Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
October 5, 2026
NADI, Fiji – As the Pacific commences its hosting of the Pre-COP31 meetings in Fiji and Tuvalu, Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders are drawing on decades of climate leadership and advocacy to drive greater global ambition, keep 1.5°C within reach, and ensure that Pacific priorities and solutions are at the heart of global climate action.
Pacific countries were among the first to ratify the Paris Agreement contributing to its historic milestone as the fastest international environmental agreement to come into force, less than a year after it was agreed upon. It is fitting, therefore, that the world’s spotlight is focused on the Pacific as the ten-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement’s entry into force draws near.
“The Pacific has never been a bystander in the global climate conversation – we have been leaders in shaping it. As we come together for the Pre-COP discussions in Fiji and Tuvalu, we carry that legacy of leadership with a clear purpose: to keep 1.5°C within reach, advance Pacific-led solutions, and ensure global climate action delivers for the communities on the frontlines of this crisis,” said PIF Secretary General, Baron Divavesi Waqa.
The COP31 Türkiye and Australia partnership modality, with the Pacific a key player, is a unique and unprecedented opportunity to place Small Island Developing States, particularly Pacific priorities and issues, at the forefront of climate discussions and actions. This is an important opportunity to continue to demonstrate Pacific leadership in climate action, extending beyond advocacy to Pacific-led solutions.
The establishment of the Pacific Resilience Facility further demonstrates the region’s determination to shape financing solutions that respond to Pacific priorities and realities, with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent providing a long-term regional framework for collective action and resilience.
The Pre-COP meeting provides an opportunity to build on a powerful sequence of Pacific-led political commitments. Through the B.E.L.A.U. Declaration, Pacific Islands Forum Leaders issued a clear call for urgent and inclusive action to keep 1.5°C within reach. The Pre-COP31 Leaders’ events in Tuvalu and Fiji bring the realities of climate change into the discussions, further reinforcing the Pacific’s unified call for stronger global climate action, and ambition that must now be matched by implementation.
The Pacific’s call remains clear – keep 1.5°C within reach, accelerate the transition to a resilient and low-emissions future, scale up accessible and predictable climate finance, and ensure that those on the frontlines of the climate crisis are not left behind.
As the Pacific has consistently demonstrated, climate leadership is not only about speaking to the world about the challenges facing the Blue Pacific region. It is also about bringing solutions, building partnerships, and turning commitments into action.
Leave a Reply