Pacific leaders have gathered in Tonga for the annual Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), a meeting facing significant logistical hurdles and which is overshadowed by growing tensions between the world's superpowers.
Tonga faced significant obstacles in preparing for the event as it is still recovering from the 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption, which caused widespread damage.
To accommodate the influx of delegates for the four-day meeting, Tonga’s government built over 100 prefabricated homes and capital, Nuku’alofa has seen a surge in demand for accommodations, with every available room booked for the week.
Additional efforts have included rounding up stray dogs and improving public spaces to ensure the event runs smoothly.
New Caledonia
The forum’s agenda includes the political instability in New Caledonia, a French territory where tensions have risen following the third independence referendum.
Pacific leaders are divided on how to approach the issue, with some advocating for a mediation role while others say that interference may spark more.
France remains reluctant to external intervention, complicating efforts by Pacific island nations to play a constructive role.
According to the New Zealand Herald, a PIF factfinding mission, requested by New Caledonia’s President Louis Mapou to investigate the fallout of the recent months of violence on the archipelago, was postponed just days before the Forum.
Major resolutions seem unlikely until leaders do conduct further fact-finding missions.
Climate change
But it is climate change that remains a central concern for Pacific nations, as it has been in previous forums.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who joined the meeting, said that "while the Pacific region is doing what it can, the G20 most industralised nations – the biggest emitters of carbon – “must step up and lead, by phasing out the production and consumption of fossil fuels and stopping their expansion immediately."
The forum is also focused on securing more funding for the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), which aims to support communities impacted by climate change.
So far, pledges from Australia and Saudi Arabia have fallen short of the $500 million (€446 million) target.
Another key item on the agenda is the Pacific Policing Initiative (PPI). Led primarily by Australia, the PPI seeks to enhance law enforcement across the region to address growing challenges like drug trafficking and illegal fishing.
Chinese influence
The initiative also aims to curb China’s influence by integrating regional police forces.
In 2022, China signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands, triggering concern in Washington and Canberra, which worry that Beijing might want to expand its naval operations.
The agreement also meant that China's sphere of influence now extends to French territory as the Solomon Islands share a common sea border with French Caledonia.
But despite concerns from some member states about the rapid implementation of the PPI, broad support is expected.
The PIF will end on 30 August with a joint statement.
(With newswires)
