It is important to remember that in order for Pacific regionalism to work, we must be willing to work together to find common ground that positively contributes to the leaders’ vision.

Those were the words of Cook Islands Prime Minister and Pacific Islands Forum Chair Mark Brown,  

who is also chairing the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting in Suva this week.

Brown said what they had been through and accomplished in the last three years was “nothing short of extraordinary”. 
Forum Leaders developed and endorsed the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent as the overarching blueprint to advance Pacific regionalism for the next three decades, he said.  
“And they did this under the extreme pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic, and they responded to this with the most robust national and regional frameworks globally, keeping the health and safety of the Pacific people front and centre of their policies. 
“In the year 2050, those of us seated around the table certainly would have moved on from where we are today. 
“But our youth, our future Leaders, will look back at this period as a key moment in the history of the Forum. It is they who will reflect on whether our commitment to regionalism was enough to achieve the Vision for the Blue Pacific. “

Brown said it was important to remember that in order for Pacific regionalism to work, they must be willing to work together to find common ground that positively contributes to the Leaders’ Vision. 
With the theme Our Voices, Our Choices, Our Pacific Way: Promote, Partner, Prosper, Brown said: “We must all be prepared to exercise some flexibility, to be prepared to adjust, for the future prosperity of the Blue Pacific.”
At the meeting they will discuss a range of issues, from the geopolitical context in which we operate, to the opportunities and challenges presented by our priorities, Brown said.  
“In my capacity as Forum Chair, I have had the invaluable opportunity to participate in various global forums, including the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in May and the ASEAN Leaders Summit in Jakarta just this last week.”

In the coming week, Brown said they will meet the world at the United Nations General Assembly, the annual meeting point of world leaders. They will also have the opportunity to meet again with United States President Joe Biden, and further on in the near future, the annual meetings of the World Bank. 
“The strategic opportunities before us are great. The onus is on us to step up and grasp it. How we strategically engage as a region is of utmost importance.”
He added that a key deliverable this year will be the 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan.

Brown said they would consider an update on the progress made to ensure that a comprehensive and thoroughly owned and led document is ready for leaders’ consideration in November. 
Brown said the Implementation Plan is a critical cog in the machinery to deliver the 2050 Strategy, and as tasked by Leaders, will shortly be accompanied by a Review of the Regional Architecture.