Press Release -Pacific Climate Mobility Partnerships Programme Launched

The landmark regional initiative is supported by NZD 17.9 million from the Government of New Zealand. The launch event brought together government leaders, development partners, civil society organizations, academics, private sector representatives, and advocates from across the region.

Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Sivendra Michael, delivered the keynote address at the launch welcoming the initiative as an important step in ensuring Pacific people remain at the heart of decisions about their homes, communities and future in the face of increasing climate impacts.

The Pacific is on the frontlines of climate change. Increasing climate-related hazards, sea-level rise, environmental degradation, and displacement are placing growing pressure on livelihoods, wellbeing, and human security across island communities. The Pacific Climate Mobility Partnerships Programme has been established to help Pacific nations strengthen regional cooperation and implement practical, people-centred responses to climate mobility challenges.

IOM Chief of Mission and Sub-Regional Coordinator Mr Solomon Kantha stressed that no single government, organisation or community can address climate mobility alone. He also acknowledged the contributions of Pacific Climate Change Migration and Human Security Phase I and Phase II programmes, including additional partners namely UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the International Labour Organization (ILO)

Our strength lies in the breadth of this partnership and in our shared commitment to Pacific-led, rights-based and people-centred action

-Mr Solomon Kantha, IOM Chief of Mission and Sub-Regional Coordinator

The programme marks the third phase of regional support for climate mobility in the Pacific and builds on the achievements of the Pacific Climate Change Migration and Human Security Programme. It will support climate mobility priorities in Fiji, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, while contributing to broader regional efforts under the Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility (PRFCM) 2025-2030 and its accompanying implementation plan.

The programme is designed to advance Pacific-led solutions that are culturally appropriate, gender-responsive, and disability-inclusive, ensuring that communities most affected by climate change are at the centre of decision-making and action.
The regional launch aims to formally introduce the programme, highlight achievements and lessons learned from previous regional initiatives, and strengthen collaboration among governments, regional organizations, development partners, communities, and other stakeholders.

Cover photo: IOM Chief of Mission Solomon Kantha, New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji Greg Andrews, and partner representatives during the launch. Image: FIHINOA MAEA / Islands Business, https://islandsbusiness.com/