By Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti
The 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM53) kicks off next week in Nuku’alofa, and it has some Tongans asking what is its purpose, and what are the benefits of this annual event?
Director for Governance and Engagement at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Sione Tekiteki’s answer is that it’s significant because the issues facing Pacific Island states today, such as climate change and regional security, cannot be solved individually.
“We live in the largest ocean continent in the world, but that means that a lot of our issues are transboundary; for example, fisheries; how do we work together to get the most out of fisheries?” Tekiteki said.
“This is why events like this are important because it is the one opportunity we have that the leaders can come and discuss these issues; regional security—how do you come up with a way to work together to advance your collective security issues?”
The Pacific Forum Leaders Meeting, once a more intimate event centred around the leaders, has grown to a platform where international partners are prominent, and pushing their own agendas. This year is no different. And with over 60 foreign media personnel expected in Tonga, many eyes are on Pacific leaders.
Tekiteki says the interest in the gathering has grown significantly over the years.
“That says that over the course of the last ten years, the attention over the Pacific region, particularly by partners, has shifted, and the Pacific region has become a lot more of a place of strategic interest.” While the Forum leaders meeting is a platform for leaders to convene and discuss regional matters that affect them all, the onus is still on individual countries to apply their decisions and commitments on a national level.
