Despite heavy rain and earthquake, the opening ceremony of the 53rd PIFLM was still held grandly!

53 Opening^road The opening ceremony of the Pacific Islands International Film Festival in Nuku’alofa on Monday was one of the most spectacular in the Pacific, at least in the Kingdom of Tonga. The newly built Tonga High School Indoor Stadium was not only beautifully decorated to match the opening ceremony, but the atmosphere was serene and joyful, with a sense of cultural and spiritual solemnity.

The launch took place as heavy rains flooded parts of Tongatapu, and later that morning a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck, which a tourist from Kiribati described as “terrifying.”

But in any case, the weather condition is a sign of the consequences of climate change that people in the Oceania islands are often experiencing. It happened during the opening of the 53rd World Cup^road The PIFLM was attended by leaders of all 18 Pacific Island countries and their development partners.

Congratulations to Prime Minister Huakavameliku and his team for the successful organization and hosting of PIFLM 53. There had been doubts as to whether the required prefabricated accommodation facilities or even the conference venue would be completed in time, but the delegates arrived, they were all accommodated, and the new Tonga High School Indoor Sports Arena was the main conference venue.

President Huakahuameliku announced that the theme of the summit is: “Transformative, Resilient Pacific Islanders: Building Back Better Now”. The focus is that “we need to move from policy deliberation to policy implementation. Policies are action plans, and if they are not implemented, they are meaningless.”

Telesia Afeaki Tonga of Hawaii, a renowned host and organizer of Polynesian festivals and Pacific Islander celebrations, spoke for most observers when she opened the ceremony by exclaiming, “This is the best ever!”

Leaders of the 18 Pacific Island countries of the Pacific Islands Forum and their delegations received a uniquely friendly Tongan welcome. Development partners from the region, civil society groups and more than 80 media representatives attended the opening of the most important regional conference Tonga has hosted in many years.

Speeches by outgoing Pacific Islands Forum Chair, Prime Minister Mark Brown of the Cook Islands, and incoming Chair, Prime Minister Huakawameliku of Tonga, were full of reconciliation and gratitude, while clearly calling on all parties to take action rather than just talk on issues such as mitigating climate change.

“We have to do it now,” he said. “With our Blue Pacific Continent 2050 Strategy and its implementation plan in place, we must now focus on implementation and action.”

“For Tonga, this means working towards a ‘fit for purpose’ regional architecture. It means supporting the Pacific Resilience Facility and other resilience-focused financing arrangements to support all of our partners, old and new. It means building resilience in our health and education sectors.”

“Building back better now requires us to reassess the strength of our existing partnerships. Building back better now requires us to explore new and innovative partnerships. Most importantly, we must work together and engage our people.”

Other keynote speakers included UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the new Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Baron Waqa. Mr. Guterres reiterated the importance of the Pacific Islands as a region, saying “you must make your voice known to the world”.

The UN Secretary-General’s rare visit to PIFLM was significant, as he also participated in side events such as the Intergenerational Youth Dialogue, where he said: “I am here to express solidarity, but also to join you in your call to stop the planet from committing suicide.”

The sovereignty and independence of our Pacific Islands requires “our stories told on our own terms, by our own people”. Priorities must be our own problems, not those imposed on us by external forces. These views were strongly affirmed by UN Secretary-General Guterres.

The electrifying performances of music, cultural dances and “choral songs” by local schoolchildren were like a “Tonga’s Got Talent”, a peaceful yet passionate plea from a generation that has witnessed the devastating effects of climate change in its short lifetime and wants their children to be free not only from climate impacts but also from the social impacts of crime and corruption, gender-based violence, poverty and lack of good governance.

Tonga is the sixth most climate vulnerable country in the world. Tonga came to the attention of the international community with the tragic eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hungahaapai volcano in January 2022. The level of death, injuries and damage to infrastructure shocked the world.

But something (or someone) was missing from the opening of PIFLM 53. His Majesty King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipa’u were absent. All important Tongan occasions are incomplete without the presence and participation of the monarch. This time, the King was not in the country. He left before the opening of PIFLM and returned a week later.

Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala replaced him as chief honorary agent, but questions remain as to why the king and queen were not present at Tonga’s most important regional meeting in years.

Pacific Island Leaders have a busy agenda. Beyond the formal Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meetings, Tonga has been stressing the importance of engaging all stakeholders, including the public through side events, exhibitions and the opening and closing ceremonies of the Forum.

Planned side events include a national single-use plastics roadmap to phase out single-use plastics (SUP) in Tonga; sessions on Teieniwa Vision and Pacific solidarity against corruption; and dialogues on seabed mining and other issues.

Consideration will be given to including Guam and American Samoa in the Forum family. This will place the United States more firmly in the Pacific family. More importantly, Pacific leaders will discuss how best to shape their approach to completing the steps now required for the decolonization of New Caledonia. Prior to PIFLM 53, the Working Group’s planned visit to New Caledonia was postponed and was not able to take place prior to the Leaders’ Meeting.

Pacific leaders will take further steps to operationalize the Pacific Resilience Fund. Leaders are likely to discuss transnational crime and its growing impact on domestic economies and societies, as well as a range of other standing items, including the implementation of our 2050 strategy – Southern Cross in the Blue Pacific. The 53rd Pacific Islands Forum will conclude with a two-day retreat for leaders in the beautiful Vava’u Islands in northern Tonga, a proud tourist destination for Tonga.