HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Sept. 8, 2025) — “The unity and clarity of purpose that we show here will set the tone for the rest of our deliberations in Honiara,” Kiribati President Taneti Maamau said Monday as he opened the Small Island States (SIS) Leaders Meeting, the first gathering leading into the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting later this week.
Leaders of the SIS grouping — representing some of the Pacific’s most vulnerable nations — are meeting in Honiara to address pressing priorities that include securing reliable air and sea transport, advancing fisheries development, strengthening health systems, and improving access to climate finance.
The SIS group is made up of Kiribati, Palau, Tuvalu, Nauru, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Niue. Together, they represent some of the smallest populations in the Pacific Islands Forum but face some of the region’s most severe challenges, from climate change impacts to economic viability and connectivity barriers.
Outgoing chair Wesley Simina, president of the Federated States of Micronesia, underscored the weight of these challenges. “The Smaller Island States remain an indispensable part of the Forum family,” Simina said. “Though few in number, SIS embody the challenges we experience as a region — the stark reality of climate change, the challenges of connectivity, and the tests of economic viability.”
Palau, for example, faces not only the consequences of climate change but also the burden of high transport costs and economic upheavals. Palau’s Minister of State Gustav Aitaro emphasized how SIS membership helps smaller nations overcome these hurdles. “The SIS provides us a platform for support in fisheries development and access to financing,” Aitaro said, of areas that are critical to Palau’s economic resilience.
The meeting will also deliberate on the review of the SIS strategy, Tonga’s bid for membership, and revitalization of the SIS Development Fund to strengthen self-reliance and visibility.
Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Baron Waga emphasized the broader significance of these decisions. “Each of these items is about more than process,” Waga said. “They go to the heart of how the SIS will organise, advocate, and lead in the years ahead. They will determine how we embed our priorities within the 2050 Strategy.”
Maamau reminded leaders that the outcome of this meeting will resonate beyond their grouping. “Our discussions today carry weight well beyond this room. They will shape the visibility of the Smaller Island States in the broader Forum deliberations this week, and they will send a signal to our partners and to the international community.”
As SIS leaders prepare for the wider Forum talks, they are seeking to demonstrate both unity and resilience, with a message that the region’s smallest nations play an outsized role in shaping the Blue Pacific’s future. On the global stage, the SIS have become influential voices in climate negotiations, pressing for stronger international commitments to limit warming and address the existential threats facing low-lying nations. They have also been key advocates for equitable access to climate finance and international funding mechanisms tailored to the scale and realities of small economies.
By working collectively, the SIS aim to transform vulnerability into leverage — ensuring that the needs of the smallest states remain firmly on the agenda, not only within the Pacific Islands Forum but also in international arenas where the future of vulnerable nations is being decided. – with Elilai Rengiil contributing to reporting from Honiara, Solomon Islands