Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa criticizes geopolitical manoeuvring, urging Pacific leaders to prioritize issues affecting the region’s people.

He points out that the Pacific is not immune to the impacts of international conflicts and rivalries on regional peace and security.

Waqa calls on leaders to uphold UN Charter principles and resolve disputes through peaceful means.

The PIF Secretary-General stresses that Geopolitical manoeuvring is irrelevant to the Pacific people who are facing other immediate threats.

“Geopolitical manoeuvring means nothing to Pacific peoples who have cyclones coming over the horizon. Geopolitical manoeuvring means nothing to Pacific peoples who have water lapping at their doorsteps due to sea level rise. Geopolitical manoeuvring means nothing to Pacific peoples who are focused on building resilience, peace, and prosperity for our families, communities, nations, and our region.”

Waqa emphasizes the need for collective efforts to address the impact of global war, instability, and peace breakdown on the Pacific.

“The conflict in Gaza, and tensions in the South China Sea continue to reverberate across the globe, and the Pacific is not immune. On account of these developments, Pacific peoples have been affected by supply chain disruptions which have added to inflationary pressures and made the cost of basic goods – food, medicine, fuel, and so on- very difficult for many of our people.”

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka highlights the importance of regional agreements for collective action.

“We have the Boe Declaration on Regional Security, which declared the Pacific to be a region of peace. And we have the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, our regional guide to the future.”

PIF Leaders also emphasize the necessity of collective efforts to address the impact of global conflict and instability on the region.