From 18 to 20 May 2026, the Pacific Community (SPC), in collaboration with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), the support of the World Bank’s Pacific ENABLE Programme and the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC), convened for the Pacific Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Symposium (ITK) in Suva, Fiji.
Intended as a coordination symposium, the event brought together Pacific CROP agencies, regional and international organisations to discuss how Culture for development and Pacific Indigenous and Traditional knowledge is currently being applied across various development priorities and programmes.
It provided a dynamic platform for diverse voices to exchange perspectives on how Pacific knowledge systems are informing critical areas such as climate resilience, ocean governance, education, artificial intelligence (AI), data sovereignty, cultural safeguarding and sustainable development.
Members of the Council of Pacific Arts and Culture (CPAC)’s technical working group responsible for the deliver of the Pacific Regional Culture Strategy were also in attendance. This included Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, republic of the Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands.
Pacific countries, including New Caledonia, face growing environmental, economic and social pressures. The safeguarding of Indigenous knowledge has become a strategic priority. Traditional knowledge, deeply embedded in community practices, identity, and governance systems, is finally recognised not only as cultural heritage but also as a key resource for sustainable development, climate resilience and social cohesion.