Ocean of Peace declaration endorsed at Pacific Leaders meeting in Honiara

In a landmark decision, Pacific Leaders today endorsed the Ocean of Peace Declaration, a visionary initiative first proposed by Fiji’s Prime Minister, Honourable Sitiveni Rabuka, in 2023.

The Ocean of Peace is our shared vision for the Blue Pacific, a commitment to safeguard our ocean, our people, and our future.

It is a reminder that the Pacific must always remain a zone of peace, free from conflict and rivalry, where cooperation and respect guide our relationships.

In delivering his official remarks, Prime Minister Rabuka said that for Fiji, the Ocean of Peace represents not only our duty to protect the lifeblood of our islands, but also our responsibility to lead with humility, unity, and wisdom.
“Today, Pacific Leaders have spoken with clarity and authority. Leaders have declared that their home, the Bule Pacific Continent is an Ocean of Peace. By this declaration, we bring it together with the Boe Declaration with its combined multiplier effect for the benefit of the region,” he affirmed.

“Having taken the Ocean of Peace concept through a series of PIF consultations demonstrates the maturity of process that augurs well for our region. The process took 2 years and 24 days from 16 August 2023 to 10 September 2025.

“Today, the Leaders have put their signature to the Declaration. The world knows that we, the Pasifika People, mean business and it starts here, with us. The Ocean of Peace Declaration reflects each of us and, collectively, as a region.”

Through the Ocean of Peace, the Prime Minister stated that we recognise the right of the people to peace and reaffirm the strong resolve of our people to contribute to and strengthen international peace and security.

“By this declaration, we have declared and securedthis right. The Pacific as an Ocean of Peace creates the opportunity for our unique cultures and peoples to declare our homes, waters, food sources, livelihoods, development and aspirations free of coercion,” he said.

“It demands a certain standard of behaviour, one that embraces the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.

“Unity, as for our Pacific family, is fundamental for the Ocean of Peace to work. The Forum family is called upon to live by the values reflecting peace as one of the highest virtues.We are the demonstration of the principles we advocate, and the Pacific Way is the fountain and platform on which we stand.”
In concluding, PM Rabuka said that the Ocean of Peace tells the world who we are as a people.

“Our silence must never we misread for emptiness or weakness. That we resent disrespect and coercion. While we might be small, our determination and faith in the God we serve, is the very source of our being and resolve,” he asserted.
“Together, as Pacific nations, we must ensure that our ocean remains a source of life and harmony for generations to come.”