Fiji, Sept. 15 -- Pacific Islands Forum Leaders have taken major steps to strengthen climate finance, endorsing Fiji's bid to host a Green Climate Fund (GCF) regional office and formalising the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) in Tonga.

"Leaders supported Fiji's bid, on behalf of the Pacific, to host the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Regional Office in Suva and tasked the Secretariat to support Fiji in preparing and finalising a regional proposal, through established regional processes and mechanisms, for submission to the GCF by the deadline," the communique stated.

The move is aimed at broadening access to climate finance for Pacific nations, many of which face barriers in navigating international funding systems.

Leaders said a regional...