Pacific Network on Globalisation

As debates over deep-sea mining intensify, questions of ocean governance, justice, and stewardship have never been more urgent.

At this week's , legal practitioners and ocean governance experts came together for the public lecture: Ocean Governance at a Crossroads at the The University of the South Pacific;'s Marine Campus in Suva.

Moderated by International Human Rights Lawyer Kavita Naidu, the panel brought together Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment, Meteorology, Geohazards and Disaster Management of Vanuatu; Alofipo Fleur Ramsay, Saltwater Lawyer; Naima Ta'afaki Fifita, representative of Ocean Vision Legal; and Pradeep Singh, legal scholar.

Together, they unpacked the legal, cultural, and environmental complexities of deep-sea mining and explored the implications for the future governance of our .

This public lecture was a timely conversation about who decides the future of our ocean and our shared responsibility to protect it for generations to come.

Pacific Conference of Churches WWF Pacific DAWN Feminist Pacific Islands Climate Action Network - PICAN Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations Alliance - PRNGO GPPAC Pacific: Pacific People Building Peace Lisa Leilani Williams

“We are people of the ocean, not the people above it, not the people profiting from it. The people of it. Salt in our blood, stories in our currents, ancestors in our tides, futures in our waters. We the people of the ocean, know what is at stake. We know because we live it. We know because we fish it.”

At the opening of the third day of , Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka reminds us that Pacific people are the ocean, and the ocean is us.

The day focused on strengthening coordination and collective advocacy. Indigenous leaders, civil society representatives, politicians, and academics reflected on emerging strategic directions and identify priority areas for collective action. 🌊

Finafinau Pacific Conference of Churches WWF Pacific DAWN Feminist Pacific Islands Climate Action Network - PICAN Pasifika Communities University Lisa Leilani Williams PIANGO Pacific 2030

“Teresia Teiwa wrote that the ocean is our last source of poetry, and our mana. It is an ancestor, and it is a grandmother. It is relational. It holds living memories of the past, of pain and of trauma. It gives us identity.”

Executive Board Member of Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) feminist, Maureen Penjueli, shared a poetic message that resonated deeply with Pacific ways of knowing and connection to the ocean on the second day of the State of the Pacific Ocean Convening ( ).

Her remarks set the tone for the Security and Militarisation session, which examined the growing influence of security interests and militarisation on ocean governance across the Pacific, and the implications for Pacific peoples, sovereignty, and ocean stewardship.

This was followed by critical discussions on the state of the ocean, Blue Resourcing, examining how economic systems, financing mechanisms, and increasing resource demands are reshaping ocean spaces, influencing governance priorities, and determining the future of ocean stewardship in the region.

Pasifika Communities University Pacific Conference of Churches DAWN Feminist Pacific Islands Climate Action Network - PICAN WWF Pacific

The ocean connects us all, but who gets to decide its future?

Join us for “Ocean Governance at a Crossroads”, a critical panel discussion exploring the legal, environmental, and geopolitical tensions shaping deep-sea mining and the future of our Blue Pacific.

Featuring leading Pacific voices, this conversation challenges dominant narratives and centres the need for governance grounded in equity, stewardship, and sovereignty.

📅 Date: 10 June 2026
⏰ Time: 06:00–08:00PM (FJT)
📍 Venue: MSP Lecture Theatre, USP Marine Campus, Suva, Fiji
🔗Meeting link: https://usp-fj.zoom.us/j/81127159743?pwd=mu4BTm28rd9KkmV1HJ4KgayjVXailv.1 | Meeting passcode: 89Tg5@

Be part of the conversation shaping our shared ocean future.

The inaugural State of the Pacific Ocean Convening is underway at the Pasifika Communities University in Suva, bringing together Indigenous practitioners, Pacific leaders, legal experts, academics, and civil society organisations to reflect on the health and future of our .

Commencing on (8 June 2026), the four-day convening will provide a vital platform for Pacific voices to share Indigenous knowledge, strengthen regional solidarity, and advance collective action for ocean stewardship.

Delivering the keynote address, Dame Meg Taylor acknowledged and the significance of gathering as Pacific peoples of the ocean.

“As I reflect on the journey I have described this morning, from the extraordinary navigators of our ancient past, through the long struggle for sovereignty, through the building of our regional architecture, through UNCLOS and Rarotonga and the ICJ Advisory Opinion and 144 votes at the United Nations, what I feel above all is pride,” she said.

“We have achieved things that many thought impossible. We have shaped international law. We have protected our ocean. We have stood together, again and again, when the world expected us to be divided. The ocean has always been our highway, our home, our identity. Let us govern it as ours.”

In his closing remarks, Pacific Network on Globalisation Coordinator (PANG) Joey Tau encouraged participants to reflect on the importance of defining a clear regional strategy and a shared narrative as a Pacific family.

“It is not only civil society, but also our external partners. We acknowledge their engagement in international spaces, pushing boundaries and shaping the policies that inform these global platforms. Increasingly, we are seeing our region re-centred, with more regular convenings around the ,” he stated.

WWF Pacific Pacific Conference of Churches DAWN Feminist Pacific Islands Climate Action Network - PICAN PIANGO Pacific 2030 Pasifika Communities University GPPAC Pacific: Pacific People Building Peace

Wake up with a PANG breakfast 🌞 update!

As the State of the Pacific Ocean Convening 2026 kicks off, tune in to Breakfast at Fiji One at 7 am (🇫🇯) tomorrow to hear from us as we unpack what lies ahead for the week.

Join Deputy Coordinator, Adam Wolfenden and Decolonisation & Nuclear Free Pacific Programme Lead Epeli Lesuma as they unpack what’s coming up, as the convening brings together leaders, communities, and advocates from across the region to help shape the future of our ocean.

📢 Decolonisation and a Nuclear Free Pacific: What have we done? What can you do?

Join us for a powerful public lecture bringing together regional voices to unpack the ongoing realities of colonisation, nuclear injustice, and the fight for self-determination across the Pacific.

📅 Monday, 08 June 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (FJT 🇫🇯)
📍 Japan-Pacific ICT Centre, USP, Suva (Light refreshments will be provided)
💻 Join online via QR code

Hear from leading Pacific thinkers and advocates as we explore pathways toward a , , , and .

Pacific Conference of Churches Mai TV PIANGO Pacific 2030 DAWN Feminist Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations Alliance - PRNGO WWF Pacific