Should outside nations be allowed at the Pacific Forum summit?
Solomon Islands has asked Pacific Islands Forum members to consider separating external dialogue partners from the annual leaders' meeting.
The Solomon Islands is seeking a reevaluation of the participation of dialogue partners at the upcoming annual leaders meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), according to RNZ Pacific. This proposal was discussed during a private meeting of the PIF in Palau on Wednesday. Dialogue partners, comprising 21 countries including the United States, China, Japan, and France, are invited to attend the leaders meeting as part of its annual program.
However, the presence of these partners has been a contentious issue in recent years. In 2022, the Solomons Islands banned partners from attending the leaders meeting and moved the dialogue partner meeting to Palau. The decision sparked division among PIF members. Several Pacific nations have found the large number of attendees challenging, as the leaders meeting week includes numerous bilateral meetings and sideline events that fall outside the official PIF agenda.
Some delegations from Pacific countries have struggled to manage the demands of the week. While support for the Solomons Islands' proposal may not be unanimous, it arises amidst the PIF members discussing a new partnership structure that would create two tiers of partners, with the top tier enjoying greater access to member states.
The current leaders meeting, expected to gather 2000 people, is being held in Palau, with only heads-of-delegation from PIF members permitted at a retreat taking place at President Whipps Jr.'s residence.
Written by urgent.news from RNZ Pacific's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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