Marshallese Consular Leaders Meet at RMI Embassy in D.C. (Marshallese/English)

Ri tōl ro an Consulate ko an Majōl raar pād ilo juon kweiḷọk ilo Washington, D.C.

Ilo jeṃḷọkin iiō eo lok, (December 17-21,2025), Opij eo an Embassy eo an ri Majōl ilo Washington, D.C. kar bōktok ri kweiḷọk ro an kien eo ioḷap an Majōl im ri tōl ro an opij ko an Majōl jokein ñan juon iien kōnono.

At the end of last year, (December 17–21, 2025), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Embassy in Washington, D.C. brought together Marshallese diplomatic and consular leaders for an internal consultation.

Iien kōnono in ejjab ñan aer kweiḷọk wōt ak ej juon tōre eo raar lo bwe etōrein aer jijōt ippān doon im kōnono, ñan kwaḷọk im jeeri meḷeḷe ko rekāāl tata ippān doon, lale im etale eḷaññe jerbal ko aer ilo Washington D.C rej jipañ baaṃle ko jān Majōl – ilo Majuro im ilo jukjukin pād ko ilo peḷaakin America kein.

This was not just a meeting. It was time to sit together, share updates, and make sure their work in Washington D.C. connects directly to Marshallese families — in Majuro and across Marshallese communities in the United States.

Ṃōttan kōnono kein aer ej ñan pukot juon wāwein aer kōkṃanṃan ḷọk wāwein aer leto letak meḷeḷe ikōtaan opij kein ilo Majōl im opij ko an ri Majōl ilo Hawaii, Arkansas, im Oregon. Unin kōnono eo e alikkar ñan lale: Ewi jekjek in an kakien kein an America ilo Washington jelōt ri Majōl jān iien ñan iien?

Leaders discussed how to strengthen communication between government offices in Majuro and RMI consulates in Hawaii, Arkansas, and Oregon. The focus was simple: How do federal policies in Washington affect Marshallese people in everyday life?

Kōnono kein ej ikijjien: bōk jipañ ko ilo jikin taktō ko, jikin jikuuḷ ko, jipañ ko ikijjien lawyer ro iuṃwin koṇ ko ilo Compact of Free Association eo (COFA), im wāwein kōkṃanṃanḷọk jerbal ko ikōtaan ri Majōl im opij ko aer ijokein. Team in rekkar kōpooj juon kakobaba in ripoot ko an ñan doon ñan jipañ im rie ḷọk Ambassador Charles Paul ilo naaj kweiḷọk eo ebōjak in bōk jikin ippān Ministry eo an Foreign Affair im Trade (MoFaT) Ambassadorial Consultation. Unin kōttōpar eo ilo menin ej ñan kapenḷọk im lukkun kalikkarḷọk unin kōttōpar ko im reaorōk ñan armej in Majōl, ilo kweiḷọk kein ippān ri utiej rein an kien eo an America.

Discussions included: access to healthcare, education opportunities, legal protections under the Compact of Free Association (COFA), and improving consular services for families. The team prepared a unified field report to support Ambassador Charles Paul at the upcoming Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFaT) Ambassadorial Consultation. The goal is to ensure Marshallese priorities are clearly represented in meetings with U.S. officials.

Ilo wiik in kweiḷọk in, delegation in eaar lo ḷọk Capitol eo an America. Kimberlyn King-Hinds jān opij eo an Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) kar bōk er im karuwaineneik er. Loḷọk in eaar kalikkar juon ippān doon jān laḷ ko jet jān peḷaakin Pacific in. Ri tōl ro an Majōl ekoba ro jet jān Micronesia rej pād wōt ilo aer jerbal im jipañ doon jerbale menin aikuj ko im jibadbad im kōttōbar kein aer ilo Washington ekoba kapeni ḷọk im kōkmanman ḷọk koṇ ko ilo COFA eo. Jerbal in kakobaba ko, im kakien ko an federal ko rejelet jukjuk in pād ko kajojo.

During the week, the delegation visited the U.S. Capitol. They were welcomed by the office of Kimberlyn King-Hinds of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The visit highlighted Pacific regional unity. Marshallese and other Micronesian leaders continue to work together on shared concerns in Washington, including COFA implementation and federal policy issues affecting island communities.

Raar wōnṃaanḷọk wōt im tour e Capitol in ñan kōḷapḷọk aer meḷeḷe kōn wāwein an America booj im kōṃṃani kakien ko aer. Wāwein in eaar maroñ jipañ im leḷọk eḷap meḷeḷe ñan support e jerbal ko an ri kōnono (representatives) ro rej kōnono kōn jekjek im wāwein eṃṃanḷọk/nanaḷọk ko nan armej ro ad im ewi wāwein jerbali im kōkṃanṃani ḷọk iuṃwin wōt koṇ kein ikōtaan America im RMI (Majōl).

The team also received a tour of the Capitol to better understand how U.S. laws are made. This knowledge supports ongoing advocacy for full implementation of Compact agreements between the RMI and the United States.

Raar kōjeṃḷọk iien kōnono kein aer ilo juon kōjota eo eaar kōṃṃan ilo Embassy eo an Majōl (RMI). Ālkin elōñ raan in kweiḷọk im kōnono, raar joḷọk iien ippān doon im celebrate im ṃōṇōṇō kōn ṃanit eo, im kapeni im kakijñeñi ḷọk jerbal in ippān doon ko aer. Meñe kajojo iaan opij kein an ri Majōl eoktak ijoko rej jebal ie jān doon, ak ewōr wōt juon aer kōttōbar; ñan jipañ armej in Majōl ilo jiṃwe im juon wōt ilo aer ippān doon.

The week concluded with a holiday dinner at the RMI Embassy. After days of meetings, the gathering offered time to reconnect, celebrate Marshallese culture, and strengthen working relationships. Though each consulate serves a different region, the mission is shared: to serve Marshallese people with integrity and unity.