Pre-COP 31: How Pacific leadership is shaping solutions on loss and damage
As climate impacts intensify across small island developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries (LDCs), the demand for direct, practical and locally led solutions has never been more urgent. From 5 to 8 October 2026 in Nadi, Fiji, the Santiago Network Secretariat joined Pacific leaders, ministers, regional institutions and community champions at Pre-COP 31.
The Secretariat delegation, composed of Director Carolina Fuentes Castellanos and SIDS Desk Officer Nacanieli Bolo Speigth, listened to frontline priorities, deepened strategic partnerships and demonstrated how demand-driven technical assistance is moving climate-induced loss and damage response into tangible implementation.
Frontline realities: Grounding global strategy in local realities
With over half of the Santiago Network’s technical assistance pipeline originating from SIDS and LDCs, including Pacific island nations such as the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Palau and Vanuatu, the Santiago Network supported the COP 31 Presidency call to action at Pre-COP, emphasizing that COP 31 must be the "COP of Implementation," a vision that strongly aligns with the Network's focus on scaling technical assistance delivery.
During the Pre-COP week in Nadi, the Secretariat conducted a series of high-level bilateral discussions with heads of state, government ministers and global climate leaders, including H.E. Surangel Whipps Jr., President of Palau; Hon. Lynda Tabuya, Fiji’s Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection; Dr. Sivendra Michael, Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change and Fiji's Lead Negotiator; Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni (Huʻakavameiliku), Pacific Loss and Damage Political Champion and Tonga’s Minister for Public Enterprises; Ms. Ingrid Lundberg, Head of Australia’s Office of the COP 31 Presidency; Mikko Ollikainen, Head of the Adaptation Fund, Mathilde Laurans, Deputy Executive Director of the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), and Mr. Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, alongside other regional partners and our Network Members.
Across every meeting, leaders reinforced a common truth: effective technical assistance must build long-term capability at the national level and rely on local expertise.
Pioneering loss and damage operationalization
A centerpiece of the Secretariat’s engagement in Nadi was co-hosting two landmark side events that showcased how Pacific countries are pioneering loss and damage operationalization.
On 5 October 2026, the "Bridging Gaps Between Loss and Damage Policy and Implementation" side event, co-hosted with the Nabanga Loss and Damage Consortium, examined the critical shift from policy formulation to on-the-ground programming. Florence Latu from the Government of Vanuatu detailed how technical assistance from the Santiago Network helped Vanuatu map country-wide capacity gaps, gather community case studies, and advance a robust proposal to the FRLD, underscoring that "if capacity stops just at the capital, policy implementation stops in town." Joe Aitaro from the Government of Palau highlighted Palau’s journey in consolidating a national framework, celebrating the Santiago Network’s model of onboarding local consultants who understand regional cultural, geographical, and socioeconomic contexts. Furthermore, David Poulton from Sustineo, part of the Nabanga Consortium, emphasized that transitioning to implementation requires new support capabilities, specifically translating climate projections into long-term strategies for livelihoods, social protection, and cultural preservation.
Held on 7 October 2026, the second event, "Pacific Loss and Damage: From Evidence to Action," co-hosted with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), focused on building regional evidence systems to unlock climate finance. Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni delivered a stirring opening message, reminding delegates that loss and damage deeply impacts culture, identity and ancestral connection, stating: “What we lose cannot always be counted, but at COP 31, it must count.” Tagaloa Cooper from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) shared outcomes from over 25 regional dialogues involving 1,200 beneficiaries, stressing that loss and damage finance is a direct obligation owed to affected communities. Alisi Rabukawaqa, indigenous leader and biodiversity expert, called for global systems to recognize non-economic losses, such as language, ceremony and relational knowledge, and to honor local baseline truths. Mathilde Laurans, shared the FRLD’s learning journey and plans on the road ahead. Concluding the session, Carolina Fuentes Castellanos highlighted the Santiago Network’s expanding portfolio, including over 40 technical assistance requests in the pipeline, 17 active calls for proposals, and 5 actively under implementation, alongside the Community Window, which provides up to USD 50,000 for direct community-level technical assistance.
In the lead-up to COP 31: A pipeline of purpose
The Santiago Network's engagements at Pre-COP 31 demonstrated that SIDS are leading global innovation in loss and damage response. The Secretariat remains dedicated to ensuring that local wisdom, country ownership, and tailored technical support sit at the heart of every project.
As preparations for COP 31 accelerate, unlocking the full potential of its country-driven pipeline requires scaled-up investment in the Santiago Network. The Secretariat will advance the implementation of the resource mobilization strategy approved by the Advisory Board, to help secure the additional support essential to expand technical assistance across frontline countries and communities, strengthen local institutional capacities and ensure that direct financial resources reach those who need them most.
