KOROR, Palau — Leaders at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror, Palau, agreed on 31 August to recast the Forum’s partnership mechanism and advance reforms to strengthen the region’s institutional architecture, while endorsing a Regional Peace and Security Action Plan.
The recast partnership mechanism is intended to provide a more targeted approach to engagement and advocacy around Pacific priorities. The move builds on earlier Forum efforts to review how the region engages with external partners as it advances the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
Secretary General Baron Divavesi Waqa acknowledged the European Union’s support for the region within the existing partnership landscape. Chairing the Pacific ACP Leaders’ meeting, Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr said the annual gathering provides leaders with an opportunity to review shared regional priorities and reaffirm the value of strategic partnerships.
Leaders also identified transnational crime as a growing concern for Pacific societies and discussed political developments in West Papua and New Caledonia, committing to continued engagement in line with the Ocean of Peace Declaration.
The decisions signal Pacific leaders’ ongoing effort to strengthen regional coordination while refining how governments and external partners engage with the Forum and its priorities.
