In the spirit of solidarity, the Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisation (PRNGO) Alliance has officially renewed its commitment to this vision, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday in Suva, Fiji.

The PRNGO Alliance was established in 2000 and has consisted of regional umbrella civil society organisations who have made a formal agreement to work collectively as a consolidated regional bloc, to address critical issues facing the Pacific while maintaining their individuality and independence as organisations the mandate of their respective constituencies.

PRNGO Alliance Chair and Coordinator of the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG), Joey Tau, alluded to the signing ceremony as a milestone journey for Pacific civil society movements, saying, “After 26 years, this renewed commitment is a testament to the work of non-state actors and civil society organisations in informing and implementing regionalism.”

“As regional actors, this MOU formalises our commitment as an Alliance to coordinate and articulate Pacific peoples’ perspectives, ensuring there is recognition and engagement at regional to international policy platforms,” says Tau.

Reverend James Bhagwan, General Secretary to the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC), speaks to a renewed commitment to Pacific regionalism that is “prophetic, pastoral, and practical.”

“As a regional institution with more than six decades of history, PCC understands regionalism as more than policy…it is about the wellbeing of the whole Blue Pasifika Household.”

Bhagwan adds that “through PRNGO, civil society helps ensure a rich tapestry of engagement, where community voices, lived experiences, and moral concerns are brought into regional spaces. This strengthens our collective work for justice, peace, climate action, self-determination, and the dignity of all Pacific peoples.”

Oxfam in the Pacific’s Executive Director, Eunice Wotene, highlighted the critical need for active collaboration between civil society actors.

“The Alliance has the potential to be a strategic advocate that bridges grassroots realities with regional decision-making spaces, ensuring that development processes remain inclusive and responsive to the needs of Pacific peoples,” she adds.

PRNGO has, historically, played a catalytic and critical role in engaging the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), helping to establish Civil Society Organisation (CSO) engagement frameworks, coordinating CSO fora before Leaders’ meetings, and shaping regional debates on development, trade, climate action, oceans and blue economy, and human rights.

In acknowledging the need for collective Pacific CSO engagement in regional and international policy spaces, the PRNGO Alliance was established in 2000 by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Pacific, Pacific Conference of Churches, Council of Pacific Education (COPE), Foundation of the South Pacific People International (FSPI), Pacific Concerns Resource Centre (PCRC), Greenpeace and the Pacific Foundation for the Advancement of Women (PacFAW).

The Alliance has grown over the years to include the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG), Pacific Disability Forum (PDF), Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (PIANGO), Pacific Islands News Association (PINA), Pacific Youth Council (PYC), Pacific Sexuality and Gender Diversity Network (PSGDN), Oxfam in the Pacific, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN), and the Pacific Centre for Peacebuilding (PCP).

The MOU signing also saw the admission of the International Federation of Red Cross Pacific as the Alliance’s latest member.

For more information: Viliame Senivau | PRNGO Secretariat Desk | Email: prngoalliancesecretariat@gmail.com | Phone: +679 8002 857/ Telephone: +679 3310 687