11 November 2025, Belém, Brazil – The Pacific mana could be felt throughout the halls of the Thirtieth Session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC COP30) in Belém, Brazil, during the official opening of the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion.
A special karanga (ceremonial call) from Aotearoa, New Zealand welcomed Pacific leaders, government officials, NGOs, academics, partners, and friends to their home away from home at COP for the next two weeks. The call acknowledged the Indigenous peoples of Belém, the connections across the Pacific, and imbued the life force into the Pavilion of all those who participated in the opening ceremony. Now in its sixth year, the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion continues to serve as a sanctuary for Pacific delegates throughout the conference proceedings.
Hon. Dr. Maina Talia, Minister of Home Affairs, Climate Change and Environment for Tuvalu provided opening remarks for Tuvalu as the current Chair of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS).
“The Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion is our home away from home, it is where we go to feel connected to our people while representing our nations so far away from our island homes.”
“We have arrived in the heart of the Amazon with an opportunity to showcase our region and share with the world our views, actions and priorities from the frontline of the climate crisis”
Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy for Australia, Hon. Joshua Wilson echoed this message.
“The Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion and the programme of events it will host over the next two weeks reflects the resilience, strength and community that underpins Pacific leadership that guides the region’s climate ambition”.
“The Pacific climate leadership stands out because it leads with heart, strength and unity. Qualities the world needs now more than it has ever needed before”.
“I am honoured to continue Australia’s longstanding support for the Moana Pavilion again this year in partnership with our friends from New Zealand”.
The Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion at COP30 is a collaborative initiative between the Governments of Australia and New Zealand and is coordinated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), and will host up to 75 side events. Together with the Pacific Delegation Office, they provide important spaces for the Pacific region to strategise, collaborate and amplify Pacific voices in the climate space.
Head of Delegation and Chief Negotiator for New Zealand at COP30, Mr Todd Croad spotlighted the strength of the Pavilion.
“The Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion is one of the most vibrant, dynamic and powerful spaces at each and every COP”.
“New Zealand is proud to have supported the Pavilion for many years and thank Australia and SPREP for their collaboration. But the biggest reason why this place has such strength are you, the people who inhabit the space, to fill it with your voices, experience, expertise, stories, advocacy and action, and I want to thank each and every one of you for that.”
SPREP Climate Change Resilience Director, Ms Tagaloa Cooper highlighted the journey of the Pavilion. “I’d like to thank our Member countries and our partners for trusting SPREP with the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion and Pacific Delegation Office. We’ve come a long way since the first Pavilion at COP24 in Katowice, with limited space to what we have today, this is a testament to our Pacific resilience to adapt and progress”.
She acknowledged all the tireless work of the Pacific delegates at COP and extended on behalf of its Director General Mr Sefanaia Nawadra, SPREP's gratitude to the Governments of New Zealand and Australia for their support to provide a dedicated space for the Pacific region to amplify their voices.
The celebration concluded with a performance by This Is Our Home, a fitting finale to the evening, by Pacific artists using music as a medium to capture the daily realities of climate change experienced by frontline Pacific communities.
The Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion at COP30 is a Pacific partnership with the Governments of Australia and New Zealand managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). The Pavilion was featured at the Thirtieth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change hosted in Belem, Brazil from 10 – 21 November 2025.
To learn more about the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion please visit: https://www.sprep.org/cop30