54th Pacific Forum leaders summit ends in Honiara with resounding call for all nations to respond to climate change

BY LORETTA B MANELE

Action on climate change is the main highlight of the outcomes of the 54th Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ summit in Honiara.

The 2025 Communique of the 54th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting includes a statement by the leaders which includes six components.

The communique was made available during a press conference on Friday evening, September 12, 2025, the last day of the 54th PIF Meeting.

Present at the press conference were PIF Secretary General, Baron Waqa and Troika group which includes former PIF Chair, Tongan PM, Aisake Eke, current PIF Chair, Solomon Islands PM, Jeremiah Manele and representing incoming chair, Palau, was their Foreign Minister, Gustav Aitaro.

The first is that they now recall the “Boe Declaration on Regional Security and Kainaki II Declaration for Urgent Climate Change Action”.

Secondly, the leaders reaffirm that climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the people of the Pacific and is a critical barrier to achieving our leaders’ vision in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and the UN Sustainable Development Goals globally.

In third place, is the call from the PIF leaders for all nations to urgently respond to climate change.

This is followed by their reaffirmation of Pacific Islands Forum support for Australia’s bid for COP31 as a Pacific COP and their strong commitment to host this historical international engagement in 2026.

“…to accelerate global action to set us on track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and its subsequent,” said the statement.

The 54th PIF leaders also commit to championing the needs of all countries impacted by climate change, particularly the most vulnerable and to refocus on global efforts on accelerating practical action and scaling up support in line with the Paris Agreement and its first global stocktake, reiterating the vital importance of keeping 1.5C within reach.

Finally, the leaders celebrate Pacific leadership in driving regional solutions to global challenges as demonstrated through the establishment of the Pacific Resilience Facility, which will be decisive step forward in securing a resilient future for the Blue Pacific Continent.

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