The 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM) in Nuku’alofa proceeded largely without incident, despite an earthquake at the onset and a later issue with the communiqué. This year’s gathering marked a significant turnout, with over 1,000 delegates, activists, observers, and journalists in attendance from around the globe. Notably, all 18 Forum member countries participated, except for Kiribati, whose President Taneti Maamau was absent due to ongoing elections in his nation.
Forum Secretary-General Baron Waqa emphasized the urgency for action in his opening remarks, indicating that discussions are no longer sufficient. His statement set a standard against which the outcomes of the meeting could be evaluated.
Among the key initiatives discussed was the establishment of the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF). However, efforts to secure contributions from external partners have yielded mixed results. The European Union’s involvement remains uncertain, as EU Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen mentioned they are still exploring options to support the PRF. Additionally, a senior UK official revealed that while the UK has pledged £1.3 million ($F3.82 million) in technical assistance towards the PRF, full funding will not be confirmed until the facility is formally established.
New topics were introduced to the Forum’s agenda, including a detailed discussion on the situation in New Caledonia and the integration of health and education as ongoing agenda items, as suggested by Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni of Tonga. The only notable resolution regarding these sectors was an agreement to create a regional health workforce strategy aimed at enhancing training and retention, for Pacific Health Ministers to consider.
While these topics are undoubtedly significant for the region, adding them to the leaders’ agenda seems at odds with the original intent of the 2013 Morauta review, which aimed to limit the summit’s focus to issues requiring high-level political consensus.
The format for agenda item submissions previously allowed only five topics to be raised, including climate change and fisheries. However, since then, many other issues have been introduced, leading to a more diluted agenda. The Forum may need to recommit to delegating certain issues to specialized ministerial meetings or relevant regional agencies to maintain the focus originally intended by Morauta’s guidelines.
The growing complexity of the agenda, compounded by geopolitical challenges, has hindered progress on various crucial matters. Leaders had aimed to finalize the Review of Regional Architecture by this meeting, yet this goal was not met. Additionally, a “Zone of Peace” proposal from Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka of Fiji saw little development, now rebranded to the “Ocean of Peace,” with an expectation for a draft concept to be ready for 2024 discussions.
As delays accumulate, the Forum’s ability to remain concentrated and achieve concrete political results is increasingly jeopardized. This is exemplified by the situation in West Papua, which received minimal attention in the latest communiqué, only noted in passing.
During the closing press conference, leaders from Cook Islands, Tonga, and Solomon Islands indicated their intention to facilitate a visit to West Papua by special envoys before the next meeting, though specific plans have yet to be publicly shared.