Climate Change Tops Agenda at Pacific Islands Forum Meeting.

PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM

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Context:

The Pacific Islands Forum's annual meeting held in Nuku ’alofa, Tonga, focused on the climate change challenges.

The Pacific Island Forum (PIF) annual meeting held in Nuku'alofa, Tonga over 1500 delegates from 40 countries attended.
It is an important platform for the Pacific region, as it allows member states to discuss issues such as climate change and the increasing influence of China and the United States In the Pacific region.

Climate Change

●Climate change is the main issue for PIF this year.

●The forum is made up of some of the most climate-vulnerable nations in the world with the majority feeling threatened by sea level rises.

Climate change for these island nations lies not in the domain of environment — but in survival.

●The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report during the meeting, which shed light on some worrying trends.

Over the last 30 years, sea levels across the South West Pacific region have risen at a rate greater than twice that of global averages.
Ocean warming and acidification — both increasing rapidly with human activity — pose significant risks to these islands.

●The forum highlighted the concern that;

Rising seas mean more storm surges and coastal flooding that devastate coastal communities.
Fisheries are migrating in search of cooler waters to stay healthy,
Changing growing conditions threaten crops including corn (most US-grown variety), cocoa (where this goes too will go all chocolate) and others.

●In response, PIF members are calling for climate finance.

●The Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), a regional financing mechanism, is still short of $380 million to reach its target of US$500m.

China-US Geopolitical Tussle

●A key topic of discussion was the increasing competition in the Pacific region between China and the US.

●China's recent security and policing agreements with the Solomon Islands have been cause for concern for Australia and other members.

●The leaders of the forum made it clear that their primary concerns are different from those of their larger partners.

●They pointed out that the security issues important to Pacific nations are not always aligned with those of global powers.

The Pacific Islands Forum is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1971 to help coordinate cooperation between its New Zealand, Australian and island nation members.
The objective of the forum is to achieve expansion, economic development and political consolidation while maintaining a regional security balance and collaboration all around.
It is composed of 18 member states. Australia and New Zealand are some of the richest and as well as biggest countries in the organization, other member states include Papua New Guinea, Fiji Tonga Cook Islands etc.
The Forum meets at the level of Heads of Government each year and, in between Forums, holds its Post-Forum dialogue meetings with development partners on a global basis.
Annual meeting decisions are made by consensus and are implemented through the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat —–the organization's executive arm.

Regional Cooperation:
- - It strengthens unity among island nations which are different from each other in terms of culture and language as well as economic status.
  - They stand together on global issues, especially within international bodies like the United Nations.
Climate Change Advocacy:
- - In the South Pacific, rising sea levels and unprecedented climate events challenge islands such as Tonga.
  - The PIF has called for broader support from the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters to combat climate change.
Economic Development:
- - The Forum is central to economic integration and regional cooperation among its members.
  - It enables trade agreements like the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER Plus), which create even greater opportunities for businesses to establish and grow their operations in the region.
Security and Stability:
- - It focuses on regional security challenges such as maritime illegal fishing, human trafficking and transnational crime.
  - The Biketawa Declaration is a declaration agreed to by all the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum emphasizing the framework for coordinating response to regional crises.

Climate Change Impacts:
- - The Forum is facing significant challenges in addressing climate change impacts.
  - The lack of resources in the member countries makes it difficult for them to take coordinated adaptation and mitigation measures.
  - Sea levels are expected to rise by 1 metre in some Pacific islands, which could cause their extinction due to rising sea levels encountered during this century.
Economic Vulnerabilities:
- - Pacific Island nations are highly exposed to external shocks, including global economic downturns and natural disasters.
  - Due to the relatively small size of their economies, the forum is usually unable to adequately protect its members from climate-related vulnerability.
Geopolitical Tensions:
- - The Pacific region is slowly turning into a theatre of great power competition as major players such as China, the US and Australia compete for increasing influence in the Pacific.
  - It can create a split in the Forum as member states form different coalitions on account of being loyal to one power or another.

The Forum must continue to place a high priority on climate change mitigation and adaptation, using international support with proper financing for sustainable development programs.
Expanding beyond sectors like tourism and agriculture can help to diversify economies—limiting exposure to shocks.
The Forum should support innovation and investment in renewable energy, fisheries & digital technologies
It must overcome internal divisions; the PIF should develop its existing mechanisms for dialogue and consensus.
The Forum should build a balanced relationship with other countries, ensuring the partnership of major powers is based on mutual respect and not impeding sovereignty.