REMARKS: Secretary General Baron Divavesi Waqa AT PIFS-PINA Media Workshop

The President of the Media Association of the Solomon Islands
Members of the Pacific Islands News Association 
Friends and colleagues from the media,

As we bring this important regional media workshop to a close, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to each one of you—for your presence, your passion, and your enduring commitment to the role of journalism in our Blue Pacific region.

This gathering, ahead of our Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, reminds us of a fundamental truth: journalists are not just observers of our regional story—you are part of it. You are the eyes and ears of our communities, the trusted voices that help our people make sense of the challenges we face, and the agents of accountability who help keep our institutions transparent and responsive.

The theme for this year’s Leaders meeting: “Iumi Together: Act Now for an Integrated Blue Pacific Continent” rings true in our partnership with the media.

Your work helps ensure that regional priorities—whether it's climate change, ocean governance, security, or economic resilience—are communicated with accuracy, urgency, and context.

These are not just policy issues. They are lived realities for our people. Your storytelling brings these realities to life in ways that policy documents alone cannot.

As Forum Leaders prepare to meet in the Solomon Islands this coming week, your role becomes even more vital. The decisions taken during the meetings of the Forum Leaders will shape the direction of our region for years to come. Your coverage, in a truthful, fair, accurate, and balanced way, will shape how those decisions are understood, debated, and remembered by our Pacific citizens.

I have been informed that 140 journalists from the region, the Solomon Islands, and around the world have registered and were successfully accredited to report on this year’s Meeting. This makes media the largest delegation to Honiara.

We recognise the challenges you face—limited resources, fast-changing technologies, and often, a lack of recognition. But I want to say this clearly: the Pacific Islands Forum sees you.

We value you.

We are committed to working with you.

And we reaffirm our continuous support to ensure that this regional media workshop is convened every year.

Let this workshop not be an end, but a beginning—a platform for stronger collaboration between Forum institutions and regional media.

Let us continue to further build upon established mutual trust, open dialogue, and shared understanding, so that together, we can amplify the voices of the Blue Pacific Continent.

To our hosts here in the Solomon Islands—thank you for your warm hospitality.

To all our media colleagues, we wish you well with your work and reporting during the coming week.

Tagio tumas, Tubwa and Vinaka vakalevu.

[ENDS]