The leaders of 11 Pacific nations and territories met virtually for four hours yesterday, the first day of a two-day online gathering of the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders (PICL).
The meeting aims to recommit a new group of Pacific Island leaders to the important regional role of the PICL and its Secretariat, the Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) based at the East-West Center in Honolulu.
In a video message to the group, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said America is committed to assisting Pacific communities’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through vaccine donations and helping devastated island economies rebuild “in a way that’s sustainable and inclusive.”
Calling the climate crisis an existential threat to the Pacific Islands, Blinken cautioned: “We’re out of time for excuses. Countries must make—and meet—ambitious commitments, and governments need to invest in climate adaptation measures that all our communities will need.”
The US is now leading by example on this front, he said, with the Biden administration’s goal of reducing carbon emissions by at least half by 2030.
Blinken said that the Pacific region faces a “shared challenge in threats to the rules-based international order,” with “economic coercion across the region on the rise.
“The United States is all for more development and investment in the islands,” he said, “but that investment should adhere to international standards for environmentally and socially sustainable development and should be pursued transparently, with public consultation. … We’re stronger when we stand together on this, and that includes standing with our allies and partners in the region.”
In a dialogue session, regional leaders unanimously agreed that their top priorities are to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its long-term impacts, and to promote sustainable economic growth and development. Other shared priorities included expansion of access to information and communication technologies, the importance of regional harmony and diplomacy, and protection of ocean and natural resources. The leaders also highlighted PIDP’s important role in facilitating ongoing dialogue and action on these priorities, and in providing a bridge between the Pacific Islands and the United States and other international partners.
Participating countries and territories are: Cook Island, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawai‘i, Marshall Islands, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau and Solomon Islands.
