Ekamowir omo! The people of Nauru welcome all to the 49th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. Some know Nauru as the smallest island nation in the world, but we have never felt this way because we are a large ocean state and a member of a much bigger family, the Pacific Islands Forum. Together, we are one ‘blue continent’ covering more than 35million square kilometers of oceanscape. The theme for this year’s meeting is Building a Strong Pacific: Our People, Our Islands, Our Will. I believe it captures the spirit and aspiration of the Pacific Islands Forum’s Agenda. The Forum Agenda aims to secure the health and wellbeing of all our people, particularly the most vulnerable among us. It promotes strong collective action in areas such as regional peace and security, and enhancing the resilience of our communities, our ocean, our resources, and our economies. The Agenda is underscored by our desire to manage our own development in our own unique Pacific way. Today we face many challenges including the effects of climate change and disaster, rising inequality, depletion of natural resources, regional and global conflict, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, changing multilateral relations, and an increasingly crowded and complex diplomacy in the region. There has never been a greater need for our ocean of islands to strengthen their resolve to work together for the benefit of our people and our environment. The future of the Pacific must be determined by its people. I have no doubt that this Blue Pacific region contains enough riches to ensure that we continue developing in sustainable ways that promote our Pacific Vision of a region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity, so that all Pacific people can lead free, healthy, and productive lives. Forum Schedule: MONDAY, 03 SEPTEMBER 2018 8:00am Flag Raising 9:00am Smaller Island States Leaders Meeting 1:30pm Pacific ACP Leaders Meeting 7:00pm Official Opening Ceremony of the 49th Pacific Islands Forum TUESDAY, 04 SEPTEMBER 2018 9:00am Forum Dialogue Partners Session with Forum Leaders 11:00am Associate Member & Observers Dialogue Session with Forum Leaders 1:30pm Civil Society Dialogue Session with Forum Leaders 3:30pm Private Sector Dialogue Session with Forum Leaders WEDNESDAY, 05 SEPTEMBER 2018 9:30am Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Retreat THURSDAY, 06 SEPTEMBER 2018 5:00pm Official Closing ceremony of the 49th Pacific Islands Forum
