By: L.N. Reklai
HONIARA, Solomon Islands — “Airline connectivity is not just about flights — it’s about economic opportunities, trade, tourism, and bringing people together,” Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. said, stressing what he sees as the real value Palau gains from the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Sept. 10 summit in Honiara, Whipps highlighted several direct benefits for Palauans, ranging from improved airline links and stronger regional trade to renewable energy investment and collective climate advocacy.
Whipps pointed to Australia’s funding of a regional airline connectivity program, which he said addresses long-standing disconnection between Pacific communities. “If you increase connectivity, you increase people-to-people exchanges, trade, and tourism, and everybody’s better,” he said.
The president also underscored the importance of processing tuna within the Pacific instead of exporting raw catch. Local processing, he explained, not only keeps money circulating in island economies but also helps reduce shipping costs by ensuring containers are filled on both inbound and outbound journeys. “If you process the tuna in the Pacific, now there’s cargo going out — ultimately, it reduces cost and increases trade,” he said.
Beyond trade and transportation, Whipps emphasized regional cooperation on climate change. He reiterated the need for Pacific voices to remain central in global climate negotiations and urged accountability among partners. “You can’t be a leader and not practice what you preach,” he said, adding that Pacific advocacy is pushing Australia to reduce fossil fuel production even as it provides financial support for renewable energy in the region.
Whipps also said the Pacific should host a future U.N. climate conference, or COP, to spotlight the vulnerability of island nations and hold leaders accountable to their pledges. “All of this builds up to—they’ll have to live up to commitments,” he said.
For Whipps, the forum is not only a platform for dialogue but also a venue where advocacy turns into tangible outcomes. “That’s what the Forum brings—it’s about how we build each other up, get our products into markets, and ensure the Pacific’s voice is heard where it matters most,” he said.