Pacific Islands Forum Chief Says Climate, Regional Tensions Top Concerns

Rising sea levels and extreme weather events continue to occupy much of the debate at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in Tonga.

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters (top C), Cook Islands' Prime Minister Mark Brown (lower L), Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa (lower C) and Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape (lower R) attend the Pacific Islands Forum in Nuku'alofa on August 26, 2024. Mary Lyn Fonua/AFP via Getty Images

Pacific Island Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa has used his address to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders meeting in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, to highlight emerging threats facing the region. These, he says, include climate change and rising geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington.

However, he said the leaders remain optimistic about finding collective solutions to address this crisis.