Deep-Sea Mining & Sovereignty: Pacific “Big Ocean States” control about 30% of the world’s seas, but deep-sea mineral rush is raising alarms over ecological damage and foreign firms using investor-state dispute rules to bypass local courts. Ocean Stewardship vs Jobs: Palau President Surangel Whipps says the region must protect marine life while also investing in “production” so communities benefit, pointing to its high-seas treaty leadership and sanctuary approach. Climate Finance at the UN: Vulnerable nations told the UN General Assembly they shouldn’t be pushed deeper into debt for disasters they didn’t cause, urging grants at the scale needed for loss and damage and faster climate action. Life Below Water, Now: Tuvalu’s PM called sea-level rise a present reality and backed large-scale coastal adaptation, while Solomon Islands warned one disaster can erase years of development. Legal Pathways for Climate Justice: Fiji hosted a regional writeshop for Pacific submissions to the ICJ climate advisory process, with Nauru among the participating countries. Pacific Security Backdrop: Defence ministers in Fiji discussed “joint responses” to crises, but critics say the real focus is tightening alliances amid great-power tensions. Nauru’s Name Change & ICC Move: The US welcomed Naoero’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, framing it as standing up for sovereignty.