The 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting: Reinforcing Pacific Unity and Action in Responding to the Persistent Climate Crisis

In the pristine paradise of Koror, Belau, government leaders from across the Pacific region gathered earlier this month for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM). This year’s theme was ‘B.E.L.A.U: Building Economies: Life. Action. Unity.’, which set the tone for a week of discussions seeking clarity on the region’s unified direction in the face of global challenges, chief among them: the ongoing climate crisis. 

By the end of the week, leaders had endorsed two outcome documents: the PIFLM Communiqué, and the BELAU Declaration for Urgent and Inclusive Climate Action to Keep 1.5°C within reach, a standalone climate statement with the ICJ Advisory Opinion woven throughout.

A Mandate Backed by Momentum and an Unshakable Resolve for Climate Justice

Leaders commended Vanuatu and supporting states for securing the UN General Assembly follow-up resolution that welcomed the ICJ's Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change, and encouraged states to operationalise it and turn the ICJ’s legal findings into real, tangible action. 

In a rather serendipitous coincidence, the United Nations Environment Programme released its ‘Limiting Overshoot’ report – a clear wake-up call that our world is headed towards exceeding the 1.5°C limit if states do not cut Carbon Dioxide emissions immediately. Leaders backed accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels toward a renewable energy future,and  approved a new Renewable Energy Commissioner role (hosted at The Pacific Community), and committed to a Regional Renewable Energy Transition Strategy that acknowledges plans will be designed country-by-country. The report proved to be an eye-opening reminder of the harsh reality that more needs to be done by Governments, and the call for climate action must be louder than ever. 

Throughout the PIFLM Declaration, the weight of international law is unmistakable. Leaders name the ICJ and ITLOS Advisory Opinions as landmark clarifications of states' climate obligations under international law, pointing to the Court's own finding that breaching those legal obligations constitutes  an internationally wrongful act that carries state responsibility. These Advisory Opinions were not only recognised as carrying merit but will play an integral role in guiding the Pacific’s responses to climate change. 

Looking Ahead

Keeping the momentum alive, the next stop is Pre-COP31 in Fiji and Tuvalu, then COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye. 

With the BELAU Declaration and the international law it invokes, the Pacific has a clear mandate. But, a mandate is only as strong as the action that follows it. As the region carries this momentum toward COP31, and as overshoot becomes more probable, the Pacific continues to lead with a moral and legal clarity that is unmatched and remains staunch, regardless of the challenges it continues to face. 

Now, the rest of the world must match this determination.