We are stewards of the Blue Pacific Continent
Our ambition is for all Pacific peoples to live in a sustainably managed Blue Pacific Continent, while steadfastly maintaining resilience to threats to our environment.
Working Together as One Blue Pacific
Our ability to benefit from our ocean and environment depends on making the right policy choices, partnerships and investments. This includes adopting a precautionary and forward-looking approach to protect our biodiversity, environment and resources from exploitation, degradation, nuclear contamination, waste, pollution, and health threats.
Our regional approach is governed by the Framework for Pacific Oceanscape that addresses the sustainable development and management of our ocean; the Framework for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas that guides nature conservation planning, prioritisation and implementation; and Cleaner Pacific 2025 that addresses waste and pollution including regional marine litter and marine spill.
Our region continues to face issues linked to the depletion of some ocean resources and the degradation of marine ecosystem. This has led to security concerns; land and ocean pollution; lack of waste management and disposal; and inefficient use of energy.
The Pacific Ocean Commissioner advocates for the secure future of Pacific people based on the sustainable development, management and conservation of the Pacific ocean and its resources. Read more about the work of the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC)
Nuclear Issues
The Pacific's nuclear legacy and our ongoing commitment to a nuclear-free Pacific ensures that nuclear issues remain a standing agenda item for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.
From the South-Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Rarotonga Treaty), to Forum engagement with Japan regarding the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and the discharge over a million tonnes of treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, nuclear issues are part of ongoing advocacy.
Action in the Face of Climate Change-Related Sea-Level Rise
Our stewardship of the Blue Pacific Continent includes investing in sovereignty and sovereign rights over the Pacific's maritime zones and lands, to support continental shelf claims. Securing the legal certainty of the Blue Pacific, in the face of the existential threat of climate change, is at the heart of the 2050 Strategy and underpins the security and full realisation of the Blue Pacific Continent.
In 2019, Pacific Leaders committed to a collective effort to ensure that once a Forum Member's maritime zones are delineated in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, those maritime zones could not be challenged or reduced as a result of sea-level rise and climate change.
The Forum Secretariat is using international law to progress this ground-breaking work and building international alliances to deliver.
The 2021 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the face of Climate Change-related Sea-Level Rise has received strong international support from over 100 states and regional and international organisations, including the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) of 48 member States, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) with 39 member States, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with 79 member States, and The Commonwealth which includes 59 member States, and at the 2023 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
This was followed in 2023 by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Declaration on the Continuity of Statehood and the Protection of Persons Affected by Climate Change-related Sea-level Rise.
Pacific Ocean Leadership
Forum Leaders declare "we do not intend to review and update the baselines and outer limits of our maritime zones as a consequence of climate change-related sea-level rise"
Forum Leaders declare "the statehood and sovereignty of Members of the Pacific Islands Forum will continue, and the rights and duties inherent thereto will be maintained, notwithstanding the impact of climate change-related sea-level rise"
With 96 per cent of our region being Ocean, the Ocean is at the heart of our geography, our cultures and our economies.