04th September, 2018 The Smaller Islands States (SIS) leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum met yesterday in Nauru to discuss issues that would help in progressing Pacific work under the SIS Regional Strategy.
The President of the Republic of Nauru H.E. Baron Divavesi Waqa said, “The issues that are brought to the SIS, to today’s meeting are those of specific importance and of strategic value to SIS particularly in relation to progressing Pacific work as mandated by SIS leaders under the SIS regional strategy.”
He encouraged leaders to coordinate efforts on issues of collective importance and priority to SIS in order to ensure that the decisions made will be supported in the Forum Leaders Retreat and correctly reflected in the Forum Leaders Communiqué.
He stated that the theme of this year’s meeting is “appropriate” and it is aligned with the “Blue Pacific narrative and its significance” to the Pacific region and SIS.
President Waqa also acknowledged the Secretariat and CROP Agencies for their on-going support to the “implementation of SIS priorities and issues identified under the SIS regional Strategy.”
Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Dame Meg Taylor said, “The SIS Regional Strategy 2016-2020, articulates the priorities that you have considered together and agreed upon as requiring your collective attention.”
“Unfortunately, in the last twelve-months progress to implement the Strategy has become challenging and beyond the Secretariat’s jurisdiction. The solutions rest with your national governments.”
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She told leaders that the meeting was an important opportunity to “reaffirm and reinvigorate” their commitment to the SIS Strategy.
SIS is made up of eight Pacific Island Countries including the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau and Tuvalu.
ENDS
Issued by the: Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change & Communications.
