19/08/2026
Press Release: No 1/ 2026 โ 2027
Date: 19 August 2026
Press Release No. 1: North Pacific Disability-Inclusive Climate Dialogue | Republic of the Marshall Islands | 24 - 28 August 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Historic North Pacific Disability-Inclusive Climate Dialogue convenes in the Marshall Islands to amplify marginalised voices ahead of COP31
MAJURO, Republic of the Marshall Islands, August 2026 - The Pacific Disability Forum (PDF), in partnership with Marshall Islands Disabled Persons Organisations, will convene the landmark North Pacific Disability-Inclusive Climate Dialogue in Majuro from 24โ28 August 2026. Supported by the RMI Ministry of Culture and Internal Affairs Disability Coordination and Senior Citizen Office, the high-level event aims to break down systemic barriers and position persons with disabilities at the forefront of global climate leadership. Generously funded by DFAT, MFAT, and the Global Disability Fund, the dialogue will address an escalating human rights crisis. Climate change disproportionately affects persons with disabilities, who face severe barriers during disasters, including inaccessible infrastructure, inadequate early-warning systems, and exclusion from planning.
In response, the week-long programme will bring together women and youth with disabilities, climate actors, government focal points, and regional institutions to build a unified advocacy front targeting critical global platforms, including the Fiji Pre-COP31 Stakeholder Programme, the Tuvalu Leaders component, and COP31. A cornerstone of this historic convening is its explicit focus on women and young persons with disabilities, who are the primary target audience and focal point of the dialogue. PDF CEO Sainimili Tawake emphasised that these groups sit at the hazardous intersection of gender inequality, youth disenfranchisement, and disability discrimination, increasing their vulnerability to climate hazards while systematically limiting their access to leadership roles.
CEO Tawake further explained that โAccessibility cannot be a feature added at the end of a climate strategy; it must be a standard built in from the very beginning,โ
She added that โwomen and youth with disabilities in low-lying atoll contexts bear the brunt of water scarcity, displacement, and food insecurity, yet their voices are historically missing from decision-making spaces. We are here to intentionally shift the narrative, moving these resilient individuals out of the shadows of vulnerability and equipping them to act as core climate architects for our region.โ
The programme features strategic panel discussions on navigating global climate finance channels, interactive regional barrier mapping, and high-level dialogue simulations. The event will culminate on Friday, 28 August, with the formal validation of a regional outcome statement and the signing of a strict 2026โ2027 accountability roadmap to monitor post-COP commitments. Virtual attendance for the North Pacific only will be fully supported through daily Zoom broadcasts.
For further details, please contact:
Pacific Disability Forum Communications Focal: Mr Soloveni Vitoso โ Public Relations and Communications Telephone: (679) 7990 567 | Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (679) 331 2008 | Email: [email protected]
