PIF Secretariat Says Missing Leaders Will Not Derail Pacific Summit Outcomes

Several Pacific leaders will not attend the 55th Pacific Islands Forum summit in Palau, but the forum’s secretariat says the meeting can still deliver durable outcomes.

Kiribati President Taneti Maamau and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale are the latest senior figures to withdraw. Maamau reportedly could not arrange travel in time and also needed to attend parliament. Wale reached Palau but returned home after a no-confidence motion was filed against him.

Samoa, Vanuatu and New Caledonia also lack leader-level representation. Deputy leaders or senior ministers are heading their delegations instead. Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is also expected to remain in Suva because of urgent domestic issues, although his attendance had not been fully confirmed.

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They have been quietly deliberated on, and their national positions that have been shared.

The absences come after members failed to agree at an earlier foreign ministers’ meeting on a statement condemning China’s missile test. A dummy warhead landed in Pacific waters near Tuvalu last month. Naoero, formerly known as Nauru, and Kiribati were understood to oppose the statement because of their strong ties with Beijing. Naoero President David Adeang confirmed he would attend the Palau meeting.

Australian and New Zealand media have described the leadership gaps as signs of regional turmoil and a blow to unity. The PIF Secretariat takes a more measured view. Deputy Secretary-General Esala Nayasi said the summit’s agenda had already gone through officials’ and foreign ministers’ meetings, with national positions shared in advance. Delegations, whether led by leaders or ministers, are expected to have mandates to speak on their countries’ issues.

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We would expect, for those that are in the room, whether leaders or represented at ministerial level, they would come with also mandate to speak on their issues.