It’s time for Micronesia to head Forum top job- Whipps

President Surangel Whipps Jr. reiterated that Pacific leaders need to honor the commitment that the next Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat should go to Micronesia.
On Feb. 3, President Whipps will take part for the first time in the Pacific Islands Forum “Special” Leaders Retreat.
Due to the pandemic, the special meeting of 18 Pacific states and territories will be convened virtually.
But Whipps is echoing the position of his predecessor former president Tommy Remengesau Jr. and leaders of Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and Nauru that it is Micronesia’s turn to provide the next SG based on the long-standing informal agreement.
“We continue with President’s Remengesau position that its time that a Micronesian is the Secretary-General of the PIF,” Whipps told reporters last week.
He said commitments that are made should be honored and hoping the meeting will be productive.
“If we cannot honor our commitments we need to think about other alternatives which are we need to move out of this relationship.”
“Those commitments are based on trust and it’s important as leaders in the Pacific to build on that trust and once that trust is broken, maybe we need to take a different direction.” (B. Carreon)