The Cook Islands took part in the Smaller Island States Officials Meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum in Suva, Fiji, on 8 August, joining fellow SIS members in setting the agenda for a week of governing council discussions ahead of the Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara next month. The officials’ gathering was chaired by Federated States of Micronesia Ambassador Carson Sigrah and supported by Forum deputy Secretary General Esala Nayasi.
Four priority actions were agreed for SIS advocacy, regional support and resources mobilisation: securing reliable and affordable air and sea transport; advancing fisheries development; strengthening regional procurement and health workforce mechanisms; and improving access to climate finance. Cook Islands Foreign Secretary Tepaeru Herrmann, who led the Cook Islands delegation, reflected on the nation’s six decades of self-government, praising SIS members for their resilience, innovation and people-centered development that is environmentally sound and culturally rich. She added that geographic isolation, economic and climate vulnerabilities require innovative, tailored development approaches and dedicated financing supported by the regional architecture to deliver tangible outcomes for SIS.
Herrmann stressed the need for mainstream recognition of the SIS within the regional system, noting that the Review of the Regional Architecture should ensure SIS is integrated through regional ministerial meetings so regional organisations can provide targeted technical and financial support that translates into national results.
The SIS outcomes from Suva will be reviewed by this week’s Forum Officials Committee meeting, which includes all 18 Forum members and regional organisations. The SIS package will then be considered by SIS Leaders when they meet in Honiara next month. Members of the SIS group include the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Niue and Tuvalu.
This development comes amid broader regional efforts to strengthen governance and coordination across the Pacific, including reforms to the regional architecture and ongoing dialogues about climate resilience and economic reform. The emphasis on practical, deliverable actions mirrors a regional trend toward turning policy discussion into concrete programs that can bolster resilience and sustainable growth for small island states.
In context, the gathering underscores a shared commitment among Pacific nations to bolster connectivity, fisheries, procurement and health capacity, and to unlock climate finance as part of a cohesive strategy to navigate the challenges facing the region.
Summary: The Cook Islands and other Smaller Island States used the Suva meeting to align four concrete priority actions—transport, fisheries, procurement and health workforce, and climate finance—within a broader push to mainstream SIS within the regional architecture and translate regional discussions into tangible, regional outcomes ahead of the Leaders Meeting in Honiara.
Positive note: The emphasis on targeted actions and regional collaboration signals a hopeful path forward for SIS and the wider Pacific, with a clear focus on resilience, sustainable development and strengthened regional solidarity.
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