Ministers and officials from 33 countries in the Asia and Pacific region, intergovernmental organisations, development partner organisations, and civil society representatives, gathered in Nadi, Fiji, from 26th to 29th August 2025, for the 6th Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of this region. This is the first time a Pacific Islands country has hosted this forum. The Cook Islands Government was represented by Associate Minister Hon. Tereapii Maki Kavana, and Director of the National Environment Service, Halatoa Fua.
The Asia Pacific region is home to 60% of the world’s population and accounts for almost half of the gross domestic product (GDP) globally. It is the most diverse region with densely populated countries and small islands developing states.
As the forum primarily prepares states for the Seventh United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) to be held in Nairobi this December 2025, the UNEA theme was used at the forum “Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet”. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Deputy Director, Elizabeth Mrema, opened the forum by acknowledging the ‘transformative power of local advocacy’ to translate plans into actions. Many stakeholders participated in the major groups and stakeholder’s forum to provide perspectives on environmental issues such as climate justice, food sovereignty, pollution, and the rights of indigenous peoples.
Halatoa Fua attended the Officials’ meeting to provide input on UNEP’s medium-term strategy 2026-29 and its programme of work 2026-27, preparations for UNEA-7, and the draft ministerial declaration. Halatoa noted in his intervention the application of UNEA resolutions to the Cook Islands, which included climate information and early warning systems, capacity building for transparency, strengthening the environmental dimensions of the efforts towards sustainable food systems, building of climate resilience through high quality climate information, concretizing actions toward agrifood systems transformation for Pacific SIDS, and completing the Minamata Convention Mercury Initial Assessment for the Cook Islands.
The Hon. Tereapii Kavana joined the Council of Environment Ministers’ forum. Many Pacific Ministers intervened on taking into account the special circumstances of small islands developing states, and indigenous peoples, local practices and systems. Hon. Kavana’s intervention was focused on climate, nature and pollution actions, as he stated ‘We as Pacific Islanders are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change, which is a matter of survival for us. I call on the Asia Pacific region to stand in solidarity, in our unwavering commitments to climate action. A stronger call to enhance climate finance and a just transition to clean energy must be loud and clear, to protect our vulnerable populations and fragile ecosystems’.
Many delegates acknowledged the failure to meet an agreement at the INC5.2 plastic treaty negotiations in Geneva earlier in the month. However, the Cook Islands noted the need for the Pacific to continue its fight to reach an agreement in the resumed session that is effective, addresses sustainable production and consumption, global and national measures on plastic products and chemicals, and has an accessible means of implementation to support developing countries, particularly small islands developing states.
Images: https://enb.iisd.org
