Security and the Pacific Islands: Insights From Young Pacific Leaders Report Launch

Why It Matters

Aligning U.S. security and development initiatives with Pacific‑led priorities will strengthen regional stability, mitigate resentment, and enhance resilience to climate and geopolitical threats.

Key Takeaways

• Guam serves as U.S. shield and economic engine, but lacks voice.
• Short‑term recommendations target civilian shelters, housing transparency, infrastructure upgrades.
• Pacific disaster aid must integrate sovereignty, culture, and long‑term resilience.
• Young Pacific Leaders program builds regional security dialogue among emerging policymakers.
• U.S. policymakers urged to align initiatives with locally defined Pacific priorities.

Summary

The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) conference in Port Vila, Vanuatu, unveiling a new report that captures essays from emerging Pacific policymakers on security, governance and resilience. Participants—including a Guam political scientist, a disaster‑resilience officer, and a Samoan policy analyst—highlighted how the Pacific sits at the intersection of climate change, transnational crime and great‑power competition, and how external actors often pursue their own strategic agendas. Key insights revolve around Guam’s dual role as a U.S. "shield" and "engine" and the structural inequities of its unincorporated status. The Guam essay proposes four low‑hanging‑fruit actions: feasibility studies for civilian shelters, reforming military housing allowances, releasing an unclassified missile‑defense assessment, and upgrading critical infrastructure. A separate essay stresses that humanitarian assistance must be framed through sovereignty, cultural preservation and long‑term regional resilience rather than short‑term logistics. Notable remarks include Admiral Paparo’s shield‑engine framing, Congressman Ben Blas’s observation that "Guam is equal in war, but not in peace," and the Pacific author’s claim that security for island communities is inseparable from cultural and climate realities. These voices illustrate a growing demand for transparent, locally‑led solutions. The implications are clear: U.S. and other development partners must listen to and align with Pacific‑defined priorities, otherwise strategic investments risk deepening resentment and undermining regional stability. Implementing the recommended short‑term measures could improve civil‑military trust, reduce economic pressures, and bolster resilience against both conflict and climate shocks, setting a template for more equitable engagement across the Pacific.

Original Description

As geopolitical competition intensifies and challenges such as climate change, maritime security, and cybersecurity continue to shape the Pacific, Pacific perspectives on how to strengthen U.S.-Pacific Island relations are often missing from policy conversations in Washington. In fall 2025, the Australia Chair convened a U.S. Department of State Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) Workshop on Regional Security in Port Vila, Vanuatu, bringing together emerging leaders from across the region to examine issues spanning multiple facets of security - from governance and resilience to economic and cyber. As part of the dialogue, participants wrote essays describing a national or regional security issue of their choosing, and suggested new ways that the United States, alongside Australia, New Zealand and other nations, can partner to tackle regional security challenges.

Please join CSIS Senior Adviser and Australia Chair Dr. Charles Edel and Senior Fellow and Deputy Director with the Australia Chair Kathryn Paik as they discuss the launch of a report compiling these essays with three of the authors: Associate Professor of Political Science, CHamoru Studies, and Micronesian Studies at the University of Guam, Dr. Kenneth Kuper; Disaster Community Resilience Program Coordinator at the Pacific Community, Marilyn Simmons; and Principal Policy Analyst within Samoa's Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Romario Pose, at 5:00 PM ET on May 26.

This event is made possible through support from the U.S. Consulate in Auckland, New Zealand.

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