Overview:
The Pacific is sending a clear message: protecting climate-resilient coral reefs must be a global priority. With Palau and eight other Pacific Forum members now backing a landmark commitment to safeguard reefs, the region is strengthening its collective voice ahead of Pre-COP31 and COP31.
Coral reefs are among the most precious resources in the Pacific. They feed families, protect coastlines from storms and waves, and hold cultural heritage. Yet these ecosystems face a growing threat from climate change and human pressures.
Palau knows this intimately. Palau reefs are some of the most diverse and resilient in the world — home to more than 400 species of coral and over 1,300 species of reef fish. They are central to the country’s way of life, economy through tourism, and food security. When scientists study which reefs are most likely to survive climate change, many of their examples come from Palauan waters.
Last June, at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, Palau became one of the first countries to sign the Climate-Resilient Coral Reefs Commitment, the first global pledge to protect climate-resilient coral reefs – vital strongholds for biodiversity, food, and coastal protection. Signatory governments pledge to protect reefs using the best available science; include coral reef protection in national climate and biodiversity plans; reduce local threats like overfishing and pollution; mobilize new finance for reef conservation; measure and report their work; and ensure local communities and Indigenous peoples lead this effort.
This week at the Pacific Islands Forum in Koror, the Federated States of Micronesia joined this growing movement. “FSM is proud to be making this commitment today,” said The Honorable Elina P. Akinaga, Secretary of Resources and Development, Federated States of Micronesia. “For us, this is not a new chapter, but a reinforcement of the leadership we already exercise. By joining, we pledge to protect our reefs and firmly embed climate-resilient reef conservation into our national biodiversity and climate action frameworks. Our participation is fuelled by our firm belief in the collective strength of the Pacific. Our region is forging a powerful alliance, one that can advocate with one voice for climate-resilient reefs, carrying this message all the way to Pre-COP31 and COP31 in Antalya.” FSM also reaffirmed its unwavering dedication to the community-driven stewardship that has always been the cornerstone of reef management in the region.
Nine Pacific Forum members have now signed the Commitment: Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, FSM, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tonga. This region holds more than a quarter of the world’s coral reefs — and when Pacific nations speak with one voice about protecting them, the world listens.
This unity sends a powerful message to the rest of the world. Later this year, world leaders will meet at Pre-COP31 in Fiji and COP31 in Antalya. A unified Pacific bloc of governments committed to protecting climate-resilient reefs carries real weight in those rooms. It says: this matters to us, we do the work, and the world should support.
For more information about the Climate-Resilient Coral Reefs Commitment, visit https://coralcommitment.com/protect-the-reef