Posted on 11 July 2022
The Kiribati government has withdrawn from the Pacific Islands Forum ‘with immediate effect’ ahead of the commencement of the 51st Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting. This follows the signing of the Suva agreement in June aiming to strengthen the Pacific Islands Forum as the superior Pacific regional body, and ensuring that Micronesian states could not break up this regional body. Forum officials are encouraging Kiribati to reconsider its decision to be exempt from regional bodies. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has emphasised that the Suva agreement upholds Pacific led-change in the Pacific region.