Suva, Fiji – 18 – 21 May 2026 – My engagement in Suva, Fiji, as my first official visit to the Pacific as Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), was long overdue and of great strategic importance. The Pacific Small Island Developing States (Pacific SIDS) are central to ISA’s work. Their ocean heritage and their voice in the negotiations that will shape the rules that will govern the deep seabed for generations made this mission one of the most significant of my tenure. I came to listen and learn, and I left Suva with a clearer sense of both what the Authority can offer and what it can do better for Pacific SIDS.
My visit began with a traditional Fijian welcome ceremony, the Veiqaraqaravi Vakavanua, hosted by Prime Minister, the Honorable Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, which opened with an official blessing and the preparation of Kava.
My delegation and I presented a bale of kava as our I sevusevu to the Prime Miniter of Fiji. The I sevusevu is the traditional way of presenting oneself and seeking acceptance to the land and showing respect to authority. The Prime Minister accepted our I sevusevu signifying that, on behalf of the government and the people of Fiji, my delegation and I have been accepted to the country.
During the Fijian Traditional Ceremony of Welcome, the Fiji Government presented to me two items as a mark of respect: the tabua (whale’s tooth) as the government and people of Fiji’s I qaloqalovi (formally welcoming me to the country and inviting me to enter the land), and the kava as the Fiji Government I sevusevu (formally communicating to our delegation that we were free to do our work in the country). This was followed by the Prime Minister’s words of welcome, encouragement, and guidance toward the continued relationship between the Government of Fiji and the ISA. To be received with such warmth, with the presentation of the salusalu garland in the presence of Chiefs, Ministers, and High Commissioners / Ambassadors, representatives of development partners in the Pacific and senior government officials, was an honour and delight. As I mentioned in my opening remarks, in the Pacific, relationships, respect, and community lie at the very heart of international cooperation and partnership. I left the ceremony committed to ensuring that the ISA remains a neutral, credible, transparent, science-based, and trusted institution; one that Pacific States can rely on as a genuine partner.
This mission was also particularly important as it gave me the opportunity to mark the official commencement of the Pacific SIDS Regional Workshop on Deep Seabed Sustainable Blue Growth Initiative and jointly launch two flagship ISA publications, the Toolkit on the Roles and Responsibilities of States Sponsoring Activities in the Area and the Guidelines for Negotiations and Contractual Dealings with Sponsored Entities, alongside the Honourable Filimoni Vosarogo, Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Fiji, and Ms Desna Solofa, Acting Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. In delivering the keynote address, I highlighted the leadership of Pacific SIDS and the critical importance of ensuring that regional perspectives directly shape the future of deep seabed management.
These two publications were developed and were the key products of the Abyssal Initiative for Blue Growth that was jointly implemented by the ISA and UNDESA in the Pacific between 2019-2023 to provide Pacific SIDS with the practical resources they need to understand and implement their obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), exercise oversight over sponsored entities, and negotiate from a position of knowledge. As Mr. Sainivalati Navoti, Chief of the SIDS Unit at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), noted at the launch, together, the two publications represent a commitment to facilitating the decision-making of Pacific Island States and enhancing their due diligence in matters relating to activities in the Area. Minister Vosarogo expressed that my visit to the Pacific was symbolic of the Authority’s direct and intentional engagement with the region and mentioned that “what is at stake is shared.” I am deeply grateful for his remarks and truly stand behind his words that Pacific SIDS are active members within the ISA’s negotiations, including the development of the regulatory framework and the future standards and guidelines.
The launch of these two publications and valuable resources for all member States, marked the opening of the Pacific SIDS Regional Workshop on Deep Seabed Sustainable Blue Growth Initiative, which is the first operational expression of the successor programme to the Abyssal Initiative for Blue Growth. The three-day workshop was held at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and was followed by a one-day regional technical session on the Pacific deep sea minerals data repository.
