Pacific Islands Forum foreign ministers on 22 May 2026 endorsed a collective regional response mechanism under the Biketawa Declaration to tackle an emerging energy crisis that is straining economies, services and livelihoods across the Blue Pacific. The Special Session of the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting (FFMM) was held virtually and chaired from Honiara by Solomon Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Rick Houenipwela, with the support of Forum Secretary General Baron Divavesi Waqa.
The meeting followed a decision by Forum Leaders in April to invoke the Biketawa Declaration and establish a coordinated regional arrangement to guide action as the crisis unfolds. Ministers used Friday’s Special Session to share national experiences and detail the growing pressures from rising energy costs, uncertainty over fuel supplies and broader disruptions tied to the prolonged Middle East conflict. They said those pressures are now intersecting across multiple sectors — notably transport, shipping, aviation, public services and household livelihoods.
“The decision by Leaders to invoke the Biketawa Declaration, and to convene this Special Session of the FFMM, reflects the seriousness with which the Forum is approaching this evolving situation,” Houenipwela told ministers. He said the move underlines the need for “regional solidarity, effective coordination, and timely collective action” as developments continue to unfold. Secretary General Waqa warned the episode exposed the region’s vulnerability to external shocks transmitted through global fuel markets and international supply chains.
Ministers acknowledged a rapid, recent push by regional agencies to inform the Forum’s response. In the weeks leading up to the Special Session, the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) established a dedicated taskforce to compile regional data, analysis and policy advice. That CROP Taskforce will provide the evidence base to support leaders’ decisions under the Biketawa Declaration, ministers said, although details on reporting timelines and the taskforce’s operational arrangements were not released at the meeting.
The ministers emphasised why a regional mechanism matters: disruptions to maritime and aviation services and volatility in fuel prices risk undermining connectivity, public service delivery and the economic resilience of small island economies that already face tight fiscal margins. The endorsement under Biketawa signals an intent to move beyond individual national responses toward coordinated measures — from information sharing and logistics planning to joint diplomatic engagement with supplier states and partners — though specific actions were left for further development.
Invoking Biketawa for an energy shock marks a notable application of the 2000 declaration, which has previously underpinned Pacific-led coordination in governance and security matters, including past deployments of electoral observers. Forum ministers at the Special Session reaffirmed the declaration’s continuing relevance as a mechanism for regional coordination and practical response in times of crisis.
As the situation evolves, ministers said Forum members will remain closely engaged and rely on the CROP Taskforce’s consolidated analysis to shape collective action. The Special Session formally endorses the regional mechanism; next steps will centre on translating that mandate into operational measures to stabilise fuel supplies, mitigate costs for vulnerable communities, and protect essential services across the Pacific.