Opening address, 2025 Pacific Regional and National Security Conference, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Baron Waqa

 

Prime Minister of Fiji, the Honourable Sitiveni Rabuka

Prime Minister of Niue, the Honourable Dalton Tagelagi

His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Tonga, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala

Honourable Ministers and Heads of Delegation

Excellencies

Senior Officials

Colleagues

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my honor to welcome you all to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat for the Pacific Regional and National Security Conference.

I warmly acknowledge our distinguished leaders, national and regional security heads, and our many stakeholders, from government, law enforcement, regional agencies, and community-based organisations. Your presence and ongoing leadership underscore the shared responsibility we all carry in ensuring the security of our Blue Pacific Continent.

This Conference brings together a broad and essential cross-section of actors from across the Pacific and beyond. All of you, policy makers, practitioners, advisors, analysts, and advocates play a critical role in building the foundations of peace and security in our region.

For building a safer Pacific is not the work of one sector or institution. It requires all of us, working in step, to shape a stronger, more inclusive regional security ecosystem that reflects the priorities of our people and the vision of our Leaders.

Today, we gather to reaffirm our collective commitment to the peace, security and prosperity of our Blue Pacific Continent.

In May this year, I attended the 22nd Asean Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

The discussions were clear and sobering. Conflicts in the Middle East, the war in Eastern Europe, and rising tensions between major powers are reshaping the global security landscape.

These developments are not distant from us. They are already being felt in the Pacific, through economic impacts, rising risks and changing perceptions.

What stood out to me was the strong and repeated message: multilateral engagement is essential.

Leaders and experts called for collaborative and preventative approaches, for better crisis management and cooperative security frameworks.

These are not new ideas for us. They reflect the principles we’ve long upheld in the pacific.

But today’s global context gives these principles new urgency. We must deepen our own security cooperation.

Progressing a flexible, inclusive and responsive regional security mechanism is critical.

We must also ensure that our regional security architecture delivers real, prevention focused action. Action that protections lives, upholds peace and strengthens trust among our communities.

As we continue to build our regional security capability, we must also recognise the wider global pressures that are affecting us,

Economic shocks, climate change and unequal development are interconnected pressures that deepen vulnerabilities across the Pacific.

To meet these challenges, we need a unified and holistic approach. One that builds resilience and protects our shared future.

This is why this conference matters.

The Pacific Regional and National Security Conference is a key platform that brings together leaders, policy makers and security professionals from across our Forum Membership and partners.

It provides a valuable opportunity to share insights, align strategies, and strengthen our collective resolve to respond to regional security issues.

This conference fosters trust and supports coordination. It helps us build security solutions that are coherent, inclusive, and grounded in the Pacific Way.

It is through gatherings like this, we lay the foundation for a resilient and secure Blue Pacific.

As we embark on our discussions, it is timely to reflect on our progress in implementing the Boe Declaration.

The Boe Declaration Action Plan gives practical effect to the 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional Security.

It reinforces our expanded concept of security, one that includes human security, humanitarian assistance, and environmental security.

As we review the implementation, we can see real progress in regional cooperation and national preparedness.

We acknowledge the efforts to strengthen national security approaches and foster secure domestic environments. These national efforts are the foundation for collective security across the Blue Pacific.

The Action Plan has also shown the value of innovation and adaptability. We must continue to evolve, responding to new challenges with resilience, confidence and foresight.

Today, we acknowledge the progress on the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration.

Inspired by the honourable Prime Minister of Fiji and directed by our Leaders at the 52nd meeting in Rarotonga, this initiative aims to solidify our region as an Ocean of Peace, guided by trust, dialogue and shared responsibility.

As the Prime Minister of Fiji has outlined, the Ocean of Peace Declaration offers us a principled foundation, anchored in sovereignty, resilience, inclusion, and regional solidarity.

It is more than a statement. It is a pledge to lead with peace. To embed it across our institutions, invest in conflict prevention, and protect our people and our environment.

Our region’s commitment to peace is not new.

The Rarotonga treaty remains a powerful symbol of our leadership and unity. It reflects the Pacific’s moral clarity in pursuing disarmament and our shared stand against nuclear threats.

This commitment continues to guide our regional security approach and is an enduring example of the Pacific speaking with one voice on global issues.

Through the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, we stand ready to support our members to bring the vision of an Ocean of Peace to life.

As move forward, let us embrace our shared responsibility to sustain peace and stability.

Let us keep building a robust and transparent regional security architecture that meets the needs of our members, empowers our people and reflects Pacific led decision making.

In closing, I acknowledge the Pacific Security College for organising this important meeting and I urge us all to think boldly and act collaboratively as we map out our steps towards a secure and prosperous future for the Pacific.

Let us build on the foundation of the Boe Declaration Action Plan and the intention of the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration.

Let us move forward together to shape a peaceful, secure, and resilient Blue Pacific for generations to come.

Thank you.