Leaders from 11 nations and territories across the Pacific have identified pandemic recovery, climate change and sustainable development as their top regional priorities following a Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders summit.

During the virtual summit, which was held June 1-2, a new group of Pacific island leaders renewed their commitment to the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders and its secretariat, the Pacific Islands Development Program, which is based at the East-West Center in Honolulu.

Delegations joined the summit from the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Marshall Islands, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau and Solomon Islands.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the group during a video message at the opening of the summit, where he said that the United States was committed to helping the Pacific communities’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through vaccine donations and helping devastated island economies rebuild.

Blinken also addressed climate change and its impact on Pacific communities.

“We’re out of time for excuses. Countries must make — and meet — ambitious commitments, and governments need to invest in climate adaptation measures that all our communities will need,” Blinken said.

U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry reaffirmed during a question-and-answer session that the U.S. was committed to funding and supporting adaptation, mitigation, resilience and sustainability efforts in the Pacific and globally.

To deal with climate change, he said, “We have to have an all-of-society effort. I’m convinced that we can not only beat the climate crisis, but we can transition to a sustainable economy for all states, including Pacific islands.”

Kerry also emphasized the need for the U.S. to view its Pacific island companions as critical partners in addressing the “climate crisis.”

The origin of the summit goes back to 1980 when Gov. George Ariyoshi and Fijian statesman Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara established the forum for Pacific island leaders to learn from each other as they addressed shared issues and developed common approaches to policy.

PIDP was created at the East-West Center to help leaders advance “their collective efforts toward achieving and sustaining equitable social and economic development in the region.”

The summit, which was last held in 2016, has typically convened every three years. Leaders also voted to hold an in-person meeting in 2022 and again in 2025.

Leaders at this year’s summit issued a formal communication identifying climate change, pandemic recovery and sustainable development as “in need of attention and action.”

Among their other shared priorities were “expansion of access to information and communication technologies, the importance of regional harmony and diplomacy, and protection of ocean and natural resources.”

Many members also prioritized national and regional security, health and food security, nuclear legacies, and disaster preparedness and management.