Navigating Development With Traditional Wisdom: Pasifika Futures Report Launched In Fiji

Tuesday, 13 May 2025, 8:52 am
Press Release: UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji

Suva, Fiji: The Pasifika Futures Report
has been launched in Suva at the opening of the inaugural
Pasifika Futures Forum, marking a significant milestone in
efforts to advance the collective ambition of the 2050
Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

The report
– a partnership between the UN Development Programme
(UNDP) Pacific Office in Fiji and the Pacific Islands Forum,
and supported by the Government of Australia – aims to
strengthen inquiry into how foresight methods can work in
harmony with Pacific Island epistemologies – centering
traditional knowledge systems that emphasise the need for
intergenerational thinking, collective interdependence, and
deep connection to place.

This approach celebrates
that Pacific ways of knowing are essential in shaping
resilient relationships, guiding effective development
partnerships, and envisioning a future where the Pacific
continues to thrive on its own terms.

The report
brought together government officials, policy makers,
academic and thematic experts alongside traditional
navigators, theologists, youth, and community
representatives from across the Pacific to explore a shared
vision for sustainable growth, ocean governance,
technological innovation, and the revitalisation of Pacific
knowledge systems.

Secretary General of the Pacific
Islands Forum, Baron Waqa, on launching the report
said: 

“As we consider what it means to
envision Pacific futures in the age of climate change, we
must confront the reality of a planetary polycrisis – what
many are calling the new abnormal. But let us be clear: the
futures we seek are not those prescribed to us, but those we
define for ourselves.”

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UNDP Pacific Resident
Representative, Munkhtuya Altangerel, reflected on the
regional symbolism of launching the report on Girmit Day,
noting the importance of honouring the past while steering
together toward a shared future. She said:

“The 2050
Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent outlines a shared
vision: a region where all Pacific peoples can lead free,
healthy, and productive lives. This report contributes to
that vision; we are simply the platform, and we will treat
the knowledge entrusted to us with the care and respect it
deserves.”

The Pasifika Futures Report builds upon
the pioneering work of regional institutions such as the
Pacific Community (SPC) and other CROP agencies, reaffirming
the Pacific as a region of large ocean states – not small
island nations.

The report covers 10 key themes that
are pertinent to the Pacific at present, and into the
future, such as oceans governance, migration and diaspora,
technology, the changing nature of statehood, youth and
future generations, and deglobalisation.

The launch
event featured performances representing Polynesia,
Melanesia, and Micronesia, alongside a creative showcase by
WonderLab, offering a futuristic glimpse into the Pacific of
2050 and beyond.

The Pasifika Futures Forum continues
this week, providing a space for inclusive dialogue across
government, community, and development partners to co-create
a resilient, innovative, and unified future for the Blue
Pacific Continent.

Notes:

The
full Pasifika Futures Report can be found here.

For
further information on the Pasifika Futures Forum, please
visit our website:

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