🗳Imagine... The Small States Steering the Forum🗳
💡 Imagined Endstate:
A future where Small Island States function not as afterthoughts, but principal drivers in regional decisions, where vulnerability becomes strength, and their priorities are always at the center.
📚 Source:
“Remarks: Opening Remarks by President of Kiribati, H.E. Taneti Maamau, at the Small Island States Leaders Meeting.” Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. 8 September 2025. Link.
💥 What’s the Big Deal:
As President Maamau assumes the Chair for the Small Island States (SIS) meeting, his words carry weight far beyond protocol 🧭. He opens with solidarity for the Marshall Islands 🇲🇭 after the fire in their parliament and for the passing of a former President, invoking empathy and collective resilience. He affirms that SIS have always fought to make their voices heard, not automatically respected, but needing consistent renewal and championing 🌱.
He challenges the Forum to move from symbolic recognition 🪞 to political choices. The discussions in Honiara will determine whether SIS become leaders in shaping regional agendas 🌐 or remain sidebars. Key priorities like climate resilience, partnerships 🤝, and visibility must no longer be the margin, but the core.
If SIS leaders act in unity and speak from clarity 🔊, the Small Island States can shift from vulnerability to agency. But that shift depends on real power, not mere presence, in the debates that follow.
#SmallIslandVoices, #PacificLeadership, #SISChair, #ActWithVoice #ForumAgency, #IslandNationPower,#IMSPARK,
