OUR VOICES, OUR CHOICES, OUR PACIFIC WAY:

E maunga to uta - ko te Iku ia o te Rangi
E ta’ua tei raro - ko Maraerenga, ko Ngarurutu, ko Taputapuatea;
E ava tei puta kite moana - ko Tuituikamoana,
E ariki ko Makea, ko Karika, ko Vakatini;
E vaka ko Te-Au-o-Tonga,
Oea, oea; oea te Vaka Tuiariki.

Turou, Turou, Oro Mai
E to te Moana Nui a Kiva

As Chair and host of this year’s 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, it gives me great pleasure to extend a warm ‘Kia Orana’ to my fellow Pacific Leaders and your delegations; Forum Dialogue partners; and friends of Te Moana Nui a Kiva – our Blue Pacific Continent - as you prepare for your journey to Rarotonga for PIFLM52.

The pe’e, traditional chant that I opened with is a call from our ipukarea, our nation, welcoming you our people of Te Moana Nui a Kiva to our shores and to the place we will meet – Te Are Karioi Nui - Te-Au-o-Tonga - from 6-10 November 2023.

As a founding member of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the Cook Islands remains deeply committed to a united region, guided by our 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent vision for our future.  A vision of a resilient Pacific Region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity that ensures all Pacific people can lead free, healthy, and productive lives.

PIFLM52 will ensure Our Voices, Our Choices and Our Pacific Way are at the forefront of our region’s journey to a safe, resilient, and prosperous Pacific.

Te Moana Nui a Kiva, Kia Rangatira!

Hon. Mark Brown
Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and Prime Minister of the Cook Islands