Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 19 October 2023 - The excitement is building as the countdown continues to the official opening of the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM52), to be hosted by the Cook Islands Government as the Chair from 6 to 10 November 2023.
Guided by the theme, “Our Voices, Our Choices, Our Pacific Way: Promote, Partner, Prosper,” PIFLM52 will bring together Pacific Leaders, Pacific Regional Organisations, Forum Dialogue partners and special guests to talanoa, and promote Pacific Partnerships that will ensure the resilience and prosperity of Pacific people.
In consultation with Forum Members and the Forum Secretariat, the Government of the Cook Islands is finalising the program for Leaders week, of which the Pacific Partnership for Prosperity (PPfP) is a key part. Aligned with the theme of PIFLM52, the PPfP represents existing and new initiatives, and proposed regional collective actions that have transformative potential and require new funding, investments, and partnerships to support and deliver development outcomes for our Pacific communities.
To further promote the PPfP, members of the public are invited to the Pacific Partnerships for Prosperity Pavilion, which will be hosted at the Punanga Nui Market from 7 to 9 November 2023. To run in parallel with PIFLM52, the Pavilion will have its own special programme that will showcase Pacific community ingenuity and feature entertainment, side-events, and exhibition booths from Cook Islands based stakeholders, and regional and international entities.
“We are very excited to invite everyone to come to the Pavilion, and learn about the Pacific Partnerships for Prosperity and all of the initiatives that contribute to the 2050 Strategy vision of a Blue Pacific Continent as a region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and increased prosperity so that all Pacific people are leading free, healthy and productive lives,” said MFAI Foreign Service Officer, Tatryanna Utanga. “The Pavilion will promote partnerships, awareness, and networks to enable meaningful interaction and engagement with the community, Pacific delegates, Forum Partners and visitors alike.”
The Pavilion aims to build an understanding of what Pacific Partnerships for Prosperity means and how the Cook Islands and its Partners can contribute. There will be a fusion of local arts, crafts, food, and culture as a partnership between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI), the Business Trade and Investment Board (BTIB), and the Punanga Nui Market. Delivery of the Pavilion is being supported by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Program (SPREP).
All are welcome to the Pavilion, including students, who are encouraged to learn more about the Pacific Partnerships for Prosperity initiatives and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. The 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting will be hosted in Rarotonga, Cook Islands from 6 – 10 November 2023, with the Pacific Leaders Retreat to take place in Aitutaki.
Online applications remain open for side-events and exhibition booths until 27 October 2023, and further information is available at the official PIFLM52 website www.piflm52.com/pavilion.
For more information, please contact Tatryanna Utanga on email at [email protected].