Prime Minister Hon. Mark Brown, accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs & Immigration Hon Tingika Elikana, attended the Smaller Island States Leaders meeting (SISLM) on Monday 8 September. The meeting, chaired by His Excellency Taneti Maamau, President of the Republic of Kiribati, brought together SIS Leaders to advance collective priorities within the Pacific Islands Forum.
In his opening remarks, President Maamau acknowledged progress made to sharpen delivery of SIS priorities since their last meeting in Tonga and challenged his fellow Leaders to utilise their meeting to reinforce the SIS platform through initiatives that broaden engagement with like-minded partners and leverage upcoming processes, including the completion of Phase 3 of the Regional Architecture Review.
Leaders agreed to elevate four core priorities focused on securing reliable and affordable air and sea transport, advancing fisheries development, strengthening regional procurement and health workforce mechanisms, and improving access to climate finance. Prime Minister Brown underscored the value of South-South cooperation as a means of unlocking transformative change, emphasising that practical collaboration across the SIS and wider Forum membership provides an effective pathway to deliver these priorities.
Leaders further directed the mainstreaming of SIS priorities across the work of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) and requested comprehensive report backs on deeper integration at their next meeting in Palau in 2026. “The SIS is not a technical grouping,” Prime Minister Brown stated. “It is a strategic mechanism for solidarity, visibility, and influence, ensuring the voices of our most vulnerable members shape regional and global responses.”
Recognising the need to strengthen the SIS platform, Leaders agreed to review SIS membership criteria in the context of broader Forum reforms. They further considered the establishment of an observer category to underpin inclusive partnership modalities and delivery, including through replenishment and active, strategic utilisation of the Smaller Island States Development Fund, alongside efforts to grow partnerships for the Forum on our terms. Leaders also reaffirmed the SIS Officer role as a critical mechanism for supporting members with limited capacity and enhancing coordination within the bloc.
Established in 1991, the SIS group consists of the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Tuvalu. Leaders acknowledged the leadership of outgoing SIS Chair H.E. President Wesley Simina of the Federated States of Micronesia, and confirmed that outcomes from this year’s meeting will be conveyed to the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.
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