This fono was held on zoom. The purpose of this fono was to encourage the general Pacific youth population to engage with the Inquiry’s work to discuss;

• barriers that are unique to Pacific peoples when reporting abuse and how these barriers may be removed;
• ethnicity recording for Pacific peoples and recommendations for improvement;
• creating a Pacific care system; and
• finding culturally appropriate ways to heal.

This fono received high engagement from Pacific youth from around Aotearoa and the general responses from participants are outlined below:

• Reporting abuse for Pacific communities, particularly when interacting with hierarchical structures in various Pacific cultures, is an issue that needs to be addressed. Normalising conversations around sex and abuse within Pacific households can assist in addressing this issue.
• Ethnicity recording must be consistent across all government ministries, and it is important to acknowledge that ethnicity statistics are not just numbers. They are a reflection of Pacific cultural values and identities.
• A Pacific care system requires adequate resourcing to ensure that there is support provided for prevention, education and cultural competence.
• Restoring a Pacific survivor’s mana is not an overnight solution. There must be long-term and meaningful support. The support provided should be centred on the survivor.
• The State and faith-based institutions should take accountability for the harm they have caused. Accountability must be followed with action to ensure abuse does not happen again in any shape or form.