Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka participated with Pacific Island Leaders in a high-level meeting alongside World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. The meeting, held at the Pacific Island Forum, highlighted the partnership between Forum member countries and the World Bank, which is based in Washington and is the largest and oldest multilateral development bank globally.
Banga’s visit to Fiji, Tuvalu, and Australia from September 4 to September 10, 2024, is notable as it marks the first such visit in 50 years. This gathering provided an opportunity for Pacific leaders to engage directly with the World Bank and gain insights into its strategies and approaches.
During the meeting, participants discussed priorities for economic growth, climate resilience, and sustainable development, all aimed at enhancing the livelihood and quality of life for Pacific populations. Discussions also focused on the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) future financing in the region and the vital replenishment of IDA resources to address the increasing demands in the Pacific.
Key initiatives are to be pursued through renewed efforts between the Pacific and the World Bank. These discussions were framed around significant regional strategies, including the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and the draft Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development (PRED).
Rabuka expressed gratitude to the World Bank for its contributions to infrastructure improvements and its role in Fiji’s development journey. He emphasized the World Bank’s commitment to collaborating on essential areas such as health, infrastructure, and job creation, which are critical for enhancing resilience and prosperity in the Pacific region.
The Prime Minister welcomed the possibilities for initiatives that foster economic growth, climate resilience, connectivity, sustainable tourism, and support for crucial sectors such as healthcare, education, energy, agriculture, fisheries, and infrastructure.
Rabuka reaffirmed Fiji’s commitment to regional solidarity and looked forward to a partnership with the World Bank that would yield tangible benefits for the development of the Pacific. In his remarks, President Banga praised the leadership displayed by Pacific leaders and reiterated the World Bank’s commitment to supporting the region’s economic development and climate resilience priorities.
The meeting concluded positively, with a commitment to work on an Outcome Statement and a joint action plan focusing on the key priorities for implementing the 2050 Strategy and the draft Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development (PRED).
Attendees included Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, Prime Minister of Tonga and Forum Chair; Baron Waqa, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum; Wesley Simina, President of the Federated States of Micronesia; Sitiveni Rabuka, Prime Minister of Fiji; Hilda Heine, President of the Republic of Marshall Islands; Seremaiah Nawalu, Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu; and David Adeang, President of the Republic of Nauru. Other leaders joined the meeting virtually, and some member countries were represented by their missions based in Suva.