PACIFIC Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa has called for a new era of honesty, leadership, and collective discipline as the region transitions from planning to the active implementation of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
Speaking at the 2050 Regional Convening, Waqa addressed a diverse group of national planners, statisticians, and regional partners, emphasising that the Strategy is no longer just a vision on paper, but a regional compass meant to guide a common future.
The event centred on the theme: ONE STRATEGY, MANY HANDS, ACT 2050.
“Let me begin with ONE STRATEGY. The 2050 Strategy is our shared Pacific direction. It is our regional compass. It is meant to guide national priorities, regional mechanisms, and partner support toward a common future.
“For national planners and statisticians, this Strategy is more than a reference document. It is a framework for coherence, across sectors, across institutions, and across borders.”
He said ONE STRATEGY meant alignment. Alignment between national development plans and regional goals. Alignment between political ambition and technical evidence. Alignment between what we value as Pacific peoples and how progress is measured does not mean uniformity.
Shared ownership and accountability, Waqa underscored that MANY HANDS represents practical, shared ownership.
This includes governments leading, CROP agencies supporting without duplicating efforts, and partners respecting regional systems.
He specifically noted that communities, traditional leaders, and the private sector are not just beneficiaries, but co-owners of the Strategy’s success.
Under the ACT 2050 pillar, Waqa defined action as the discipline of aligning policies, data, and investments.
He argued that tracking progress is a leadership function, not merely an administrative one, noting that what we measure shapes what we value, and has called for course corrections if implementation begins to drift.
Youth as the Strategy’s conscience
In a direct appeal to the next generation, Waqa described young people as the conscience of the Strategy, while insisting that their aspirations and creativity must shape how progress is measured and how leaders are held accountable, ensuring the future planned today is one they recognise as their own.
The success of the 2050 Strategy will ultimately be judged by its tangible impact on the lives of Pacific peoples, through built resilience and shared prosperity.
