PACIFIC leaders have renewed a call for global peace as wars continue in Ukraine and Iran.
Grounded in the Pacific’s Ocean of Peace Declaration, the statement called on global leaders to uphold the Charter of the United Nations.
This includes the sovereign equality of all states, and the rights of all peoples to exist in peace and security.
The statement came as the Pacific started to feel the effects of rising fuel prices and associated freight and goods costs.
“As smaller countries at the end of global supply chains, we are acutely vulnerable to disruptions and shocks, with profound impacts for our peoples,’’ the statement said.
“We continue to call for understanding and support from our partners and larger economies, for our survival is not in our hands alone.
“We affirm that, in the Pacific Way, we will always seek peaceful means to resolve differences, reduce tensions, and address the threats to international peace and security, consistent with our shared vision outlined in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.’’
Here is the full statement:
We, the Leaders of Australia, Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Fiji, French Polynesia, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, the Republic of Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, the Republic of Palau, the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, the Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu and the Republic of Vanuatu (Pacific Islands Forum Leaders), extend this appeal for peace in the firm conviction that all nations share the aspiration of a world free from the threat of war, and the devastation of conflict. It is imperative that tolerance and respect for the rights and dignity of all peoples and nations be upheld.
We, the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders, declared our Blue Pacific Continent an Ocean of Peace in 2025. Grounded in the Pacific Way, the Declaration reaffirms that dialogue, respect, and the peaceful settlement of disputes, are part of our enduring contribution to the rules-based international order and to international peace and security. In that spirit, we call on all world Leaders to stand with us to uphold the Charter of the United Nations, including the sovereign equality of all states, and the rights of all peoples to exist in peace and security.
In the Pacific, our island nations know the cost of insecurity, the consequences of threats and decisions beyond our making and the importance of strong, secure partnerships. Today, we are managing increasing pressures from climate-related impacts that affect our economies, infrastructure and long-term resilience. As smaller countries at the end of global supply chains, we are acutely vulnerable to disruptions and shocks, with profound impacts for our peoples.
We continue to call for understanding and support from our partners and larger economies, for our survival is not in our hands alone.
We affirm that, in the Pacific Way, we will always seek peaceful means to resolve differences, reduce tensions, and address the threats to international peace and security, consistent with our shared vision outlined in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
We further affirm that, by embracing the principles of the Ocean of Peace Declaration, we can create space for cooperation, dialogue, and the peaceful resolution of crises, however grave or precarious. In doing so, we create the conditions for lasting peace, stronger partnerships, and a more secure future for all.
As custodians of a region affected by the legacy of nuclear testing, we reaffirm our vision of a peaceful Pacific, free of nuclear weapons and nuclear testing and our shared objective of eliminating nuclear weapons globally.
Guided by our shared values and our commitment to peace, we, the Leaders of the Pacific, invite you to join us in standing together for peace.
