Prime Minister Sitiven Rabuka addressed the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in the Kingdom of Tonga, emphasizing the power of a united Pacific voice. He stated, “Our unity is our dignity and strength.”
During his speech in the Forum Leaders Plenary Session, Rabuka highlighted the various existential security threats facing the region, such as the climate crisis, epidemics, terrorism, transnational organized crime, labor mobility issues, economic instability, and the decline of democracy in the context of competing geopolitical interests.
Rabuka noted that the Pacific has changed significantly over the past two decades. He pointed out that, according to the Boe Declaration, security encompasses more than just military concerns; it includes human security, economic stability, health, housing, law and order, and the impacts of rising sea levels and climate change.
He remarked that due to the relative isolation and small size of Pacific nations, these challenges seem overwhelming, stressing that hope lies in collective action.
Moreover, Rabuka likened the dynamics of the Pacific family to that of individual families, where differing perspectives and concerns can lead to disagreements driven by care for one another. He concluded by asserting that nothing, not even rising sea levels, should divide the region.