On Thursday, 30 October 2025, APR2P was privileged to welcome Pacific Islands Forum Deputy Secretary General Mr. Esala Nayasi, who presented "From Genocide to Ecocide: 20 Years of R2P and Expanding the Scope of Protection." The event served as both a celebration and reflection on two decades of the Responsibility to Protect, offering a timely opportunity to examine how the R2P principle remains relevant in today's rapidly evolving global environment.
The Deputy Secretary General offered insights into how Pacific Islands Forum states are interpreting and applying the R2P doctrine. While R2P is traditionally understood in the context of mass atrocities—genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity—Pacific nations are broadening this framework. Earlier this year, the region marked the 40th Anniversary of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Rarotonga), where Leaders reaffirmed their unified stance against the devastating impacts of nuclear weapons and testing.
We were encouraged as Deputy Secretary General Mr. Esala Nayasi, highlighted two landmark regional initiatives through which the Blue Pacific is championing the R2P principle:
(i) First, the Pacific Islands Forum's 2024 submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding advisory proceedings on state obligations concerning climate change; and
(ii) Second, the Pacific-led effort to introduce ecocide as a crime within the International Criminal Court's Rome Statute.
