By Ron Rocky Coloma, Pacific Island Times
Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero with Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine. Photo: Office of the Governor of Guam
The 27th Micronesian Islands Forum (MIF) has adopted a resolution supporting the development of a regional medical complex on Guam.
"For years, patients from across Micronesia have come to Guam to access healthcare services, so we already have a clear picture of where the needs are and what services people are seeking when they arrive," Guam's Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, who introduced the resolution during the Forum's meeting in Majuro this month, said.
The governor is proposing to build a US$1 billion hospital in Mangilao.
The goal is to scale care and keep patients closer to home. The governor also noted the economic and staffing opportunities that could follow.
"With the strong ties we share among our island communities, the other MIF leaders agreed that making Guam a medical hub would help improve the quality of care available to their citizens, while keeping them closer to home," she said.
"I also believe that by creating a regional healthcare system, we can more easily attract specialists to Guam. When we combine the patient populations of our region, we create the demand needed to support more advanced and specialized services-something that benefits all of us in the Pacific," she added.
When island leaders gathered in Majuro for the Forum meeting, Guam showed up with urgency. Climate change topped the agenda, but the meeting also laid groundwork for regional healthcare, connectivity and gender equity.
According to the governor, leaders pointed to gaps in healthcare, workforce development and resilience planning. Guam's experience navigating these same pressures helped shape the forum's priorities.
"The experiences of our Pacific neighbors mirror many of our own, and several of our administration's key initiatives, such as the establishment of a new public hospital, workforce development programs and expanded air transportation, hold promise not only for Guam but for the broader Micronesian region," she said.
The forum also reached consensus on another priority: equity. Leaders unanimously endorsed the Micronesian Gender Equality Framework, a regional commitment that brought together state actors and traditional leadership.
"MIF leaders unanimously endorsed the Micronesian Gender Equality Framework, a landmark commitment that brought together governments, development partners and traditional leaders to establish a culturally grounded, inclusive and actionable path toward gender equality across the region," Leon Guerrero said.
She sees the endorsement not only as a moral imperative, but a development strategy.
"This endorsement marks a significant step forward," she said. "As leaders of smaller island jurisdictions commit to advancing gender equity, they are also opening doors to economic growth by empowering more women to enter the workforce, pursue higher education and take on leadership roles. Women's participation is crucial to shaping effective responses to the region's most pressing challenges, including climate change, transportation and community resilience."
Still, some issues proved sensitive. Deep-sea mining, currently permitted in Nauru, raised concern among some participants. The governor said leaders addressed it with caution and a call for more research.
"On more sensitive issues, MIF leaders exercised thoughtful diplomacy," she said.
"For instance, concerns over the unknown effects of deep-sea mining-currently permitted by the Republic of Nauru-were met with a collective call for further research and ongoing dialogue. The 27th MIF Communiqué reflects this consensus, affirming the need for continued information sharing and regional cooperation on the matter."
Leon Guerrero also emphasised Guam's potential role in solving a core challenge across the Pacific: funding. Even when money is available, many island governments struggle to access it.
"I recently had the opportunity to speak at the Global Islands Summit, and I'm honored that a portion of my remarks was also shared at the United Nations Ocean Conference 3, or UNOC3," she said.
"In both forums, I spoke about Guam's unique position as a financial hub in the region-and how we can use that strength to help shape financing guidelines that are appropriately scaled for small island communities facing the impacts of climate change."
She believes the Pacific Islands Development Bank, headquartered on Guam, could help bridge that gap.
"The leaders of Micronesia serve as its board of directors, and I believe that growing the bank's capacity could be a true game changer for our region," the governor said.
But even that requires systemic change.
"Right now, the biggest bottleneck to accessing hundreds of millions in climate financing is not the lack of available funds. It's the inability of our island governments to meet the complex requirements of the application process," she said.
"These guidelines are designed for countries with populations in the millions. For many of us in the Pacific, with populations under 20,000, those requirements are simply too burdensome. Guam can lead the way in advocating for financing systems that work for communities like ours," she added.
-This article was first published by Pacific Island Times.
