TALENT ALERT: Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) 2025 -- Pacific experts available in Honiara
Greenpeace Australia Pacific
HONIARA, Monday 8 September 2025 — The 54th Pacific Islands Forum begins today in Honiara, Solomon Islands and will run until Friday, 12 September.
The Forum brings together Pacific leaders from 17 of 18 member states (with Samoa absent), including Australia, to discuss and agree on policies to benefit the people of the Pacific region.
The climate crisis and matters of the ocean (Ocean of Peace proposal), including discussion of deep sea mining, will be high on the agenda when leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, meet this week. The Leaders’ meeting is an important milestone on the road to the COP31 climate conference, for which there is a strong bid for the Pacific to co-host with Australia next year.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific and Pacific Civil Society groups have spokespeople available on the ground throughout the week who can offer expert insights, analysis and comments from the Forum:
Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, can discuss key Forum negotiations and updates related to climate policy and the environment, what Australia must do to make good on its relationship with the Pacific, deep sea mining and the global calls for a moratorium and the co-hosted bid for COP31 with the Pacific and Australia.
Rae Bainteiti, Pacific Political Coordinator at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, can speak on deep sea mining in the region, outcomes from the recent ISA in Jamaica, and deep sea mining side-events on the ground in Honiara.
Pelenatita (Tita) Kara Longopoa, Program National Coordinator, Civil Society Forum of Tonga, can discuss the growing movement against deep sea mining in the Kingdom of Tonga, and what grassroots Pacific activists are calling for at this week’s Forum.
Millicent Barty, Founder of Kastom Keepers, from the Solomon Islands can speak on community issues including the climate crisis and deep sea mining, climate migration and adaptation, oceans and indigenous knowledge-based solutions.
Rodrick Rollands, Executive Board Chairman of Solomon Islands Climate Action Network (SICAN), can speak to SICAN’s work in the Solomon Islands, on climate and nature, deep sea mining, issues facing Pacific youth, and on key forum negotiations and discussions.
—ENDS—
Headshots and images can be found here
About us:
Greenpeace Australia Pacific is a global independent campaigning organisation that uses peaceful protest and creative confrontation to expose environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.
Contact details:
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact Kimberley Bernard on +61407 581 404 or [email protected]