Nuku‘alofa, Tonga, 20 October 2025 – The Cook Islands has reaffirmed its commitment to regional cooperation and institutional reform at the 14th Conference of the Pacific Community (SPC), held in Nuku‘alofa, Tonga. SPC is the region’s leading scientific and technical organization, and the Conference serves as its highest decision-making body, setting the organisation’s priorities in line with Members’needs.
Convened under the theme “Pasifiki: Rooted in Heritage, Honouring the Past, United for a Resilient Future,” the Conference brought together Ministers and senior representatives from across the Pacific to shape the organisation’s future direction. Earlier in the week, senior officials met to discuss key policy and governance matters, the outcomes of which informed the high-level decisions made during the Conference.
Led by the Honourable Tingika Elikana, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, the Cook Islands advocated for institutional change that focuses on better meeting the needs of Pacific people – whether through grassroots level projects or regional and international cooperation. Minister Elikana highlighted that aligning reform with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent will help ensure the organisation contributes directly to the region’s long-term vision for peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity. In this context, the Cook Islands commended the progress of the OneSPC Transformation Programme and the findings of the recent Independent Institutional Review, while stressing that transformation of this scale must be accompanied by strong member involvement, transparent reporting, and clear accountability.
To ensure these reforms deliver practical results, the Cook Islands also underscored the importance of coordinating implementation efforts across the SPC Strategic Plan, the Independent Institutional Review, and the 2050 Strategy. The ongoing Review of the Regional Architecture presents a timely opportunity to strengthen SPC’s systems and partnerships so it can better serve Members. For Smaller Island States like the Cook Islands, this means more targeted and responsive support that recognises each member’s unique needs and priorities.
On behalf of the Cook Islands, Minister Elikana thanked outgoing Director-General Dr Stuart Minchin for his leadership of the organisation. The Conference also endorsed Dr Paula Vivili as the new Director-General — marking a historic milestone as the first Tongan national to lead SPC in its 78-year history.
Speaking on the appointment, Minister Elikana said, “We look forward to Dr Vivili’s leadership of SPC at this pivotal moment for our region. His guidance will be vital in advancing a transformation that is not only institutional, but practical — one that strengthens systems, empowers our people, and delivers measurable improvements to the quality of life across our Pacific communities. Real transformation should not be defined by how structures change, but by the impact those changes have on the lives of our people.”
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