The recent discussion in regional media asking whether the Pacific’s “Ocean of Peace” concept has been hijacked raises an important question for every island nation.
For Boralani, the answer is not found in choosing sides between competing powers. It is found in remembering why Pacific leaders embraced the idea in the first place.
The Ocean of Peace was never intended to be a slogan for one country or another. It was conceived as a declaration that the Pacific should not become an arena where outside powers compete for influence while island nations bear the consequences.
Whether military activities originate from East or West, the principle remains the same: the Pacific is first and foremost the home of Pacific peoples.
Boralani welcomes any nation that engages with our region through respect, trade, education, disaster relief, investment and genuine partnership. Equally, we believe every external power has a responsibility to avoid actions that increase military tension or place our region at the centre of strategic rivalry.
Recent events—including long-range missile tests over the Pacific and the announcement of new defence partnerships—have prompted vigorous debate about what an Ocean of Peace should actually mean. Some observers argue that the concept is being reshaped to serve geopolitical interests rather than the interests of Pacific communities. That debate deserves careful consideration.
For Boralani, the Ocean of Peace is not about excluding friends or rejecting cooperation. It is about ensuring that cooperation strengthens Pacific security instead of dividing the region into competing camps.
Peace cannot simply mean the absence of conflict.
It also means protecting freedom of navigation, respecting national sovereignty, preserving the Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone, safeguarding fisheries, responding to natural disasters, combating illegal fishing, and ensuring that no nation—large or small—treats our ocean as a convenient stage for demonstrations of military power.
Pacific nations are no longer passive observers of world affairs. Our governments have their own priorities, their own histories, and their own voices. The Blue Pacific continent is home to millions of people whose future should not be determined solely by decisions made in distant capitals.
Boralani believes the strongest guarantee of peace is a confident and united Pacific speaking with one voice. Regional institutions should remain at the centre of security discussions, while partnerships with external nations should always reinforce—not replace—Pacific leadership.
The Kingdom therefore supports continued dialogue among all partners, transparency in military activities affecting the region, adherence to international law, and respect for the values embodied in the Pacific Islands Forum’s Ocean of Peace vision.
An ocean does not belong to the strongest navy.
It belongs to the generations who depend upon it for food, culture, identity and prosperity.
That is why Boralani believes the Ocean of Peace must never be allowed to become anyone else’s geopolitical project. It must remain, above all else, a Pacific vision for Pacific peoples.