Koror, Palau - The Games have established a Code of Conduct for athletes and their entourage teams, setting clear behavioral expectations that promote the highest standards of conduct, wellbeing, and safety. The code specifically addresses the enhanced duty of care required for minor athletes, mandating that entourage members "recognize their individual and collective responsibility to create an environment where all athletes feel safe, and their wellbeing is promoted."

The framework supplements existing Pacific Games Council regulations, ensuring multiple layers of protection for all participants. The guidelines pay particular attention to para-athletes, ensuring accommodation and facilities are accessible based on individual needs.

The Games feature dedicated safeguarding officers from participating nations, bringing both professional expertise and personal commitment to athlete protection. Yannick Jimmy a Player welfare/safeguarding officer for Vanuatu Football, and Lupe Fea'o a Female Development Officer/Sports Administrator for NRL Tonga, are both part of the Team Up Safeguarding team as Games Safeguarding Offices.

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Jimmy serves as his country's safeguarding focal point, drawing on his experience in football's player welfare programs. His work in Vanuatu extends across 18 football associations in different provinces, ensuring safeguarding awareness reaches every level of sport. "It is important for every athlete in every sport discipline in Vanuatu, knows safeguarding and its practices have to reach everyone," Yannick Jimmy emphasizes.

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Lupe Fea'o brings a unique perspective as both a sports administrator and mother. Working as a female development officer and safeguarding specialist for two years, she has observed significant cultural shifts in approaches to athlete care. "Coming to work at NRL, it's kind of giving me different views and ideas on how to implement safeguarding practices, to avoid physical or emotional abuse," Fea'o reflects.

Her work in Tonga encompasses both safeguarding and child protection, delivering training to personnel and management teams.

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The Games have established multiple reporting channels including email, phone/text, QR codes, and in-person reporting. The safeguarding team follows a structured response protocol from initial assessment through to formal closure with written reports.

The Games operate under the SPACES framework, addressing six key domains: Stewardship, Prevention, Accountability, Clarity, Empowerment, and Support. This includes a readiness assessment tool that helps National Olympic Committees evaluate their preparedness across areas including leadership commitment, team awareness, and crisis response.

The framework ensures safeguarding isn't merely reactive but proactively builds protective environments. As Fea'o notes, "We can be able to identify those gaps and we could do something about it to look at solutions, just to prevent those problems in the future."

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The safeguarding framework at Palau 2025 is creating lasting change in Pacific sport, supported by strong regional partnerships. ONOC (Oceania National Olympic Committees) has a partnership with Team Up, an Australian Government's sport for development program focused on safeguarding and promoting safe, inclusive, and equitable sport in the Pacific region. This collaboration involves initiatives like the Oceania Sport, Equality and Inclusive Communities Impact Network, where Team Up and ONOC work together with other stakeholders to advance gender equality, inclusion, and safety in Pacific sports.

"Safeguarding is very important for all sports disciplines," Yannick Jimmy concludes, while reflecting on the Games' success in establishing protection as a fundamental element of sporting excellence.

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For more information about the 2025 Pacific Mini Games, visit;