Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is urging unity across the Pacific, warning that instability remains the region’s most significant threat. In a address delivered in New Delhi to the Indian Council of World Affairs, he highlighted how the Blue Pacific has historically been a backdrop for wars and weapons testing, and he framed the Ocean of Peace as the shared aspiration for stability, prosperity, and security across the region. Fiji’s first Foreign Policy White Paper, released last year, underscores the risks of division and conflict that threaten such a peaceful future.
Rabuka noted that a draft Ocean of Peace Declaration has already been endorsed by Pacific Islands Forum officials and ministers, and he said it is set to be brought to the leaders when they meet in the Solomon Islands next month. The declaration and the broader Ocean of Peace concept are central to a series of regional discussions about how best to manage strategic competition, climate risks, and transnational threats while safeguarding self-determination and development in Pacific Island countries.
As the Pacific moves toward formal adoption, the Ocean of Peace framework is anchored by twelve guiding principles. These include commitment to non-coercion, respect for international law, the freedom of navigation and overflight, environmental protection, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. The aim is to ensure that security and development advance together, rather than being treated as opposing imperatives.
The push for a united Pacific aligns with ongoing security conversations led by the Pacific Islands Forum and its secretary-general, who have emphasized the need for collective action to address the region’s complex threats. The discussions are tied to broader regional strategies that seek to balance sovereignty with regional resilience, climate adaptation, and sustainable economic growth, including the broader Blue Pacific plan for 2050.
Rabuka’s remarks echo the sentiment that true peace goes beyond policing and military power. They emphasize building strong communities, safeguarding shared values, and speaking with a single regional voice to deter external pressures and to advance common development goals. Observers see the Ocean of Peace Declaration as a potential milestone that could define regional cooperation for years to come, with Solomon Islands serving as the stage for its formal consideration.
What to watch next:
– The Solomon Islands Leaders Meeting, where the Ocean of Peace Declaration will be discussed for possible adoption.
– Reactions from Forum members and partner countries as they respond to the declaration and its guiding principles.
– How the Ocean of Peace framework will interact with the Boe Declaration and other regional security efforts, including climate resilience and sustainable resource management.
– Follow-up on concrete cooperative projects in fisheries management, environmental protection, and disaster risk reduction that align with the Ocean of Peace vision.
Summary
Rabuka’s New Delhi remarks reinforce a long-running Pacific strategy focused on unity, dialogue, and the balance between security and development. With a formal Ocean of Peace Declaration moving toward adoption at the Solomon Islands leaders’ meeting, Fiji and its Pacific partners are positioning themselves to chart a peaceful, prosperous course for the Blue Pacific by 2050 and beyond, grounded in regional cooperation, respect for international norms, and a collective response to climate and security challenges.
Additional note
Analysts may look for how the Ocean of Peace and its 12 guiding principles will shape engagement with external partners and whether the declaration gains broad consensus across Forum members ahead of the Solomon Islands gathering.
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