The YPL alumni prepare for talanoa with the Pacific Islands Caucus at the Capitol, Washington, DC.
Deep ties and shared goals linking the United States and the Pacific Islands region were highlighted in discussions between a Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) alumni cohort and the US Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus at the Capitol in Washington, DC.
The talanoa (conversations) took place during the YPL US Alumni Roadshow, where the 12-strong alumni cohort met with several members of the Congressional Pacific Island Caucus, before the Congress members attended an advancement hearing of the National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2026.
If this bill is successful, it will include several wins for the Pacific region, including $175 million for assistance to the Pacific Islands, $17 million for East-West Center and $3 million towards Advancing Port Enhancement and Customs Security program in the Pacific Islands.
Funding for unexploded ordinance removal in the region, exchange programs, a flexible microfinance facility, supporting a free and open media in the region, building trade capacity and diversifying trade opportunities, while strengthening US trade investment throughout the Pacific, and supporting the Peace Corps’ expansion in the Pacific are also under considered.
Discussions between the US Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus and the YPL alumni mirrored the priorities Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau underscored while in Port Moresby last week Papua New Guinea’s 50th Anniversary of Independence and 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with the US, where he also met with other Pacific leaders including YPL alumna such as Isabela Silk, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Congresswoman Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen joins the YPL for talanoa.
During a series of meetings with PNG Prime Minister James Marape, Federated States of Micronesia President Wesley Simina, Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica, Crown Prince of Tonga Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala, and other Pacific Islands Forum leaders, the Deputy Secretary discussed ideas to expand cooperation with the US on economic and security matters.
Attracting US private sector investment and countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, while building on the longstanding partnership under the South Pacific Tuna Treaty were among ideas floated.
New initiatives with partners in the region, including the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s selections of Fiji as eligible for a compact program and Tonga as eligible for a threshold program were highlighted by Deputy Secretary Landau.
He also announced expanded cooperation for digital connectivity, including undersea cables and terrestrial infrastructure, as well as infrastructure development through $5 million in new funding for the US Trade and Development Agency to accelerate projects in key sectors in the Pacific.
The Deputy Secretary reiterated the US commitment to helping deliver open, secure, and trusted digital connectivity across the Pacific to increase economic opportunities for Pacific peoples, including through the Central Pacific Cable and East Micronesia Cable, which will connect over 100,000 people across the region.
YPL alumni Rooti Kanee and Manuia Maiti explore the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC.
Meanwhile, leaders from across the Pacific shared their interests including economic development, disaster preparedness and more at the meetings.
Back in DC, the YPL alumni followed their meetings with a visit to the National Air and Space Museum, where the significance of the US contribution to science, technology, undersea cables, and connectivity, and how these advances have impacted the Pacific, were evident.
Alumna Manuia Maiti of Tahiti, French Polynesia says the exhibits are very impressive.
“We do not get to see this kind of thing in French Polynesia, so it is fascinating,” Manuia says.
She adds the resources and engagements accessed throughout the YPL program are invaluable.
The YPL US, Alumni Roadshow continues until September 30, with stops in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.
Visit the Young Pacific Leaders website for more details on the US Department of State program.
