Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders will gather in New York for High Level week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) from 21 – 28 September 2026 to advance shared Pacific priorities agreed by Forum Leaders at its 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Meeting (55PIFLM) in Palau early this month.
President of Palau and PIF Chair, Surangel Whipps Jr together with other Forum Leaders, will lead the Forum’s engagements at UNGA81 and related high-level meetings. They will be supported by PIF Secretary General, Baron Divavesi Waqa in advancing the Forum’s priorities the High-Level Week.
The annual PIF Leaders’ Dialogue with UN Secretary-General António Guterres will be convened on 25 September 2026, reaffirming the Forum’s strategic engagement with the United Nations and providing an important platform to advance Pacific priorities within the multilateral agenda, including the partnership between regional organisations (CROP) and UN agencies in the region.
Forum Leaders’ presence at UNGA81 offers an important opportunity to project a strong, unified regional voice on issues central to the Pacific’s future, including climate change, sustainable development, ocean governance, development finance, and the escalating threat posed by sea-level rise.
Under the UNGA81 theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all,” Forum Leaders will reinforce the importance of a multilateral system that is responsive to Pacific priorities and our lived realities.
The engagements also come at an important moment for reform within both the United Nations and the Pacific regional system. As the UN advances its UN80 reform initiative, PIF Members are progressing the implementation of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. These processes provide an opportunity to ensure that reform efforts are aligned, complementary and agile enough to deliver meaningful outcomes.
Together, these processes offer an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, enhance the effectiveness of multilateral institutions, and ensure Pacific priorities remain firmly on the global agenda.
“The PIF brings to the United Nations a clear message: the challenges facing our region are inseparable from the global challenges before us. We must move from commitments to implementation, from vulnerability to resilience, and from fragmented responses to stronger, more coherent international partnerships that deliver for our peoples,” said PIF Secretary General, Baron Waqa.
Central to Forum Leaders engagement in New York is the effort to broaden advocacy, strengthening visibility on opportunities to mobilise prospective bilateral and non-traditional partners to capitalise the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) to reach its target of USD$500 million by the end of this year.
This work is particularly timely as the region builds momentum towards Pre-COP31 in Fiji and Tuvalu in October and COP31 in Türkiye and November.
With Pacific-hosted Pre-COP31 engagement in two weeks time, UNGA81 provides an important opportunity to carry forward the momentum from the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, build wider coalitions around Pacific climate priorities and strengthen convergence ahead of COP31.
The Pacific’s engagement at UNGA81 reflects the region’s commitment to shaping, rather than merely participating in, the global conversations that will determine its future.
Through collective leadership and a unified regional voice, Pacific Leaders will continue to advocate for global action that reflects Pacific priorities, strengthens resilience, and delivers tangible outcomes for the peoples of the Blue Pacific region.
