East-West Center 41d ago

In February 2026, the East-West Center, in partnership with the US Department of State and US Indo-Pacific Command, convened The Pacific Agenda: Investment, Security, and Shared Prosperity Summit. Designed to advance viable investment across the Pacific Islands region, the groundbreaking three-day conference brought nearly 300 participants to Honolulu, Hawaiʻi for practical discussions on translating shared economic objectives into concrete outcomes for long-term regional stability and economic progress. Distinguished leaders from more than a dozen Pacific countries and territories attended, including American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu. The leaders joined government officials from the United States and key regional allies in dialogues with representatives from more than 80 American companies to identify commercially feasible projects that align with US and Pacific national priorities, advance investment opportunities, and strengthen cooperation. With nearly half of the private sector participants serving in C-suite or executive leadership roles, the attendees represented a concentration of senior decisionmakers across nine critical sectors including energy, infrastructure, and the digital economy.