39188 (2026). Vanushi Walters to the Prime Minister

39188 (2026). Vanushi Walters to the Prime Minister: As New Zealand will host the Pacific Islands Forum in 2027, what expectations does the Government have of the level of representation other members will send, and what level of representation will New Zealand itself provide?

Rt Hon Christopher Luxon: New Zealand was actively engaged at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in the lead-up to and throughout the week. The Minister of Foreign Affairs hosted delegations from 13 Pacific Islands Forum members plus the Forum Secretariat on the RNZAF flight from New Zealand to Australia then Palau on 29 August, then spent three days in Palau participating in Forum meetings and meeting with 28 Forum members and dialogue partners (30 August-1 September). I attended the critical concluding phase, including the formal Leaders’ Dinner and Leaders Retreat where decisions are taken on all matters discussed during the week. This travel was considered by Cabinet on 24 August 2026. Initial planning had the Minister of Foreign Affairs present throughout the week. However, due to a decision made for the Prime Minister to leave Palau on 4 September rather than the evening of 3 September, the Minister of Foreign Affairs returned to New Zealand earlier than originally planned to undertake prior commitments in New Zealand. Due to limited commercial flight options for the Minister’s return to New Zealand, during one day of the meetings in Palau New Zealand was represented by a Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Pacific Islands Forum Senior Official. A number of draft programmes were received in the lead up to the meeting. Agendas for these meetings are kept in confidence between Forum members and I do not believe it is in the public interest to release these. In the lead up to this travel, I received five official briefing notes concerning the Pacific Islands Forum. Decisions on New Zealand’s representation at multilateral and regional meetings take into consideration a range of factors, including the importance of the meeting to New Zealand’s foreign policy priorities, the level and nature of participation by other countries, and the availability of the Prime Minister and relevant Ministers. Where the Prime Minister or a Minister cannot attend a multilateral or regional meeting it is common practice for a senior official to represent New Zealand. In the Pacific Islands Forum, members are generally represented at the level of the meeting, although attendance can vary for a range of reasons. As host of the 2027 Forum, the Government will work with members to encourage high-level participation and explore ways to support attendance by as many members as possible. Over the present term, the Coalition Government has undertaken the most extensive programme of face-to-face engagement with Pacific Islands Forum Leaders and Foreign Ministers in New Zealand’s history. Since 27 November 2023, I have made 14 visits to Pacific Islands Forum member countries, including Australia, Fiji, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has undertaken 34 visits to the Pacific, including at least one to every Pacific Islands Forum member. In addition, the Coalition Government has hosted in New Zealand the Leaders or Foreign Ministers of 12 Pacific Island Forum countries: the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Nauru, Palau and Australia. This historic pattern of engagement has positioned New Zealand well to take on its responsibilities as the host of next year’s Pacific Islands Forum.