Pacific Islands Forum Leaders convene in a virtual special retreat session today, to discuss urgent pending issues - which includes the appointment of the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum.
A statement from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat says Leaders are expected to focus on two main agenda items - the current COVID-19 situation in the Pacific, its impact on the region to date and access to safe and secure vaccines, and secondly, the appointment of the next Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum.
"The successor to incumbent Secretary General Dame Meg Taylor was to have been appointed last year. This was delayed due to the global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, said the statement.
Nominations for the regional role were submitted by the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, the Cook Islands, the Kingdom of Tonga and Fiji.
The Secretary General also serves as the permanent CROP Chair, the Pacific Oceans Commissioner and the Regional Authorising Officer under the agreement with the European Union.
The candidates for the post are former Cook Island Prime Minister, Henry Puna, former Fijian foreign affairs minister, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, Marshall Islands Ambassador to the United States, Gerald M Zackios, former director general of the Pacific Community, Dr Jimmie Rodgers and the head of the Commonwealth Secretariat's Gender Programme and only woman candidate, ‘Amelia Kinahoi Siamomua of Tonga
Photo file SPC