Fiji has welcomed a historic new climate partnership under COP31, with Minister for Climate Change Lynda Tabuya confirming Fiji is proud to host the pre-COP meeting in the Pacific.

In a joint statement issued by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, it was announced that COP31 will be led under a unique Türkiye and Australia partnership, the first of its kind in the history of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Türkiye will hold the COP31 Presidency, while Australia will serve as President of Negotiations. The pre-COP meeting will be hosted in the Pacific, with Fiji playing a central role.

Tabuya says Fiji is ready to welcome the region and the world, describing the opportunity as a major moment for Pacific leadership in global climate negotiations.

The fourth meeting of the COP31 Pacific Senior Officials Taskforce is currently underway in Nadi, where Pacific leaders are strategising on priorities ahead of the global talks.

Officials say the partnership strengthens Pacific visibility at the highest level of climate diplomacy and ensures regional priorities, including climate finance and resilience, are central to negotiations.

The pre-COP meeting will bring global climate leaders to the region, home to some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations despite contributing less than 0.03 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

A dedicated session at COP31 will also focus on climate finance for Small Island Developing States, including pledges to the Pacific Resilience Facility.

The next step in preparations will be the COP31 Climate Ministers Meeting in Brisbane, Australia.

Regional leaders say the partnership marks an unprecedented pathway, one they describe as critical for ensuring Pacific voices are heard in what they call a matter of life and death for island nations.

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