Fiji will be represented at a key global ocean meeting in Lisbon from 10 February 2026, as Minister of Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya travels to Portugal for the first-ever formal meeting of the Ocean Pioneers Coalition.
Minister Tabuya will attend the inaugural working session of the Coalition, hosted by the Oceano Azul Foundation, which also serves as its Secretariat. It will be her first international engagement since assuming the Environment and Climate Change portfolio.
The Ocean Pioneers Coalition brings together ministers and leading experts committed to protecting the world’s oceans and promoting their sustainable use.
“At this first working session, we will be setting priorities on some of the biggest ocean issues facing the world today,” Minister Tabuya said.
These include how countries will implement the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, which aims to protect marine life in international waters, preparations for the first Conference of the Parties (COP1) under the new ocean treaty, ongoing international discussions on deep sea mining and calls for a precautionary pause, and ensuring the ocean is properly recognised in climate change negotiations ahead of UNFCCC COP31.
“As a large ocean state, Fiji has real, lived experience in caring for the sea, from marine spatial planning to ocean-climate diplomacy and sustainable fisheries,” she said.
Minister Tabuya said she would use the platform to advocate for the interests of Small Island Developing States.
“I will be sharing Fiji’s perspective and standing up for the interests of Small Island Developing States, whose livelihoods, food security and cultures are directly tied to the health of the ocean,” she said.
Minister Tabuya said Fiji’s presence at the meeting reflects its ongoing leadership on ocean issues at the global level.
“I am proud to ensure that Fiji’s voice and the Pacific family is present at the table as custodians of the blue continent, as global leaders work together to protect our ocean, not just for today, but for future generations.”
