CLIMATE mobility processes will attract greater support if it is recognised as a security and stability concern.
Participants at a regional workshop in Fiji heard that embedding climate mobility frameworks in regional security structures would elevate policy visibility around the issue.
“It aligns climate mobility with broader Pacific regional stability goals, and this approach will help secure resources and political support for implementation efforts,” Fiji’s Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lenora Qereqeretabua, said.
She was speaking at the Pacific Climate Mobility Regional Exchange.
Meanwhile, the Pacific Joint Working Group (JWG) has built a trusted, collaborative framework to address climate mobility through years of regional cooperation.
The collaborative leadership and process foundation has been shaped by shared leadership between the Governments of Fiji and Tuvalu since 2021.
The JWG was formed to create a regional framework addressing climate-related mobility, and the process demanded patience, negotiation, and trust among Pacific governments.
The Secretariat and partners, such as PCCMHS, managed drafting and revisions; this set the groundwork for a regional instrument co-owned by members and partners.
“Looking back, emerging from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, we reconvened through a series of regional webinars that became, in many respects, the intellectual and diplomatic foundation of this work,” Qereqeretabua said.
“These virtual dialogues were historically significant in their own right. They enabled continuity at a time of uncertainty, sustained regional engagement across borders, and created a shared space for reflection, negotiation and co-creation.’’
The key milestone workshop and Iterative Drafting at Sofitel Nadi in 2022 marked a turning point, which advanced the Framework from a zero draft to multiple refined versions.
“It enabled collective insights to shape a distinctly Pacific policy instrument; the Framework’s evolution reflected both technical expertise and regional sensitivities, and this event anchored progress towards final endorsement.”
Formal endorsement and institutionalisation by Pacific leaders in 2024 signalled its strategic importance; the Framework moved into the Forum Subcommittee on Regional Security.
Qereqeretabua said this shift recognised climate mobility as a core human security and stability issue.
“The transition from a member-partner initiative to formal policy architecture is historic; continued trust and engagement from members underpin future implementation efforts.”
Regional Impact
The Framework’s endorsement sets the stage for practical and collaborative regional actions on climate mobility.
Qereqeretabua said implementation was expected to leverage the spirit of shared ownership developed over time.
“Members are encouraged to translate the Framework into concrete programs and policies; the focus is on regional stability and human security outcomes.”
Qereqeretabua said continued member commitment was critical to navigating implementation complexity.
“Trust built during drafting underpins future collaboration on climate mobility challenges, and the framework serves as a model for hybrid member-partner initiatives in the Pacific,’’’ she said.