President Biden announced $810 million in funding for Pacific island nations. This is part of a stronger US commitment to our long-standing partners.
“The security of the Pacific and Pacific Islanders is as important as it has ever been,” Biden said at the first US Pacific Island Nations Summit in Washington on September 29.
Over the past decade, the US has directly provided more than $1.5 billion to Pacific islands, the White House said in a fact sheet.
The $810 million includes $130 million to address the impacts of climate change, which the president calls an “existential threat” to the Pacific Islands.
The Climate Fund will help Pacific island nations prepare for climate impacts on public health and food security and strengthen their early warning systems for extreme weather events. Leveraging an additional $400 million in private funding.
Biden said the September 28-29 summit was “to deepen our enduring commitment to each other regarding our shared future. We are committed to addressing the climate crisis that threatens us all. ‘s commitment.”
The President announced the first Pacific Partnership Strategy to prioritize U.S. engagement with Pacific island nations and boost regional prosperity. The strategy builds on the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy announced in February, confirming the U.S. commitment to its Indo-Pacific partners and outlining steps to strengthen cooperation.
We advocate for Pacific island countries and regions on their most pressing challenges, including economic and environmental resilience, water and food security, health security, maritime domain awareness, and strengthening democratic institutions and good governance. We will continue to partner with pic.twitter.com/U54BLX7ovr
— Department of State (@StateDept) September 28, 2022
The recently announced support also includes the Biden administration’s support for $600 million in economic assistance over 10 years related to the South Pacific Tuna Treaty. This support, when approved by Congress, supports fisheries-related economic development, resilience to climate change, and maritime security.
The Biden administration will work with Congress to deliver on these funding commitments.
On the first day of the summit, Secretary of State Anthony Brinken said: Especially how we can work together to achieve them. “
