REMARKS: Secretary General Baron Waqa at the Opening Ceremony of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum

•    I acknowledge the presence of our Heavenly Father who will lead and guide the week that is ahead of us
•    The Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala and Crown Princess Sinaitakala
•    Her Royal Highness Princess Angelika Tuku’aho
•    Members of the Royal Family and Nobles of the Realm
•    The Honourable Hu’akavameiliku, the Prime Minister of Tonga and distinguished members of Cabinet
•    The outgoing Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, the Hon. Mark Brown, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands 
•    Esteemed Leaders – Heads of State and Government of the Pacific Islands Forum and your delegations
•    Secretary General of the United Nations
•    Our Church Leaders and representatives
•    Honourable Ministers 
•    Representatives of Parliament and Members of the Judiciary
•    Distinguished and esteemed partners of our Blue Pacific region
•    Heads of International Organisations working in and with our region
•    Representatives of the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific
•    Representatives of the Civil Society Organisations and the Private Sector
•    Representatives of the Media
•    The youth and the young people of our Blue Pacific region
•    The people of the Kingdom of Tonga
•    Ladies and gentlemen
1.    Malo e lelei and warm Pacific greetings to each and everyone of you.

2.    It is an honour and a pleasure to be here in the Kingdom this week for the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum.

3.    I acknowledge with deep respect and appreciation the Government and people of Tonga - we thank you for the warm hospitality and generous spirits that we have all witnessed, from the moment we arrived on your shores – malo ‘aupito.

4.    Indeed, since our arrival, I was privileged to be a part of various community engagements organised by the Government of Tonga and to hear of experiences you have had in recent years. Especially in relation to building back from the devastation caused by the volcanic eruption in 2022.

5.    Your stories are testament to the true resilience of the people of your people.

6.    Indeed, we gather at a pivotal time in our region’s history.

7.    This morning marks a transition in the Chairing of the Pacific Islands Forum from the Honourable Mark Brown, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands to the Honourable Hu’akavameiliku, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga.

8.    I must acknowledge at this juncture the resolute leadership of Prime Minister Brown.

9.    His vision, his proactive approach to issues and his intellect have been key attributes of his tenure as Forum Chair.

10.    These values have been valuable as we continue to confront a multitude of opportunities and emerging challenges.

•    We are the centre of strategic geopolitical interest. 
•    We are at the forefront of the battle against climate change and its impacts. 
•    We continue to manage an evolving economic development landscape.

11.    Taken together, it requires us, as the Pacific Islands Forum, to be clear and decisive in the direction, priorities and actions we will take, in the interest of our region and of our Pacific people.

12.    We need to be transformative.

13.    We need to integrate resilience as a matter of priority across all policy and implementation processes, most especially in sectors that relate to our people – primarily health and education.

14.    We need to take urgent action now, for sustainable outcomes into the future.

15.    We need to remain vigilant on issues of regional security and we must ensure that these respond to national and regional needs.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

16.    These are the key messages that your Leaders will be considering and discussing throughout the week.

17.    Central to these considerations is ensuring that we are able to secure our place and our prosperity for our future generations.

18.    As we have advocated since its launch over the last two years – the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent sets our collective vision for the region.

19.    The 2050 Strategy is our commitment to ensure that we will not leave our future to chance, and that together, we will be stronger and more resilient.

20.    We call on all our partners to engage with us, to support our vision and our priorities.

Excellencies,

21.     Forum Leaders gathered here this week, together, drive the region’s collective ambition, in line with the vision of the 2050 Strategy.

22.    The annual opportunity meetings of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders is one of the few opportunities in an increasingly crowded domestic and regional agenda, that our Forum Leaders can come together to discuss and take decisions on matters that will advance our region’s priorities, actions and advocacy.

23.    We may be small island countries, but as the Blue Pacific Continent – we are a force to be reckoned with.

24.    We hold dear the values and prominence of our solidarity as a Forum Family. We invest in our relationships with each other, first and foremost.

25.    We own the strategic potential of our collective, and together, reaffirm that we act together from a position of strength. We must not forget this.

Excellencies,

26.    Climate Change and Resilience are the priority issues for our region today. To reaffirm the words of our Incoming Forum Chair, the time for talking is now over – we need to see action.

27.    I wish us all a successful week ahead, with the Lord’s blessings.

28.    I thank you all very much.

29.    Malo ‘aupito.