LEADERS of the Smaller Island States (SIS) grouping within the Pacific Islands Forum met on Monday this week, ahead of the annual Forum Leaders Retreat, to prepare a common view to advance their agenda in the larger meeting, alongside nations like Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea.
The SIS group includes the most vulnerable Forum Island Countries with small populations: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Tuvalu.
Tonga has also expressed interest in joining the SIS group, and the issue was on the agenda of this week’s meeting.
In his opening remarks, the new Chair of the Smaller Island States, President of the Republic of Kiribati, Taneti Maamau, said: “Our discussions today carry weight well beyond this room. They will shape the visibility of the Smaller Island States in the broader Forum deliberations this week, and they will send a signal to our partners and to the international community.”
In the past, some SIS leaders have been critical that larger Forum members and many donors do not prioritise their particular interests and priorities – an issue highlighted by the walkout of five Micronesian states.
The annual SIS meetings highlight included calls for more urgent climate action, clean-up of nuclear contaminants and unexploded ordinance, and more support for shipping and airline connections.
They also call for more contributions to the SIS Development Fund, which is geared to the capacity of smaller states.
The outgoing Chair of the Small Island States, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, Wesley Simina, emphasised this point, saying: “Our grouping reminds the region that the measure of Pacific solidarity lies not in averages, but in our ability to elevate the most vulnerable among us. For us, ‘acting now’ should not be a mere slogan but an imperative of survival.”
Many SIS students attend the University of the South Pacific (USP), but recent ructions within the regional university have seen the expansion of local campuses, such as the College of the Marshall Islands.
For other states long reliant on the regional university, there are now expanding options at home, as the Western competition with China generates new opportunities for bilateral funding, infrastructure, and technical assistance. One example is the growth of the Solomon Islands National University, now under the leadership of Transform Aqorau.
In his welcome remarks as Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General, Baron Waqa stated: “I am committed to ensuring that the Secretariat stands firmly behind you in this effort. We will continue to provide the technical support, the policy advice, and the political space for your voices to be elevated, and your decisions acted upon.”