Pacific priorities at the UN General Assembly’s 2025 General Debate

Oliver Hasenkamp analyzes the speeches of Pacific Island countries (PICs) during the 2025 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) General Debate, revealing both shared views and notable differences. From 23 to 29 September 2025, leaders, ministers, and diplomats from all 193 UN member states gathered in New York for six days of statements.

Examining the speeches of the 12 PIC members is important for several reasons. Despite global criticism of multilateralism from figures like Donald Trump, the Pacific Islands remain some of the UN's strongest supporters, backing initiatives like the UN80 reform. Additionally, these speeches reflect the national and regional priorities of the Pacific.

The UN General Debate offers smaller nations a vital platform to highlight issues they find most urgent to the world community. This year, attention to PIC priorities is especially timely as the Debate occurred shortly after the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM) in Honiara, which emphasized regional cooperation and resisting great power competition.

Key themes from Pacific Island countries’ speeches

Strong advocacy for multilateralism and UN reform efforts.
Focus on regional cooperation following the recent PIFLM summit.
Addressing challenges from great power rivalry in the Pacific.
Expressing national development priorities through a united regional voice.

“Amid the current crisis of multilateralism and criticism of the global organisation as expressed by leaders such as Donald Trump, the PICs remain among the strongest advocates of multilateralism and the UN80 reform initiative.”

Significance of the 2025 General Debate for Pacific Island countries

The UNGA General Debate functions as a critical forum for smaller states to present their perspectives on global challenges and opportunities. For the Pacific region, this platform helps solidify their commitment to collective engagement with the international community and demonstrates their resilience amid geopolitical tensions.

“The General Debate took place only a few weeks after the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM) in Honiara — which sent some strong messages for regional cooperation and countering great power rivalry.”

Overall, Pacific Island countries use this major diplomatic stage to reinforce their priorities and remain influential contributors to global discussions despite their small size.

Author’s summary

The 2025 UNGA speeches from Pacific Island countries highlight a unified commitment to multilateralism, regional solidarity, and navigating geopolitical tensions with strong global engagement.

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Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre — 2025-11-05