The Pacific Island nation of Tonga hosted the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting from 26 to 30 August 2024 in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. Chaired by the Prime Minister of Tonga, Hon Hu’akavemeiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, the meeting unveiled Tonga’s vision for the Pacific to move beyond policy deliberation to implementation ~ to achieve transformation by building a better future. Tonga recognises the importance of resilience, which cuts across all seven thematic areas of the 2050 Strategy.

The PIF Leaders meet annually to develop collective responses to regional issues and deliver on their vision for a resilient Pacific Region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity that ensures all their peoples can lead free, healthy and productive lives. The Pacific Islands Forum began in 1971 for leaders to coordinate responses to the issues confronting a remote, diverse region where individual nations hold little sway on the global stage. When globalisation gathered pace, low-lying islands soon found themselves imperilled by rising seas. Climate change thus emerged as an important global issue with the island nations facing critical choices. Annual meetings were not widely attended until the Pacific Ocean in recent years emerged as the site of an intense geopolitical contest for influence over waters, resources and political power.

As Beijing wooed Pacific leaders with loans, diplomacy and security agreements, Western alarm about its foothold in the region grew, prompting a rapid expansion of attendance of forum summits. In the summit meetings, the leaders engage in discussions and agree on policies that will ultimately benefit the people of the region. This gathering is a unique opportunity for the leaders to address pressing issues and challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent, and foster collaboration and cooperation in the pursuit of shared goals. What........

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