By Shymal Sagar Kumar
The Pre-COP event has concluded after four days of discussions on climate policies, commitments and global cooperation, held in Fiji and Tuvalu.
During the Pre-COP, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined Pacific leaders in adopting the Taku Pakasoa: Strength in Unity Declaration, affirming their collective resolve for climate action and commitment to building a more resilient future.
Pre-COP has laid the foundations for negotiations at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, in November 2026, elevating Pacific priorities and building support for stronger global climate ambition.
Albanese said he was pleased to join leaders in Tuvalu, describing it as a proud seafaring nation with deep cultural traditions rooted in its islands and the ocean: “Islands that are now under threat.”
“In Tuvalu, as in the rest of the Pacific, climate change is not a problem for the future. It is here right now. And we know that sea levels here in the western Pacific are rising at more than twice the global average.”
Albanese reminded global leaders that they could not afford to let the 1.5-degree target slip from their grasp.
“Making the case for the Pacific and proposing local action rests on us. Today in Tuvalu, we were joined by an outstanding group of leaders, each with valuable experience to share, but also by one of the elders, and also a young student, who reminded us of what we have the potential to lose in the wisdom and experience and learning of our elders,” he said.
“But also the responsibility we have to generations to come. Listening to the voices and communities that are living with climate change every day is the responsibility of us as leaders.
“And to me, what this gathering is about is bringing those Pacific voices to the world. It is a cause that unites all of us in this room,” Albanese added.
Other leaders attending the Pre-COP included Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, President of the Republic of Naoero David Adeang, Premier of Niue Dalton Tagelagi, and President of New Caledonia Milakulo Tukumuli.
Upon arrival, Pacific leaders were accorded a 100-member Guard of Honour from the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) at Nadi International Airport.
The welcoming delegation included Fiji’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola; Fiji’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Jackson Evans; Chief of Protocol Kiti Temo; and senior government officials.
Pacific leaders were joined by ministers and senior representatives from around the world as Fiji, Tuvalu and Australia partnered to deliver the Pre-COP31 programme in the Pacific.
On 5 and 6 October, leaders’ events in Tuvalu and Fiji brought global decision-makers directly to the Pacific, providing a high-level bridge to formal ministerial discussions.
This was followed by the Ministerial Pre-COP in Fiji on 7 and 8 October, where discussions focused on key political and negotiating issues to be advanced ahead of COP31.
This year’s Pre-COP was attended by approximately 4,000 people.
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