At the conclusion of the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting in Suva Friday, leaders agreed to develop a long-term future strategy for the region, A 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, to address issues of mutual concern.   

This is among a range of recommendations to be put forward to Forum Leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum Meeting in Tuvalu from 13 – 16 August. 

Other key issues considered included progress and recommendations on the leaders’ priorities on climate change advocacy, regional security, ocean governance and human rights violations in West Papua (Papua).

“The scope of the discussions today (Friday), and the complexity of the issues on our table, demonstrate that we find ourselves at a pivotal moment for our Forum,” said Secretary General Dame Meg Taylor

“While we are the subject of the geo-political manuevering and strategies of others, the Blue Pacific collective remains focused on charting our own destiny.

“I thank the Chair, Ministers and members on the engaged discussions today (Friday), and the shared committment to ensuring a safe and propserous future for all our Blue Pacific people. We now look forward to the Leaders discussions in Tuvalu, and our work to put their decisions into action.” 

At the Special Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (F.E.M.M.) on Thursday, Ministers endorsed the proposal for a resilience facility for the region, and commended it to forum leaders for consideration.

“This Pacific Resilience Facility which focuses on preparedness, is a direct response to this region’s call for a financing platform that is easily accessible and is tailored to the needs of our Pacific economies,” said Nauru’s Hon David Adeang who chaired the Special F.E.M.M. meeting.

“It is a proposal that Forum Economic Ministers have continually shaped and guided since the idea of a regional financing facility was first introduced in 2015, and we are pleased to put it forward to leaders for consideration.

At the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting (F.F.M.M.) today, Ministers discussed a range of issues focussed under the theme of Securing Our Future in the Pacific.

“Today’s geopolitical environment calls for a reinvigorated approach to how we engage as a collective to ensure that those issues that our regional priorities are advanced. 

“In a context where climate change threatens our survival, multilateralism is failing, and geopolitical competition in our region seeks to divide us, committing to the future viability of our ocean continent, and making this commitment together, is not only a challenging task, but one that is deeply political.”