Pacific nations grappling with climate-driven loss and damage are pressing for fast, decisive action from regional leaders in the wake of the ICJ’s advisory ruling, veteran civil society leader Drew Havea said this week at the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable on Loss and Damage in Apia, Samoa.
The roundtable comes after the ICJ affirmed that climate change is causing irreversible loss and costly damages, and that responsibility lies with the developed world. The ruling—described by Havea as a milestone—has energized Pacific voices and global climate advocates who have argued for decades that remedies, including potential compensation and accountability, are warranted for losses already underway as sea levels rise and extreme events intensify.
Despite a mood of optimism, Havea cautioned that much of the discussion remains rhetoric unless concrete actions follow. With the 54th Forum Leaders meeting in the Solomon Islands approaching in less than a month, he expressed concern about gaps in clarity and access for civil society to participate in the regional process, including host-country People’s Forum spaces and side events. He urged leaders to act in a Pacific-led manner and to ensure that civil society, women, youth, and affected communities are not left behind.
Pacific Forum Foreign Ministers are expected to set the agenda for the Honiara meetings, but Havea said the region still needs clear information on how civil society dialogues will be conducted. Will civil society and private sector voices be heard? Where and how will side events be organized? How can a timely feed-in from civil society reach leaders in time for decision-making? These questions, he said, must be answered quickly if Pacific messages on loss and damage are to shape regional and international actions.
In Suva, civil society circles report ongoing planning for the People’s Forum as part of the Forum Leaders’ program, though questions persist about hosting arrangements and partner participation, especially with development partners expected to be less present this year. Havea, who chairs the Civil Society Forum in Tonga, noted that his own experience with the People’s Forum in Nuku’alofa demonstrated how meaningful faces-to-face dialogue can be when there is space and information to mobilize communities.
The discussions in Apia also highlighted a broader ecosystem of regional action that has been building for years. The Second Pacific Loss and Damage Dialogue in Apia—preceded by a surge of regional financing and technical support channels, including the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage and the Santiago Network—aims to translate advocacy into practical, locally driven solutions. Regional projects coordinated by SPREP, funded through New Zealand and Germany, are designed to strengthen national dialogues, generate evidence, and pilot community-led responses. Youth engagement is a central pillar, with a regional youth dialogue on loss and damage recently concluding and many young delegates joining ongoing conversations to ensure Pacific voices inform policy at all levels.
Civil society sources in Suva confirmed that the People’s Forum and civil society attendance with Leaders will proceed in Honiara, coordinated through the Pacific Regional NGO network with leadership from PANG and PIANGO. Havea suggested that roundtable decisions should feed into a formal note or white paper to guide SPREP’s outreach when leaders meet, helping to amplify Pacific positions on loss and damage as momentum from the ICJ ruling translates into concrete policy and funding.
Even as the Pacific community celebrates progress—from the ICJ advisory opinion to new funding channels and coordinated regional capacity-building—the emphasis remains on turning dialogue into results: better access to information, timely engagement with leaders, and financing that reaches the communities most affected by climate change.
Additional comments and context
– The ICJ advisory opinion is seen as a powerful legal and political tool to hold states to account and to catalyze stronger mitigation and adaptation measures, though it does not in itself create enforcement mechanisms; translating it into action requires political will and clear funding pathways.
– SPREP and partner financing are increasingly positioned to support national dialogues, evidence generation, and community pilots that can inform funding priorities and delivery on the ground.
– Youth participation is expanding regional capacity to document and communicate loss and damage locally, helping ensure cultural and non-economic losses are included in policy debates and financing decisions.
Hopeful outlook
The Pacific’s sustained advocacy, growing international mechanisms, and rising youth engagement provide a stronger platform for locally tailored, rapid responses to loss and damage. With ongoing dialogues, targeted capacity projects, and practical financing channels, there is potential to translate the momentum from the ICJ ruling into concrete protections for Pacific peoples, livelihoods, and cultures.
Summary
The Apia roundtable frames a pivotal moment for Pacific loss-and-damage work, linking the ICJ ruling to regional action, civil-society participation, and youth-led engagement. As leaders prepare for the Honiara forum, civil society seeks timely information, inclusive spaces, and funding mechanisms that can turn advocacy into real, community-level outcomes.
Additional value and potential follow-ups
– Track whether civil society access arrangements for the Honiara Leaders Meeting are published and how they will be implemented.
– Confirm the content and timing of the concept note or white paper that could synthesize roundtable outcomes for leaders.
– Monitor the rollout of SPREP-backed Loss and Damage Capacity and Capability projects and the Building Our Loss and Damage Response initiative to see how they feed into national dialogues.
– Interview youth delegates who participated in the regional loss and damage dialogue to capture concrete-to-policy pathways they envision.
– Explore how the West Papuan self-determination issue is being addressed within Pacific regional climate and disaster discussions.
Positive framing note
The story emphasizes resilience, regional unity, and the impending translation of high-level legal and policy developments into on-the-ground protections for Pacific communities.
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