Overview:
More than 2,000 people are expected in Palau for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, including 15 Pacific heads of state, government ministers, security personnel and more than 100 accredited journalists. President Surangel Whipps Jr. says the gathering is an opportunity to strengthen partnerships for a more prosperous and resilient Pacific.
By: L.N. Reklai
KOROR, Palau (Aug. 24, 2026) — More than 2,000 people are expected to arrive in Palau for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, as the country prepares to host Pacific leaders, government officials, security personnel, media and development partners next week.
President Surangel Whipps Jr. said during a presidential press conference Aug. 21 that 15 of the 18 heads of state from Pacific Islands Forum member countries are expected to attend the leaders meeting.
About 10 ministers or deputy ministers from PIF Dialogue Partners are also expected to participate.
The meeting will be accompanied by about 30 side events organized by United Nations agencies, development partners, nongovernmental organizations, civil society groups and other partners throughout the PIF Leaders Meeting period.
Security preparations will include about 100 law enforcement officers from across the Pacific region who will come to Palau to support local authorities during the event.
The Office of the President also reported that slightly more than 100 media representatives have been accredited to cover the meeting. About 70 are expected to come from international media organizations, while about 30 are from Pacific island media outlets.
Whipps said the gathering provides an important opportunity to strengthen partnerships across the region, emphasizing that cooperation with development and other partners will be essential to building a “prosperous and resilient” Pacific.
“This is an opportunity to bring in partners” in areas including energy, tourism and conservation, Whipps said, with the goal of working together toward a “prosperous, resilient Pacific together” in line with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
Whipps said engaging partners is particularly important to advancing the goals of this year’s PIF Leaders Meeting theme, B.E.L.A.U., which stands for Building Economies, Life, Action and Unity.
He described the previous PIF Leaders Meeting in Solomon Islands as a “missed opportunity,” referring to the decision there to limit participation in the event to Pacific Islands Forum countries.
The 55th PIF Leaders Meeting is expected to bring a large international and regional presence to the country while creating opportunities for governments, development partners, civil society and other stakeholders to strengthen cooperation on issues affecting the Pacific.