Pacific forum opens with call for courage to tackle triple planetary crisis
We are not convened for ceremony but for courage, Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Lenora Qereqeretabua told delegates as the Major Groups & Stakeholders Forum opened in Nadi, ahead of the Sixth Forum of Ministers & Environment Authorities of Asia-Pacific. The gathering brings together government officials, civil society, academia, and business leaders as part of a broader regional dialogue on environmental action.
Qereqeretabua described the participants as custodians of a region that holds the destiny of more than half of humanity and the health of the planet itself. She warned that the Asia-Pacific sits at the epicentre of what she called the triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. For Pacific communities, this crisis is not theoretical; it is realized in rising seas that threaten ancestral lands, frequent storms that can destroy schools and hospitals in a single night, and plastics that wash ashore, choking the ocean that sustains generations.
The minister said the stakes are empirical, but the room contains immense power—the power of people and partnerships. Major groups and stakeholders have long acted as the conscience of the environmental movement. They are the innovators, the watchdogs, and the voices that remind leaders that policy without people is empty and ambition without action is betrayal.
The forum serves as a platform to translate passion into policy, and to push for concrete, bankable outcomes that communities can feel. It also underscores broader regional commitments, including safeguarding the Pacific’s rights to statehood and maritime zones even as seas rise, and ensuring that regional leadership remains inclusive and accountable.
Commenting on the path ahead, Qereqeretabua framed the Pacific’s role as more than a spectator in global climate talks. She emphasized that the region’s civil society, youth, and Indigenous knowledge are essential to shaping resilient, locally grounded solutions that reflect cultural realities while meeting international environmental targets.
Additional value and context
– This gathering is part of a coordinated regional push ahead of major international climate processes, including UNEA-7, with a focus on financing for action, accountability for polluters, and protections for present and future generations.
– Regional initiatives highlighted in related discussions include the Pacific Resilience Facility and the Blue Pacific Continent framework, which aim to turn dialogue into bankable programs that strengthen ocean governance, biodiversity protection, and coastal resilience.
– Indigenous knowledge and youth leadership are increasingly viewed as integral to designing climate action that is culturally resonant and practically implementable at the community level.
What to watch next
– Announcements on concrete financing commitments and cross-sector partnerships tied to UNEA-7 and regional initiatives.
– Progress on implementing bankable projects for coastal protection, biodiversity restoration, and sustainable fisheries.
– Ongoing integration of Indigenous knowledge and youth leadership into national plans and international negotiations, contributing to a just and inclusive transition.
Overall takeaway
The message from Nadi is clear: tangible financing, strong accountability, and inclusive leadership are essential to turning urgent climate discussions into durable, on-the-ground resilience for Pacific communities and the oceans they depend on. A more unified regional voice, coupled with targeted investments, offers a hopeful path toward protecting coastlines, restoring biodiversity, and ensuring a fair transition for Pacific nations.
Summary
A high-level forum in Nadi brought together diverse stakeholders to stress courage and action in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution in the Asia-Pacific. The forum underscored the Pacific’s frontline experiences, the need for real financing and accountability, and the importance of incorporating Indigenous knowledge and youth leadership to translate climate dialogue into tangible outcomes ahead of UNEA-7. The overarching theme is a hopeful push for concrete, bankable actions that benefit communities across the Blue Pacific Continent.
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