By Pita Ligaiula in Honiara in Solomon Islands
Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa has warned Pacific ACP Leaders that climate change, debt distress, and weak financing demand sharper advocacy, stronger institutions, and unity as the region prepares for key global engagements.
“It is indeed an honour to welcome you to this Pacific ACP Leaders Meeting here in Honiara. We meet at a moment of profound global change,” Waqa said.
He highlighted slow global growth and rising debt, noting that “more than 60 developing countries are already in or at high risk of debt distress. Many are small island economies like ours, facing the same structural vulnerabilities.”
For the Pacific, he said, climate impacts are already severe.
“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the World Bank estimate that climate disasters already cost our economies between six and nine percent of GDP each year. Think about that — nearly a tenth of our economic output is lost annually due to cyclones, floods, and rising seas,” Waqa said.
He stressed climate change remains “the single greatest threat” to the Pacific, urging Leaders to sustain strong advocacy ahead of COP30.
“The Pacific has demonstrated how political advocacy can amplify our priorities on the global stage through the Political Climate Champions. As we approach COP30, let us carry forward our call for climate justice, amplified by the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice,” he said.
Waqa also stressed the importance of implementing the Samoa Agreement.
“We need clear institutional arrangements, a costed plan of implementation, and adequate resources to carry it forward. Without that, the Samoa Agreement risks becoming a framework of words rather than a driver of change,” he said.
On representation, he said the planned Pacific post of Assistant Secretary-General in the OACPS Secretariat was “not just symbolic. It is strategic. It places a Pacific voice in Brussels — at the very centre of finance and administration decisions that affect our region.”
Turning to EU financing, Waqa said current allocations fall short of Pacific needs.
“The EU’s neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument is valued at seventy-nine and a half billion Euros globally for the period 2021 to 2027. Yet, of this vast envelope, the Pacific’s share is less than two hundred million euros,” he said.
He welcomed current support but added, “let us be frank: this is not proportionate to the scale of our challenges or commitments made. If the NDICI is to remain fit-for-purpose for our region, the Pacific envelope will need to expand.”
Waqa also called for solidarity and resolve.
“Our institutions must be made fit-for-purpose. Our advocacy must remain sharp. Our partnerships must deliver real impact. And our unity must remain unshakable,” he said.
