Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to its Pacific neighbours, announcing $100 million in funding for a new Pacific-led climate resilience initiative while backing a shared vision of the region as an “Ocean of Peace.”
PM Albanese attended the 54th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting in the Solomon Islands from 10–11 September, where Pacific leaders signed the Pacific Resilience Facility Treaty. The fund will provide small-scale grants from 2026 to help local communities adapt to and withstand the growing impacts of climate change. Australia has pledged the largest contribution to date.
“The Pacific Resilience Facility is more than a fund, it is a promise to Pacific communities that they will not face climate threats alone,” PM Albanese said.
“Our region is on the frontline of the climate crisis — this is the single largest threat to the livelihoods, culture and security of Pacific communities.”
Pacific leaders also threw their weight behind Australia’s bid to co-host COP31 with the Pacific, a move PM Albanese described as a chance to showcase the region’s leadership on climate change while pushing for tangible global action.
At the forum, leaders signed the Ocean of Peace Declaration, building on Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s vision of a secure and stable Blue Pacific. The declaration calls on the international community to respect Pacific-led approaches to peace and security.
“The Ocean of Peace Declaration is a powerful statement of Pacific resolve,” PM Albanese said.
“The Pacific Islands Forum unites our region and makes us stronger – it is key to realising the vision of Pacific leaders for a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.”
Alongside regional commitments, PM Albanese held bilateral talks with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, congratulating him on successfully hosting the forum. The leaders discussed Australia’s ongoing security partnership, including expansion of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force and the design process for an Australian-funded police academy in Honiara.
Speaking in Cairns after the forum, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of regional cooperation on climate and energy security. He pointed to the Facility as a potential “half a billion dollar fund to advance infrastructure in these nations so that they can shift from diesel onto renewables, so that they can help to transform their economies as well.”
He also highlighted the close friendships formed during his Pacific engagements, rejecting suggestions of tension over Australia’s climate policies:
“We have a fantastic relationship with our Pacific neighbours… At the Pacific Island Forum, there was a real warmth between all of the nations there. We are family, and we look after each other, and we’ll continue to do so.”
With Australia preparing for key climate negotiations and marking 50 years of Papua New Guinea’s independence later this month, PM Albanese signalled that Pacific solidarity will remain central to his foreign policy:
“Australia is a partner the region can count on. It is in our interests to foster a safe and resilient region that enables all our economies to grow and prosper together.”
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