Micronesia leaders renew urgent call for 'fast-acting cuts in short-lived super pollutants'
- Admin
- Jul 26
- 4 min read
By Giff Johnson
Majuro — Leaders from the Micronesia region meeting in Majuro in early July called climate change the “most significant threat” to the islands and renewed calls for urgent climate action.
At the conclusion of the 27th Micronesian Island Forum meeting, which was held from June 30 to July 4, island leaders issued an urgent call to action for
“fast-acting cuts in short-lived super pollutants to slow global warming and called upon major economies to address greenhouse gas emissions to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”
Forum leaders renewed their call prior to the July 23 release of the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion, which declared the emitters' legal obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide financial support for climate-related claims and damages.
As is customary at these regional dialogue sessions, the Forum concluded with a nine-page communiqué that lists issues of importance to the islands.
The Forum meeting was attended by leaders from the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Nauru, Kiribati, Guam, the Northern Marianas and the four states of the FSM.
Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine and FSM President Wesley Simina were joined by Guam Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero, Pohnpei Gov. Stevenson Joseph, Kosrae Tulensa Palik and Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa.
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The most important aspect of the Forum is that it allowed the five independent nations of Micronesia an opportunity to prepare their positions and identify priorities for the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum to be held in the Solomon Islands in September.
The communiqué aside, the Forum adopted six resolutions, including one aimed at the U.S. government and another focused on the cervical cancer crisis in the islands.
One resolution seeks the support of President Donald Trump to protect giant clams and support reef management in the region. While this may be a difficult “ask” with a U.S. administration largely opposed to climate action and environmental protection, the Micronesian leaders resolved to communicate with President Trump to advocate for the “listing of giant clam species in the Endangered Species Act and supporting continued funding for coral reef management programs.”
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Another resolution pointed out that cervical cancer rates in the U.S.-affiliated islands were double that of the U.S., with a high death rate afflicting island women.
The Forum agreed on a position aiming for the “elimination of cervical cancer as a regional public health concern and support their respective health agencies’ efforts and interventions to fully implement global and Western Pacific regional strategies for cervical cancer elimination, including HPV vaccination services.”
Other resolutions adopted included:
• Support for the development of a medical complex on Guam to provide healthcare services to the region.
• Endorsement of the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the global shipping industry, particularly through action at the International Maritime Organization. This resolution included endorsing the Marshall Islands’ continued coordination of the shipping partnership and naming the Micronesian Center for Sustainable Transport as the technical lead agency in the effort.
• Support and endorsement initiatives to achieve self-determination and decolonization for the unincorporated territory of Guam.
• Addressing the resolution adopted in May by the World Health Organization on the “Effects of Nuclear War on Public Health.” The WHO resolution called on the WHO director general to update the reports “Effects of Nuclear War on Health and Health Services (1983 and 1987)” and the report “Health and Environmental Effects of Nuclear Weapons (1993),” and, in this regard, to collect and analyze existing related studies.
The Forum resolution said it was of “critical importance to continue evidence-based studies to understand the acute and long-term risks of nuclear war and weapons on population health and health services in Micronesian Island Member States.”
A new development injected the voice of young people from the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Pohnpei and Chuuk into the Forum program. The Marshall Islands youth nonprofit known as Jo-Jikum (Your Place) was asked by President Heine to coordinate participation by youth representatives from across Micronesia who were part of their official delegations.
“Together, we proudly supported these amazing young leaders in delivering a powerful Micronesian Youth Joint Statement to regional leaders — a major milestone in youth civic engagement and regional dialogue!” said Jo-Jikum in a social media post.
As part of this effort, Jo-Jikum hosted two youth-led events that brought together local youth organizations from Majuro and beyond, creating space for dialogue and participation.
After introductions and formalities, the youth took a crash course on the history of the Micronesian Islands Forum, some key highlights from past communiqués, as well as a brief look at the key themes for this year’s Forum.
The youth broke into focus groups to discuss the five thematic areas for the forum: Education, health and mental well-being, ocean, gender and equity, and economic security and mobility. After group discussions, the youth reported back on concerns they identified within the thematic areas, proposed solutions to address those concerns, and shared a joint commitment.
The second activity was an art reflection that invited the youth to collaborate on a painting to amplify their statement to the Forum.
The Forum reiterated its ongoing invitation to Kiribati to officially join the Forum. The final act was to name Pohnpei to host the 2026 Micronesian Island Forum.
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