Prime Minister Hon. Mark Brown joined regional counterparts at the Pacific African, Caribbean and Pacific (PACP) Leaders Meeting on 8 September in Honiara, Solomon Islands. The meeting, chaired for the first time by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Hon. Jeremiah Manele, marked his assumption of the PACP Chairmanship, with Leaders acknowledging Tonga’s leadership as outgoing Chair.
Leaders reaffirmed the enduring partnership between the Pacific and the European Union, built through successive agreements from Lomé (1975) to Cotonou (2000), and most recently the Samoa Agreement (2023). They underscored the urgency of expediting ratification of the Agreement and called for strong institutional arrangements under its Pacific Regional Protocol to safeguard regional priorities. Leaders tasked the Forum Secretariat with developing a costed Implementation Plan, including a dedicated PACP unit, to ensure Pacific voices are consolidated and effectively resourced.
Prime Minister Brown emphasised that for the Cook Islands, as a country graduated from ODA eligibility, regional programming under the Samoa Agreement is an essential link to EU financing opportunities. Leaders urged the EU to appropriately resource the region under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI – Global Europe), and to ensure programming aligns with national and regional priorities.
The meeting also endorsed the third cohort of Pacific Climate Champions, to advocate globally on Climate Finance, Adaptation, Loss and Damage, the Climate-ocean Nexus, Just Transition, and Gender Inclusion ahead of COP30. Leaders further agreed to advance Pacific representation within the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) by nominating candidates for the Assistant Secretary-General (Global Operations) post, a position earmarked for the Pacific.
Prime Minister Brown welcomed these outcomes, noting they strengthen the region’s unity, sharpen engagement with Europe, and reinforce opportunities for the Cook Islands under the Samoa Agreement.
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