 7th Regional Conference of Heads of Planning and Statistics (HOPS7), bringing together representatives from countries, territories, regional and international organisations for a programme of strategic meetings, international exchange and collaborative problem-solving from 3 to 7 November.
The week is co-hosted by the Pacific Community (SPC) and Stats NZ, in New Zealand for the first time. It will include a pōwhiri (Māori welcome), seminar and showcase, the 7th meeting of the HOPS itself, 17th Pacific Statistics Methods Board, 8th Donor and Development Partners Group, and first-ever Pacific Planners Forum.
SPC's Statistics for Development division helps develop statistical skills and systems in the Pacific, providing ‘hands-on’ assistance to national statistics agencies as well as coordination and training. Stats NZ is New Zealand’s official data agency, supporting the Pacific’s statistical development in partnership with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The 2025 theme, ‘Setting the Trend’, reflects confidence in Pacific innovation and leadership, says Mr Peter Ellis, Director of SPC’s Statistics for Development Division, and commitment to member-led, evidence-informed governance that drives resilient development.
“This week is about solving shared problems with Pacific leadership, innovation and collaboration,” Mr Ellis said. “This is a region that knows its priorities, understands its communities, and is building the statistical and planning systems to meet needs. HOPS7 is where this leadership comes together.”
A new platform for Pacific planners
A milestone this year is the establishment of the Pacific Planners Forum, a long-awaited space for planners to collaborate regionally.
In the Pacific, planners are the architects of national development: translating vision and evidence into strategy, aligning resources with priorities, and ensuring that progress is rooted in cultural values and community needs.
The planners will elect their leadership, set a multi-year work programme, and define how they want to engage with HOPS and other governance bodies.
The Forum’s foundational calls to action—anchoring planning in Pacific wisdom, navigating with strategic intelligence, and empowering through partnership—reflect the Pacific way to development, said Ms Ma'u Leha with SPC’s Strategy, Performance and Learning Division.
“As planners of the Blue Pacific, we serve as essential navigators, weavers, bridging the depth of ancestral wisdom with the aspirations of our future,” she said. “Our responsibility is to distil complex evidence into sound policy, and to cultivate a collaborative foundation for a resilient and prosperous region.”
Opening day: Culture, data and dialogue
The week will open with a pōwhiri at the marae (meeting house) of New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa. Delegates will be received by the Hon Dr Shane Reti as both Minister for Pacific Peoples and Minister of Statistics.
A seminar on migration and mobility in the Pacific will include an interactive panel on this topical matter, exploring how data could guide planning for the future.
Gender and disability inclusion
Delegates will visit New Zealand’s Parliament, the seat of government and a global symbol of equality as the first country to grant women the vote.
There, SPC and UN Women will jointly launch the Pacific Gender Outlook, the first regional snapshot of gender equality across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), equipping Pacific leaders with the data to close gaps, shape inclusive policies, and ensure no one is left behind.
Also launched will be the Pacific Regional Guidebook on Disability Statistics, ensuring persons with disabilities are represented in data. The guidebook provides statistics offices and policymakers with practical tools and methodologies to generate reliable, inclusive statistics that inform policy, tracks SDG progress, and supports full participation in society.
Innovations in statistics
An interactive showcase on the Monday will give delegates and partners the chance to discover the latest innovative projects and services supporting Pacific planning and statistics, notably the Pacific Data Hub open data platform and international Pacific Dataviz Challenge.
At the Pacific Statistics Methods Board, Pacific statisticians will present on cutting-edge experiments in data science, statistical registers, and real-time poverty monitoring. Tonga’s work on data governance and Tuvalu’s population register pilot are among highlights.
Looking ahead: Strategy, systems and shared direction
As the week progresses, delegates will turn their focus to long-term regional collaboration, with country updates at HOPS and hands-on sessions on coordinated planning through the Donor and Development Partners Group.
“HOPS7 is a gathering of strategic importance for Pacific development,” comments Ms Evelyn Wareham, Deputy Director of SPC’s Statistics for Development Division. “It’s a moment to align Pacific systems, voices and values around a common purpose: building governance that is fit for the future, powered by data, and rooted in Pacific leadership.”
For more information on this story, contact Mr Ben Campion, Communications Adviser, Statistics for Development Division, Pacific Community (SPC).
