Cooperation, conflict to shape Pacific leaders’ meeting

The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting comes at a critical time for climate, economy and peace. Coming together amid conflict will be key to the agenda.

On 6 November, leaders from the 18 nations will meet in Rarotonga, Cook Islands for the Pacific Islands Forum. Last year’s meeting was a strong re-affirmation of the unity in the region, particularly in the arena of climate change.

But a year on and climate disasters aren’t going away. The Pacific remains the most vulnerable region to the effects of extreme weather, despite its relatively small role in the onset of such events.

The Loss and Damage Fund promised at COP27 — a vital mechanism to help the region adapt to climate disasters it has not been responsible for causing — is yet to come to fruition.

An October meeting of the Transitional Committee failed to result in an agreement on key funding provisions, including who hosted it, its scale, its sources of funding and allocation of resources.

Of the USD$100 billion in climate finance pledged to developing economies in 2019, small island developing states only had access to USD$1.5 billion.

But matters of climate are complicated by the geopolitical shadow that looms over the Pacific, with China and the US vying for power and influence. Determining where loyalties lie will be an ongoing discussion at PIF.