Climate advocates across the Pacific will now prepare for the pre-COP31 meetings in Fiji and Tuvalu, with the Pacific Islands Forum confirming the hosts on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
350.org Pacific says it welcomes the announcement that Fiji will host the pre-COP31 meeting and Tuvalu will host a special leaders’ component, under an agreement negotiated between Australia and Turkey.
Fenton Lutunatabua, 350.org Pacific & Caribbean Programme Lead, says: “We welcome the pre-COP31 meetings to our islands, but we expect the Pacific to serve as more than just a backdrop to these discussions. As people on the frontlines, we expect leaders to not only bear witness to our realities, but to let this drive both the agenda and the expectations for COP31.
“Meaningful leadership from impacted communities is important to secure COP31 outcomes that safeguard our future, especially as a current draft of the key COP31 agenda excludes any mention of fossil fuels – the leading cause of the climate crisis.
“Fiji and Tuvalu bring more to the table than their position as climate-vulnerable island states. Both nations have repeatedly pushed for stronger climate commitments in multilateral spaces, and our people have always told the world what they refused to hear: that the climate crisis is the greatest threat to humankind, and what was once a future threat is on our doorstep today.”
Jacynta Fa’amau, 350.org Pacific Campaigner, says: “As both a Pacific Islander and an Australian, I look forward to clear roles and mandates for our Pacific host nations in the pre-COP31 process. The Australia-Turkiye co-presidency gives us the opportunity to engage our communities in the islands as well as the diaspora, in holding the COP31 presidency accountable for the task at hand. Our communities have so much on the line in this fight, and the COP31 presidency would benefit from leaning into the rich experience of Pacific peoples in navigating the impacts and solutions to this crisis.”
Dr. Rufino Varea, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network Director, says: “We welcome this announcement by PIF following political consultation on the COP31 Pre-COP. As preparations move forward, there must be clarity on the role the Pacific will play in shaping the agenda and guiding outcomes within the Australia and Türkiye co-presidency.
“Hosting must go beyond geography and reflect meaningful leadership in substance, priorities and decision making. These processes must translate political visibility into concrete outcomes that advance justice and ambition for all, while centring the lived realities of frontline communities.”