'Policy alone isn’t enough — inclusion must be intentional'

Policy alone is not enough. Equity and inclusion must be intentional.

This was the message from Sainimili Tawake, the Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF), to Disaster management ministers at the Second Pacific Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Ministerial Meeting in Koror, Palau today.

Ms Tawake spoke for 1.7 million Pacific Islanders living with disabilities and highlighted the need for real change to achieve the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific.

“This means mainstreaming disability inclusion in national DRM and climate frameworks, embedding accessibility and universal design in early warning systems, shelters, and recovery programs, and ensuring that data is disaggregated by disability, gender, and age to inform planning and resourcing,” she said.

Ms Tawake warned that major challenges remain, including poor coordination between stakeholders, limited data and budgets to support persons with disabilities during disasters, and the lack of targeted social protection programs.

She said PDF was already working with national DRM offices, SPC divisions, regional agencies, and humanitarian partners to close these gaps.

Ms Tawake also cited ongoing programs in Samoa, Tonga, and the Cook Islands on disability-inclusive humanitarian action; financial resilience programs in Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Samoa; and early warning system audits in Fiji and Vanuatu.

Looking ahead, she called on DRM leaders to evolve from spokespersons to system integrators, linking climate, health, education, disability, gender, statistics, and indigenous knowledge into one resilience framework.

She also urged the establishment of a Pacific Resilience Leadership Academy to train the next generation of inclusive DRM leaders.

“The 2050 Strategy offers a generational opportunity. Resilience must be measured by equity and inclusion. A true Blue Pacific is one where persons with disabilities have equal voice in governance,” Ms Tawake said.

She concluded by reaffirming PDF’s commitment to work with governments, regional agencies, and UN partners to make disability equity and inclusion a foundation of Pacific resilience.

“Let us ensure that the Blue Pacific’s strength is measured not only by resources and capacity, but by the dignity, inclusion, and solidarity we uphold for all our peoples,” she said.