The Forum after Dame Meg
As Henry Puna takes the reins at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Dame Meg Taylor has ended her term as Secretary General after more than six years in the job. In an interview with Islands Business (subscribers
Pacific Islands Forum
Opinion: Managing leadership for Pacific regionalism
By Ambassador Kaliopate Tavola If there was a time when leadership was critical for Pacific regionalism, it would be now. A new Secretary General (SG), former Cook Islands Prime Minister, Henry Puna, is taking over the
Managing leadership for Pacific regionalism
If there was a time when leadership was critical for Pacific regionalism, it would be now. A new Secretary General (SG), former Cook Islands Prime Minister, Henry Puna, is taking over the rein of the Pacific Islands
Opinion: Forum’s moral failure for Melanesians
By Professor Wadan Narsey During the recent crisis over the appointment of Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat's new Secretary General (former Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna), much public debate occurred
Plaudits for Dame Meg
Forum leaders have thanked former Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Dame Meg
Opinion: Forum’s moral failure for Melanesians
During the recent crisis over the appointment of Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s new Secretary General (former Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna), much public debate occurred over the supposed
Opinion: What is to become of Pacific regionalism?
By Ambassador Kaliopate Tavola In the September/October 2019 issue of this magazine, I reflected on the ‘Death of Pacific Regionalism?’ (also known as Pacific Islands Forum). It was a leading question in my mind at
What is to become of Pacific regionalism
In the September/October 2019 issue of this magazine, I reflected on the ‘Death of Pacific Regionalism?’ (also known as Pacific Islands Forum). It was a leading question in my mind at the time having just witnessed
Who is Henry Puna?
Who is Henry Puna? One vote – and a hundred million, or so, in unaudited assets. Few candidates have as slim a mandate as the new Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum. Just one vote separated him from
“We trust the results, we just don’t like them”
In 1971, the leaders of five independent island nations established the South Pacific Forum, with support from Australia and New Zealand. They wanted to talk about political issues like nuclear testing,
Puna faces huge challenges as new Forum Secretary General
Pacific leaders have appointed Henry Puna, former Prime Minister of Cook Islands, as the new Secretary General for the Pacific Islands Forum. The decision came late at night at the Forum Special Leaders Retreat, after a
How the Pacific can learn from each other, and unite on COVID vaccines
Pacific island nations can learn from the early roll-out of coronavirus vaccines in the north Pacific says the World Health Organisation’s Representative in the South Pacific. The Pacific’s COVID response is
It’s Micronesia’s turn to head the Forum: Tong
As Pacific leaders meet Wednesday this week to try and select the next head of the Pacific Islands Forum, Former Kiribati Leader AnoteTong weighs in on what has been a divisive process. Long-time President of Kiribati,
Opinion: Leadership of the Forum – Fiji’s Candidate
The Heads of the Pacific Islands Forum Governments will meet virtually in early February 2021 to choose the next Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), to succeed the outgoing Secretary General, Dame Meg
Derogation of State Power to the Region Not an Option
In my last article in this magazine, I referred to the structure of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and its system of decision-making as being antiquated. This was on the basis that PIF’s type of regionalism is
Reimagining Pacific regionalism
A rare conjunction of events is emerging. The events are both directional and prescriptive. The conjunction’s rarity is evocative. The conjunction provides an opportunity for Pacific regionalism (or the Pacific
Forum to hold virtual climate summit
The Pacific Islands Forum will hold a two hour virtual summit tonight, dubbed “Kainaki II to COP 26 – a High-Level Roundtable on Urgent Climate Change Action.” This week’s online summit comes on the eve of
Foreign Ministers prepare for Forum leaders meeting
COVID, climate and oceans were high on the agenda, as foreign ministers and officials from around the region met online on 14 October, for the 2020 Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting (FFMM). This year’s ministerial
Fiji making amends in Pacific regionalism
From the zenith of Pacific regionalism (the Forum) from the early 1970s, Fiji’s standing in the group and amongst its regional neighbours stooped to unprecedented ignominy in 2009. Fiji was the first member country
FEMM seeks money for COVID, money for climate
“For the Pacific, the impact of climate change will remain as the greatest threat to our Pacific people in the longer term. You can quarantine COVID-19, but climate change cannot be quarantined.” That’s Exsley
Pacific Economic Ministers call for debt relief and donor flexibility
Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers are asking development partners to provide debt relief, and increase general budget support as island nations struggle with the economic impacts of coronavirus pandemic. At the
The triple challenges of the Blue Pacific: battling a health, economic and climate crisis through regional solidarity
Current global forecasts envision a 5.2% contraction of the global economy in 2020 – the deepest global recession in decades. Triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, this recession will have long term impacts on economies
5-way race for Forum leadership
Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Dame Meg Taylor has declined to comment on the negotiations over her successor as head of the regional organisation, saying only “I have a job to do and I’m going to do it
COVID-19, geopolitics and the Pacific Way – Dame Meg Taylor on the path out of our current crisis
The Pacific today faces three crises: a health crisis, an economic crisis and the ongoing climate crisis, and Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers will discuss all three when they meet (virtually) next week. As the