The Solomon Islands has officially ratified the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), a significant milestone toward implementing a climate and disaster financing mechanism driven by Pacific leadership. On January 27, Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele presented the ratification instrument to Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Divavesi Waqa.
The Solomon Islands has been a pivotal supporter of the PRF Treaty, which was signed at the 54th Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara in September 2025, when Prime Minister Manele was serving as Forum Chair. With the endorsement of 15 Pacific leaders, momentum is building toward making the PRF legally operational by 2026.
Currently, the 6th PRF Legal Co-Drafting Workshop is underway in Nadi, Fiji, where senior officials from Forum member countries are congregating to further develop the legal framework of the facility. The workshop is being chaired by Minister Counsellor for the Solomon Islands High Commission to Fiji, Esther O’Brien. Following this, the first Financial Rules Co-Design Workshop will take place, focused on establishing the institutional structures necessary for the financing mechanism’s operation.
The PRF aims to enhance climate and disaster resilience in the Pacific, building on principles of regional ownership, accountability, and sustainability. In a related effort, a Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility (PRIF) mission recently visited Tuvalu, involving the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles Adviser, Titi Tutuvanu-Schwalger. This mission aimed to engage Tuvalu’s government in integrating the Seven Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles into its national infrastructure planning, complementing efforts to update Tuvalu’s National Infrastructure Investment Plan with a focus on sustainability and resilience in future investments.
The collaborative efforts reflected in these initiatives signify a proactive approach taken by Pacific nations to address the challenges posed by climate change and improve infrastructure resilience, fostering long-term development aligned with regional priorities.