BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
FOREIGN ministers of member countries of the Pacific Forum are in Suva, Fiji, this week for their annual discussions on the Blue Pacific.
These discussions centre on issues pertaining critical regional priorities to the Blue Pacific.
Scheduled for September 15, this meeting will be presided over by the host Chair of the forthcoming Forum Leaders Meeting in the Cook Islands, Prime Minister Hon Mark Brown.
One of the primary agenda items for deliberation is the implementation plan for the 2050 Strategy. The endorsement of the five-year implementation plan is slated to take place at the upcoming Forum Leaders Meeting.
In alignment with the objectives of the 2050 Strategy, the Ministers will engage in discussions covering global and regional strategic trends and dynamics, the pressing issue of the climate crisis, and a renewed declaration on gender equality.
These discussions will encompass the region’s crucial engagement and advocacy priorities, which encompass preparations for the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78), the US-PIF Summit, the forthcoming Forum Leaders Meeting, COP28, and Japan’s proposed release of treated Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.
Additionally, the Forum Foreign Ministers will delve into the outcomes of recent Ministerial Meetings. These include the Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders Meeting, the Forum Economic Ministerial, and the Forum Fisheries Ministerial Meeting hosted by the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).
Henry Puna, the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, emphasized, “In addition to the extensive work centered around the implementation of the 2050 plan and international engagement and advocacy.
“We have significant tasks ahead due to the outcomes of these recent Ministerial Meetings,” Puna said.
