The magazine cover for December 2025.
Ralph Regenvanu has emerged as one of the Pacific’s most influential and principled public figures, combining political leadership with cultural advocacy and a sustained commitment to climate justice. His recognition as Pacific Person of the Year by respected Pacific monthly Islands Business reflects not a single moment, but decades of consistent work at the intersection of governance, land rights, culture and global diplomacy.
Born in Port Vila, Regenvanu is the son of the late Grace Mera Molisa, one of Vanuatu’s most respected poets and political voices. That lineage shaped an early grounding in ideas of sovereignty, social justice and cultural identity. Trained as an anthropologist, Regenvanu first came to national prominence not through party politics, but through his leadership of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, where he worked to protect kastom, traditional land tenure systems and indigenous knowledge at a time when these were under increasing pressure from commercial development.
His entry into Parliament in 2008 marked the beginning of a political career defined by reformist instincts. As Minister for Lands, Regenvanu took on one of Vanuatu’s most complex and politically sensitive portfolios, pushing through measures to curb land speculation, improve transparency and reassert customary ownership. These reforms earned him strong public support, while also placing him at odds with powerful interests.
Internationally, Regenvanu has become one of the Pacific’s clearest and most uncompromising voices on climate change. As Vanuatu’s climate minister and later foreign minister, he played a central role in elevating Pacific concerns onto the global stage, including advocacy for the International Court of Justice advisory opinion on states’ obligations regarding climate harm. His approach has consistently framed climate change not only as an environmental crisis, but as an issue of law, justice and historical responsibility.
What distinguishes Regenvanu is his ability to bridge local and global worlds. He speaks with equal authority about village land systems and international legal frameworks, about Pacific identity and multilateral diplomacy. In doing so, he has helped redefine how small island states assert agency in global forums.
His selection as Pacific Person of the Year recognises a career rooted in integrity, intellectual rigour and a deep belief that Pacific voices belong at the centre, not the margins, of global decision-making.
