by Charley Piringi
in Honolulu
Pacific leaders have used a high-level summit in Honolulu to send a clear message to global partners that the region will set its own priorities, and partnerships must strengthen, not sideline Pacific leadership and agency.
Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele highlighted this at the Pacific Agenda, Investment, Security and Shared Prosperity Summit this morning.
Manele said the cooperation with all development partners must align with the region’s long-term vision under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
“In an era of volatility and heightened strategic competition, our strength lies in deepening cooperation amongst ourselves and strengthening our own strategic autonomy,” Manele said.
He reminded partners that Pacific Island countries are “large ocean states,” responsible for millions of square kilometres of ocean vital to global food security, trade routes, biodiversity and climate regulation.
“What happens in the Pacific affects the world, and what the world does affects the Pacific,” he said.
Manele stressed that investment should be judged by its impact on ordinary people.
“For us, success is not measured solely by the scale of investment, but by its impact in villages, whether a child has electricity to study at night, whether farmers can reach markets, whether young people can participate in the digital economy.”
He said priority areas for the Pacific climate-resilient infrastructure, renewable energy, fisheries value-adding, digital connectivity and human capital development.
Investments, he said, must transfer skills, build local capacity and strengthen national systems.
On security, Manele broadened the definition beyond military concerns to include climate change, illegal fishing, transnational crime and disaster resilience.
“For the Pacific Islands, climate change remains the greatest security threat,” he said, warning that rising seas and intensifying disasters are eroding development gains and straining national budgets.
He reaffirmed that the Pacific must remain “a region of peace,” consistent with the Ocean of Peace Declaration endorsed by Forum Leaders.
“Shared prosperity requires the Pacific to be an equal partner in shaping economic solutions, calling for fairer access to global markets, improved climate finance and reforms to international financial systems that recognise the region’s unique vulnerabilities.”
He said future growth will also depend on a strong and innovative private sector, urging the summit to move beyond dialogue and deliver practical commitments.
“Let this summit advance a future where investment strengthens resilience, security protects development, and prosperity is genuinely shared.”
The Pacific Islands Forum, he said, stands ready to work with the United States in a spirit of trust, equality and shared responsibility for the future of the Blue Pacific.
The summit was hosted by the East West Center – a U.S.-based education and research institution located in Honolulu – with support from the United States Government.
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