Audrey Brown-Pereira

Audrey Brown-Pereira is a prominent Cook Islands diplomat, public servant, and poet, currently serving as the Executive Officer at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) since 2014. Born in 1975 on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, she has a rich cultural background that includes Cook Islands, Māori, and Samoan heritage. Brown-Pereira grew up in Papatoetoe, Auckland, New Zealand, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political studies and sociology from the University of Auckland.

Her career began at the Cook Islands Consulate General in Auckland from 1995 to 1997. She then returned to Rarotonga to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration. Over the years, she held various positions, including First Secretary at the Cook Islands High Commission in Wellington and Executive Administrator at the National University of Samoa. Brown-Pereira has also been involved in project management roles before her appointment at SPREP.124

In her role at SPREP, she focuses on critical environmental issues such as climate change and plastic pollution, actively participating in international conferences like the United Nations Climate Change Conference.135 Beyond her professional endeavors, she is also an accomplished poet, having started writing in 1994. Her poetry has been featured in various journals and festivals, contributing to her recognition as a voice for Pacific culture.1

Brown-Pereira currently resides in Samoa with her husband and two daughters.1