PRESS RELEASE
25 February
BANGKOK, THAILAND-At the 13th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) held at the United Nations ESCAP, PIANGO, delivered a powerful intervention, demanding that global development reporting move beyond symbolic gestures to address the structural crises facing Pacific communities.
Speaking on behalf of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM) and PIANGO, FALE Coordinator Akmal Ali addressed delegates under Agenda Item 3, focusing on the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), the process by which countries report their progress on the 2030 Agenda.
With Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, and Tonga set to present their VNRs, Ali reminded the forum that for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), sustainable development is not a matter of statistics but a measure of lived dignity and resilience.
Ali challenged the international community to look past national averages that often mask the true struggles of island nations dealing with rising seas, geographic isolation, and the lingering scars of nuclear testing.
“For us in the Pacific, the Voluntary National Review is not simply a reporting exercise. It is a test of whether our people experience real change in their daily lives,” Ali stated. “Development cannot be measured through national averages alone, but through dignity, resilience, and the lived realities of communities."
A central theme of the intervention was the disconnect between global climate finance and the grassroots organisations doing the work. Ali called for a essential shift in how people’s money is managed, emphasising that transparency and local ownership are non-negotiable.
“Financing remains one of the deepest structural gaps. Too often resources circulate at higher levels while communities, local civil society, and frontline systems remain under-supported,” Ali said.
“Public money is people’s money. It must be managed transparently and accountably to reduce inequality and improve lives,”
As we navigate the dual crises of a rising HIV and drug pandemic across the Pacific, PIANGO is calling on leaders to move beyond slogans and embrace localisation, not as a mere buzzword, but as a vital strategy for regional survival.
“We know solutions already exist within our communities. What we need is political will to recognise them, resource them, and scale them with justice, dignity, and shared responsibility,” he concluded.
As the forum continues, the focus remains on ensuring that global partnerships translate into genuine shift of power towards those on the front lines of the 2030 Agenda.
PIANGO acknowledges the tremendous support of our following partners with whose help our work is possible in the Pacific. Vinaka sara valevu, Shukriya, Ko rabwa, Meitaki Maata, Malo ‘Aupito, Fa’afetai lava, Fakaaue, Fakafetai lasi,Tangkyu tumas, Si Yu'os ma'åse', Kom̧m̧ooltata, Kalahngan, Ke kmal mesaul and Thank you to Brot für die Welt, Forus international, CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness, European Union in the Pacific, AFD - Agence Française de Développement
#Action4SD, Commonwealth Foundation, UNDP in the Pacific, UNICEF Pacific.
