SUVA, 02 April 2026 — A new stocktake of regional action on the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy finds measurable progress since the Implementation Plan was endorsed in 2023, but warns that limited capacity, patchy funding and uneven national alignment risk slowing delivery of promised outcomes, according to the 2025 Progress Report on Regional Collective Actions (RCAs).
Compiled by the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) agencies, the report covers activity from endorsement in 2023 through to mid-2025. It was presented to leaders at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara and is the most detailed public account so far of how the RCAs — a package of coordinated steps across climate, ocean management, economic development, security and social wellbeing — are being turned from regional policy into on-the-ground programmes.
“Efforts to implement the RCAs support the region’s long-term vision of ‘a resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity,’” the report says, while also making plain that implementation is uneven. CROP agencies report improved coordination and a stronger regional cooperation framework, but note that translating collective commitments into national budgets, laws and programmes remains a major hurdle for several members.
A central finding is the continuing need to align national priorities with regional commitments. Some Forum members have advanced quickly in adapting national plans to the 2050 Strategy; others face acute constraints — from a shortage of technical staff and limited institutional capacity to gaps in domestic budgets — that slow progress on priority RCAs. The report singles out capacity constraints and funding shortfalls as recurring impediments across multiple sectors.
Recognising those weaknesses, the report says monitoring and reporting arrangements are being strengthened to give leaders clearer, more frequent information on progress and gaps. CROP agencies are refining indicators and reporting cycles, and establishing better mechanisms to surface where technical support or financing is needed. The aim is to move from periodic updates to a more active tracking system that can inform timely adjustments and targeted assistance.
The timing of the progress report matters as external pressures mount. The document highlights that the region faces intensifying climate impacts, economic shocks and shifting geopolitics — including heightened interest in seabed minerals and competition for critical resources — which increase the stakes for coordinated regional action. Recent high-level discussions on deep-sea mining and growing international interest in Pacific rare earths have underlined the need for coherent regional positions and robust governance to protect communities and environments while pursuing development opportunities.
CROP stressed that political commitment is strong but not sufficient on its own: sustained financing, strengthened national capacities and international partnerships will be required to maintain momentum. The report calls on Forum members and development partners to prioritise resourcing for implementation, saying partnerships remain vital to scale up technical assistance and fill funding gaps identified in the RCA roll-out.
The 2025 progress report will feed into the Forum’s next planning cycle and follow-up discussions among CROP agencies. Separately, regional institutions are continuing to bolster technical capacity — for example, the Pacific Community (SPC) recently appointed Dr Andrew Jones as deputy director-general for Science and Capability — developments that could support the evidence base for RCA implementation if coupled with the increased resources the report says are needed.
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