Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Baron Waqa has urged women leaders to shift from consultation to action, as he opened the 4th Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders Meeting in Suva this week.
“This is where we confront tough questions, challenge complacency, and drive the political will to deliver on our regional commitments,” said Waqa.
He stressed the significance of the meeting, calling it “not ceremonial, but strategic.”
“We meet at a time of convergence, where the outcomes of the Pacific Regional and National Security Conference, the ongoing Review of the Regional Architecture, and the lead-up to the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara demand sharper coordination and stronger leadership.”
Waqa said the region was grappling with a range of simultaneous crises: climate disruption, economic volatility, transnational crime, and social fragmentation.
“These are not abstract threats. They are lived realities for our communities, and they demand leadership that is inclusive, decisive, and grounded in Pacific values,” he said.
He acknowledged the role of women leaders in the region, saying, “The Secretariat honours the roles you play in elevating the voices of women and the most vulnerable. We recognise your commitment to advancing the Revitalised Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration, at national, regional and community levels.”
Waqa said both the revitalised Declaration and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent were “mandates by Pacific Leaders to embed gender equality and social inclusion across every sector, every budget, and every decision.”
“And this meeting is the governance mechanism that must hold us accountable.”
He urged leaders to move “beyond consultation to implementation. Beyond rhetoric to resourcing. And beyond siloed action to coordinated leadership.”
“The women of the Pacific in all their diversity are not waiting to be empowered. They are already leading. Our job is to ensure the systems, financing, and political space can match their ambition.”
Waqa also welcomed the participation of Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Feleti Teo, and praised Tonga’s Minister Sinaitakala Tu’itahi for her leadership as chair of the meeting.
He acknowledged Fiji’s hosting of the region’s first-ever Pacific Technical Cooperation Session of the CEDAW Committee earlier this year, calling it “a landmark moment.”
“Gender equality and social inclusion must be embedded in governance structures, financing mechanisms, and institutional mandates. The real work happens beyond this room, in the actions we take, the voices we lift, and the partnerships we strengthen,” SG Waqa said.
