Pacific Island leaders have formally launched the Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development (PRED) 2025–2030, marking a new chapter in regional cooperation focused on inclusive growth, sustainable finance and economic resilience.
The announcement was made during the 2025 Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) held in Suva, Fiji, where ministers from across the Blue Pacific endorsed the comprehensive strategy aimed at steering the region through mounting global economic, climate and geopolitical pressures.
Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa, in his welcome address on 24 July 2025, confirmed that PRED is now “officially under implementation,” adding that it is designed not merely as a technical framework but as a “model for the development of similar implementation plans” under the broader 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
“PRED is now officially under implementation, and we shall have a formal launching of the PRED document during this meeting,” Waqa said.
The PRED outlines six key focus areas: economic management and public finance; private sector development and MSMEs; trade and investment; the digital economy; labour mobility and remittances; and inclusive economic development.
The roadmap had been developed through broad consultation with Member States, civil society, the private sector, and development partners. The framework will support both national and regional development goals, which is part of a regional architecture for economic development and resilience.
The roadmap aligns with the implementation of the Pacific Resilience Facility and the Climate Finance Access and Mobilisation Strategy, two other regionally endorsed tools intended to boost sustainable finance and disaster readiness.
Forum leaders say the roadmap offers a practical framework to strengthen institutional capacity, unlock financing, reduce trade barriers, and promote inclusive growth—particularly for women, young people, and communities in rural and outer islands.
Tongan Prime Minister and Finance Minister Dr Aisake Valu Eke, who chaired this year’s FEMM, said PRED represents a vital regional instrument for shared progress.
“The need for working together, amidst the increasing global uncertainties confronting our region is critical and cannot be overstated,” Eke said during the official opening of FEMM on 24 July 2025.
Eke had also endorsed the roadmap during a special FEMM held earlier in 2025, stating that it would help drive strategic cooperation across sectors such as finance, gender equity and climate action.
“I urge our Forum Economic Ministers and Forum Women Leaders to embrace this opportunity as a good example of regional cooperation,” he said.
The roadmap comes at a time of mounting fiscal and environmental pressure across the region. Pacific economies continue to grapple with supply chain disruptions, constrained public finances, inflationary shocks and heightened climate vulnerability.
A key challenge remains implementation. While PRED offers a well-articulated framework, Forum officials acknowledged the need for financing and institutional support. Secretary General Waqa noted that the Forum Secretariat will play a central role in coordinating progress reports, policy monitoring, and mobilising technical assistance.
The Secretariat said it would begin work immediately to establish a PRED monitoring framework and annual reporting mechanism. Each thematic area will be supported by tailored implementation plans developed in collaboration with Member States and regional agencies.
The launch of PRED 2025–2030 complements ongoing regional initiatives such as the 2050 Strategy, the Pacific Aid for Trade Strategy, and the Pacific Digital Economy Programme, with officials stressing that the roadmap is not intended to duplicate existing plans but to integrate them into a unified, results-oriented approach.
While the PRED is now active, Forum leaders agree that the real work begins with its execution—and ensuring that the plan does not remain just another regional document, but becomes a tool for lasting and inclusive change.
