Tuvalu at High-Level Events on SIDS & Heritage | UNGA80
Hon. Dr Maina Vakafua Talia, Minister of Home Affairs, Climate Change and Environment, delivered keynote addresses at two important High-Level Events: Supporting Small Island Developing States and Low-Lying Coastal States and Preserving Heritage & Culture Amidst Sea-Level Rise.
At #UNGA80, Hon. Paulson Panapa, Tuvalu’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with his Maldivian counterpart to reaffirm the strong partnership between our two island nations.
Since 2005, Tuvalu and the Maldives have built enduring ties grounded in shared values as Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Together, we continue to champion urgent global action on the climate crisis while deepening cooperation for the resilience of our peoples.
At #UNGA80 in New York, Hon. Paulson Panapa, Tuvalu’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, co-chaired the EU–Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) meeting.
As PSIDS Chair, Tuvalu proudly led our Pacific family in strengthening ties with the EU, with a focus on climate action, protecting ocean health, and creating opportunities for a sustainable future.
At a high-level leaders’ breakfast during UNGA80, Prime Minister Hon. Feleti Penitala Teo renewed Tuvalu’s call for urgent global action on climate change. He urged that the 2026 UN Summit on Sea-Level Rise must be a turning point that secures long-term commitments for vulnerable nations.
The discussions highlighted statehood continuity, dignified climate mobility, and innovative financing solutions. The spirit of collaboration at this meeting marked an important step toward resilience and justice for the world’s most vulnerable.
A milestone moment for the Pacific — Tuvalu, as PSIDS Chair, proudly hosted the first-ever PSIDS Leaders’ Fonotaga on the margins of UNGA80 in New York.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Hon. Feleti Penitala Teo, Pacific leaders came together in unity to launch the PSIDS Guidelines, advance follow-up on the ICJ Advisory Opinion on climate change, refine strategies for the 2026 Sea-Level Rise Declaration, and prepare for the upcoming AOSIS Leaders’ Meeting.
H.E. Dr. Tapugao Falefou, Permanent Representative of Tuvalu to the UN, delivered Tuvalu’s statement at the inaugural Biennial Summit, calling for:
- Finance that reaches the most at-risk communities.
- Global institutions that give small nations a fair voice.
- Success measured by recovery from cyclones, stocked clinics, and resilience to climate change.
Ending Plastic Pollution Together
Hon. Dr Maina Vakafua Talia, Minister of Home Affairs, Climate Change and Environment of Tuvalu, was invited to speak at the High-Level Side Event: Closing in on the Global Plastic Pollution Treaty, co-organized by Norway and Kenya on the margins of UNGA80.
At the UN Secretary-General’s Special High-Level Event on Climate Action, Prime Minister Hon. Feleti Penitala Teo presented Tuvalu’s enhanced NDC 3.0, a bold commitment to achieve a 100% reduction of emissions from the electricity sector by 2030 and an 80% cut in overall energy sector emissions by 2035, with a path to zero-carbon development by 2050.
Prime Minister Hon. Feleti Penitala Teo joined Pacific leaders at the High Seas Treaty Roundtable, organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies on the margins of UNGA80 .
The roundtable marked the achievement of the threshold for the Treaty’s entry into force — a historic step toward protecting biodiversity through marine protected areas.
Prime Minister Teo reaffirmed that safeguarding the health of our oceans is essential for Tuvalu’s survival, prosperity, and future generations.
Hon. Paulson Panapa, Tuvalu’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Labour and Trade, met with the Acting Foreign Minister of Vietnam in New York, where both sides signed a Joint Communiqué—an important milestone in bilateral relations.
