Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has stated that he did not attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York because a declaration on the concept of the Ocean of Peace had not been made. During the launch of the Foreign Policy White Paper 2024 at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, he revealed that President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere represented him at the event.
“I had asked His Excellency the President to lead the delegation,” Mr. Rabuka explained. He noted that he had announced his intention to return to the UNGA last year to secure support for the concept of the Pacific as an Ocean of Peace, which was discussed at the most recent Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting in Tonga. However, a formal declaration could not be made at that time.
The anticipated declaration will instead be addressed in Honiara next year during the next leaders’ meeting. Last month, during discussions in Tonga, leaders reflected on the Ocean of Peace concept developed by Fiji since it was first considered in 2023, highlighting an increased focus on the ‘peace’ element of regional security efforts.
The leaders reiterated their vision for a peaceful region, supporting the alignment of the Ocean of Peace concept with the 2050 Strategy, the 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional Security, and the 2000 Biketawa Declaration. They emphasized the importance of the principles outlined in the Ocean of Peace concept and tasked the Secretariat with drafting a declaration for consideration at the 54th Pacific Islands Forum in Honiara, Solomon Islands in 2025.
“I will then attend the UNGA to articulate what I stated two years ago, that we now have a declaration formed,” Mr. Rabuka added. “The declaration represents the united perspective of Pacific leaders, calling for peace in the world, beginning with the Pacific as a zone of peace.”