I had long dreamed of visiting the Pacific Islands to connect with its people and to deeply and intentionally collaborate in this way through hosting a short but intensive capacity-building workshop. I strongly believe that my role as Secretary-General is to share, include, and listen. The workshop was designed precisely to put these three important components into practice by covering topics such as regulatory preparedness, environmental management, data governance, capacity building, and regional cooperation. The workshop brought together representatives from 10 Pacific SIDS, regional organizations including Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), Pacific Community (SPC), , Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), University of the South Pacific, civil society organizations, namely Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (PIANGO), Pacific Regional NGO (PRNGO) Alliance, and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), as well as Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America. The workshop closed with a Draft Outcomes Statement synthesizing priority needs and structural commitments, which participants have been invited to take back to their capitals for review.
At the end of the first day of the workshop, my team on the ground hosted an official ISA cocktail reception bringing together all workshop participants, regional dignitaries, diplomatic representatives, and partners. This gathering reinforced the sense of shared purpose that had characterized the day’s opening, and a number of the bilateral conversations initiated there carried over into substantive meetings throughout the remainder of my mission. I was particularly encouraged by the engagement from Pacific SIDS diplomats and technical representatives, many of whom emphasized their support of the timeliness of the workshop and the direct relevance of the two publications to their countries’ needs.
The highlight of my visit to Fiji was my meeting with the Honourable Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, was deeply moving as it was grounded in the shared conviction that the ocean is held in trust for present and future generations, a principle that both of us personally hold, as well as a central focus of both UNCLOS and the Pacific’s own 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. In our exchange, I acknowledged Fiji’s foundational role in international ocean law as the first signatory to UNCLOS in 1982, being the home of the Authority’s first Secretary-General, Ambassador Satya Nandan, and Fiji’s consistent presence at ISA over the last three decades. I emphasized that a completed regulatory framework is the most effective tool available to Pacific States, both those with a sponsoring interest and those advocating a precautionary pause. Prime Minister Rabuka’s reflections on the Pacific as a Zone of Peace, and the connection he drew between that vision and the common heritage of humankind principle, gave me confidence that the partnership between ISA and the Government of Fiji rests on genuinely shared ground.
My meeting with the Honourable Sakiasi Ditoka, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, was an opportunity to reinforce Fiji’s role as a bridge between the Authority and the wider Pacific region. I recalled Fiji’s sustained engagement with the ISA and co-sponsorship of the International Day of the Deep Seabed, and sought Fiji’s continued support for the draft Council decision on engagement with BBNJ bodies at Part II in July, a decision anchored in Fiji’s own co-organization of the ISA-BBNJ Interface Workshop in New York in November 2025. I also drew attention to Fiji’s 2025 intervention on the Common Heritage Fund, which emphasized that the Fund must effectively serve SIDS interests.
My visit with the Honourable Filimoni Vosarogo, Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, was incredibly productive. In our bilateral conversation, we discussed how the recently published Guidelines on Negotiations could provide immense support to Fiji as it continues to develop its regulatory environment. We also discussed Fiji’s participation in ISA’s capacity-building initiatives, including expanding environmental impact assessment training, and the possibility of an ISA-Fiji partnership on regional environmental management plans. Furthermore, Minister Vosarogo’s commitment to presenting Fiji’s national perspective on the Pacific regional data repository was deeply informative and I look forward to building on this working relationship with his Ministry team directly.
As an oceanographer whose career was built on marine science, environmental impact assessment, and regulatory work in the offshore sector, I was particularly moved to meet with members of the Science, Technology and Resources Network (STAR). I invited STAR’s members to take up available training pathways through Deep Dive, the Contractors’ Training Programme, and the ISA’s two regional Joint Training and Research Centres, and encouraged a significant increase in Pacific SIDS participation. The STAR network’s focus on scientific exchange and capacity-building aligns directly with the Authority’s mandate, and I welcome deeper engagement between our institutions.
My meeting with His Excellency Dirk Wagener, United Nations Resident Coordinator, focused on positioning the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) as a strategic partner for the next phase of the ISA’s Pacific engagement. Both the UN Pacific Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023–2027 and the ISA’s Pacific programme are anchored in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, giving our institutions a natural common reference point. The Deep Seabed Sustainable Blue Growth Initiative will require an effective regional delivery model, and His Excellency Wagener’s office, covering five Pacific States, is a practical and important partner in extending the Authority’s reach beyond Fiji, as well as with other UN agencies to build understanding and support.
