The Pacific Reform Journey
October 16, 2025
PFM reform journeys of Tonga and Fiji demonstrate that, despite ongoing challenges, meaningful progress is possible in strengthening national systems to better respond to climate change.
Reading about Public Financial Management (PFM) reform journeys may not be everyone’s cup of tea, nevertheless PFM is far more than a technical exercise. It is the backbone of how governments plan, allocate and spend scarce resources to deliver services and respond to challenges like climate change. Whether we work in education, health, infrastructure or climate policy, the effectiveness of PFM systems will have an impact on everyone’s work.
This blog invites readers into a story worth sharing – the reform journeys of two countries in the Pacific region. Our governments have invested significantly in their national systems as they seek to be able to effectively translate climate change ambitions into action for its people.
The Road to COP30
In the lead up to the UNFCCC COP30, which will be held in Belem in November, and based on past trends, we expect countless opinions on addressing climate finance barriers in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Many will repeat familiar advice on preparing ‘investment ready’ pipelines together with the buzz word ‘innovative’ approach to finance climate action. Behind these headlines and the distractions that can be created by such terms, Ministries of Finance (MoF) in the region continue to do the critical reform work to enable our governments to manage the development challenges brought about by climate change.
Moreover, the challenges of accessing climate finance for Pacific Island Countries (PICs) have long been known and talked about. At the core lies the reality that Governments must jump through multiple hoops, placed by each funding agency, before the financing said to be available can be unlocked for urgent climate action. Over the past decade, as our governments have been occupied with navigating these challenges, our islands have endured severe disasters. Cyclone Winston in Fiji in 2016 and Cyclone Gita in Tonga in 2018alone cost 31 percent and 38 percent of GDP respectively where these resources that could otherwise have been invested in building resilience or other national priorities.
Read the full article on UNDP’s website.
- Log in to post comments
