Pacific Islands leaders meet with climate change, security on agenda

In the Solomon Islands, where the Pacific Island leaders are scheduled to hold their annual summit, climate change and security are expected to take center stage as China and the United States battle for control of the area.

The group’s small island states meet for a meeting on Monday, which started the week-long gathering in Honiara.

On Thursday, the 18-member forum’s leaders, including Australia and New Zealand, will retreat to Munda, a coastal town.

After the Solomon Islands banned those observers due to a dispute over Taipei’s attendance, the summit will this year take place without the two dozen donor partners, including China, the US, and Taiwan.

Three of the 18 forum members have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, three have US defense agreements, and several are French-territorians. There are ties to China between 19 of the members.

The Pacific Islands Forum’s secretary-general, Divavesi Waqa, stated that this year’s meeting will address “regional priorities,” including “climate change, ocean governance, security, and] economic resilience.

These are more than just policy issues, they say. Waqa told reporters on Sunday that they are lived realities for the people of our country.

The meeting’s theme, “Lumi Tugeda: Act Now for an Integrated Blue Pacific Continent,” according to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, “reflects the urgent need for regional unity and action.”

According to a statement, Manele said, “If ever there was a time that required stronger Pacific regionalism and collective action, it is now.”

After being critical of his predecessor’s close ties with China by Western critics, the leader of the Solomon Islands has previously defended his decision to outlaw foreign observers.

As the forum updates its rules for non-member participation, Manele told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) last month.

According to reports that the decision was related to a decision not to include Taiwan in this year’s meeting, the Pacific region must always lead, drive, and own their own agenda, Manele said.

He claimed that “we are not under any external forces.”

Solomon Islands is a sovereign country, so let me be very clear. Our government serves the interests of our country and the region.

The Pacific Islands leaders are expected to sign the proposed “Ocean of Peace” Declaration at this year’s forum, which is being signed by Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who said it comes as the region has experienced “catastrophic calamities caused by climate change” as well as “its rich resources exploited by many”.

According to him, the proposal includes guiding principles like “peaceful resolution of disputes” and “rejection of coercion,” as well as “protecting and recognising the Pacific’s stewardship of the environment.”

After visiting Vanuatu, Australia’s prime minister is expected to sign a landmark agreement to strengthen economic and security ties on Wednesday.

The United Nations’ top court recently ruled that states must immediately act urgently to address the “existential threat” of climate change by cooperating to reduce emissions, leading Vanuatu to lead an important case before the International Court of Justice.

In light of criticism of Canberra’s lackluster record on reducing its own emissions and fossil fuel exports, Australia will be on the agenda in Honiara to host the COP31 climate change meeting next year. This is a Pacific COP.

Australia has previously pledged to work closely with its island neighbors to raise awareness of the challenges that rising sea levels and storms pose to them.