By Elilai Rengiil KOROR, Palau (August 30, 2026) — Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting Chair and Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. wants Pacific leaders to consider setting a fixed annual date for the Forum, saying predictable scheduling could improve attendance and strengthen regional unity. “It’s pretty hard to speak with one voice if they’re not […]
Tag: 55th Pacific Islands Forum
Posted inBillboard
Australia supports Palau to deliver a successful 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting
19 August 2026 With the Opening Ceremony of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting less than two weeks away, Australia is proud to announce a package of support to assist with Palau’s preparations as incoming Forum Chair and host. At the request of the Government of Palau, and consistent with support provided to previous hosts, […]
Posted inTop Stories
PIF 2026: Palau prepares for a Pacific meeting shaped by regional divisions
By: Ngeldei Tulop KOROR, Palau (August 13, 2026) — Palau is preparing to host Pacific leaders later this month as the region faces a series of political, security and economic questions that could test the Pacific Islands Forum’s ability to maintain consensus. The 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting is scheduled for Aug. 30 to […]
Posted inPacific News
Pacific unity faces test ahead of Palau’s PIF meeting
By: Ngeldei Tulop KOROR, Palau — Pacific governments are heading toward a major regional leaders meeting in Palau with differences over how to respond to China’s recent missile test exposing challenges to the Forum’s goal of maintaining regional unity. Foreign ministers and senior officials from Pacific Islands Forum members met in Suva, Fiji, earlier this […]
Posted inPacific News
Pacific preparations underway ahead of Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau
SUVA, 05 AUGUST 2026 (PACNEWS/PIFS)—The Pre-Forum Officials Committee (FOC) Meeting has begun, bringing together senior government officials to discuss key governance issues for the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and review progress on regional priorities under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. The meeting is being chaired by the newly appointed FOC Chair and […]
Posted inPacific News
Pacific must shape its own future: Forum Chair Wale
SUVA, 02 JULY 2026 (PACNEWS)— Solomon Islands Prime Minister and Forum Chair Mathew Wale has declared that Pacific leaders must take ownership of the region’s future, warning that while international interest in the Pacific continues to grow, the region’s development agenda and security priorities must remain firmly in Pacific hands. Delivering his inaugural address at […]