The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Dr ‘Aisake Valu Eke, together with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Baron Waqa, is undertaking a high-level advocacy mission to the United States this week as part of regional efforts to secure capitalisation pledges for the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF).
The advocacy mission follows the successful endorsement of the PRF Establishment Agreement (Treaty) by Forum Economic Ministers during their Special Meeting held in Tonga in March of this year.
“Following the endorsement of the Treaty for signing by Forum Leaders, this advocacy mission is being held to coincide with the global multilateral meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It is an opportunity to further engage the Pacific Islands Forum’s development partners and multilateral institutions to support the Pacific-owned and Pacific-led regional resilience financing facility for Pacific communities, without incurring a further debt burden for our Members,” the Forum Chair, Dr Eke said.
“Our message is simple: the Pacific Islands Forum is serious about the PRF. We are saying to our development partners that the time to act is now, and to support the PRF so that we can demonstrate the transformative power of this grant investment vehicle, to predictably finance our communities’ resilience needs,” the Forum Chair emphasised.
Secretary General Waqa highlighted the strategic importance of the mission in advancing the Forum Leaders’ collective vision under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, particularly relating to resilient and sustainable development reform.
“This advocacy mission is about unlocking new capital flows and scaling up investments in the PRF from transformative partnerships that deliver for our Pacific people. We have fundraised about US$150m from COP28 (2023) to COP29 (2024). We are committed to mobilising resources to raise the balance of US$350m to reach the US$500m capitalisation target for the PRF by COP31 in 2026. We aim to take a ratified PRF Treaty to COP30. We are engaging with institutions and Governments that can help the PRF as a Pacific-owned priority to assure access to finance for our communities when we launch our first call for proposals at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau in 2026,” said SG Waqa.
The PRF Treaty will be presented to Forum Leaders at their meeting in September 2025 in the Solomon Islands for signature, and thereafter, to deposit their instruments of ratification by the end of 2025.
This advocacy mission underscores the Pacific Islands Forum’s commitment to driving international cooperation and to champion innovative financing and investment solutions that respond to the Pacific’s unique vulnerabilities, while upholding regional solidarity and sovereignty.