In my meeting with Dr. Andrew Jones, I congratulated him on his recent appointment as Deputy Director-General of the Pacific Community (SPC) responsible for science and capability and acknowledged SPC’s contribution as a technical resource partner in the ISA-hosted workshop. We discussed the importance of data sharing to close the significant capacity gap for Pacific SIDS with respect to gathering and analyzing environmental data and I look forward to establishing a refreshed and more operationally active partnership under his leadership.
My exchange with Mr. Jope Davetanivalu, Director of Environment / Regional Environmental Governance, was incredibly informative as as we
discussed how ISA’s environmental governance work directly feeds into the SPREP’s regional mandate on marine biodiversity and coastal zone management. My meeting with Dr. Filimon Manoni, Pacific Ocean Commissioner, Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC), was particularly interesting for me as he provided an in-depth analysis of the regional ocean governance landscape, including on BBNJ implementation. Going forward OPOC together United Nations will be an important implementing partner on capacity development initiatives in the Pacific Region.
My meeting with His Excellency Mr. Peter Llewelyn Roberts, Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), High Commissioner of Australia to Fiji, addressed Australia’s important role as a partner in ocean governance in the Pacific. Australia’s support for robust multilateral rules under UNCLOS, and for Pacific capacity to engage meaningfully in that process, is well-aligned with the ISA’s own objectives.
A further highlight of my mission included engaging in an open Talanoa session with civil society organizations. True to the Pacific tradition of inclusive dialogue, this conversation allowed for a frank exchange on deep-sea environmental governance, the safeguards that must be embedded in ISA’s regulatory framework, and the role of traditional knowledge alongside scientific data to inform decision-making. I listened carefully and I left this session with a clearer sense of what informed and accountable governance looks like from the communities living closest to and depending on the ocean.
Over the course of the mission, I also met bilaterally with High Commissioners and Ambassadors representing a broad cross-section of Pacific SIDS including the Ambassador of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to Fiji, H.E. Mr. Junior Aini, the High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea to the Republic of Fiji, H.E. Ms. Jacinta Tony-Barrion, the High Commissioner of Samoa to Fiji, H.E. Mr. Ali’ioaiga Feturi Elisaia, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Federated States of Micronesia, Ms. Chandra Legdesog; the High Commissioner of Australia to Fiji, H.E. Mr. Peter Roberts, and the High Commissioner of India to Fiji, H.E. Mr. Suneet Mehta; and representatives of the European Union, in a joint meeting including the Ambassador of Germany to Fiji, H.E. Mr.
Andreas Prothmann, the EU Head of Mission, H.E. Ms. Barbara Plinkert, the Chargé d’Affaires of France to Fiji, Mr. Benjamin Delannoy, and the Chargé d’Affaires of Spain to Fiji, Ms. Jaione Lizarralde.These conversations reflected the genuine diversity of Pacific positions on deep seabed mining, and I engaged each delegation on its own terms. A consistent thread across these meetings was the value placed on the ISA’s capacity-building work and the timeliness of the workshop’s practical tools. As mentioned earlier the Pacific priorities was reflected in the outcome statement of the workshop.
With the conclusion of my mission to Fiji, I feel energized and inspired by all that I experienced and learned. The Pacific SIDS are incredibly to expanding their visibility within the ISA process, and I commit to doing our best to ensure that ISA matches these commitments with sustained action.
The Deep Seabed Sustainable Blue Growth Initiative is now operational, the two publications that should serve as valuable tools and are readily accessible, and the outcome statement of the workshop that my colleagues concluded on the ground should serve as a catalyst for further engagement with the Pacific SIDS and learning within the ISA process. The next opportunity to engage will be at the COP31 Pre-COP Meeting hosted in Fiji, on 5–8 October 2026 where ISA looks forward to presenting the outcomes of the Suva Workshop.
On another note, I want to express that visits to Palau and Nauru remain high on my list of priorities. Although unforeseen travel challenges prevented me from accepting a kind invitation from the government to visit Nauru during this mission, I am deeply grateful to both governments for their generosity and look forward to pursuing these visits in the near future.
Leticia Carvalho,
Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority
