The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is an inter-governmental organisation that aims to enhance cooperation among countries and territories of Oceania, including formation of a trade bloc and regional peacekeeping operations.

As well as its role in harmonising regional positions on various political and policy issues, the Forum Secretariat has technical programmes in economic development, transport and trade.

Such regional efforts are mandated by the Biketawa Declaration, which was adopted at the 31st Summit of Pacific Islands Forum Leaders, held at Kiribati in October 2000.

[12] On 30 January 2023, Prime Minister of Fiji Sitiveni Rabuka confirmed that Kiribati had reconciled with the Pacific Islands Forum and planned to rejoin soon.

[16] It was a private and informal discussion of a wide range of issues of common concern, concentrating on matters directly affecting the daily lives of the people of the islands of the South Pacific, devoting particular attention to trade, shipping, tourism, and education.

[19][20] Toke Talagi, the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum and Premier of Niue, described the suspension as "also particularly timely given the recent disturbing deterioration of the political, legal and human rights situation in Fiji since April 10, 2009".

[21] He described Fiji as "a regime which displays such a total disregard for basic human rights, democracy and freedom" which he believed contravened membership of the Pacific Islands Forum.

[21] Talagi emphasised, however, that Fiji had not been expelled and that it would be welcomed back into the fold when it returned to the path of "constitutional democracy, through free and fair elections".

[23] Following the election of Henry Puna as Secretary-General in February 2021 during a virtual meeting,[24] Palau threatened to leave the Forum, claiming that a "gentlemen's agreement" to rotate the position between Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, had been violated.

[28] On 6 February, the Forum's chair responded to the allegations, stating that there was a consensus decisions following an agreed process and that "we have upheld our principles and values as characterised through the Pacific way".

[29] On 8 February the Palau National Congress formally passed a joint resolution, supporting the decision made by President Surangel Whipps Jr. to leave the Forum.

[5] Nauru President Lionel Aingimea has signalled his intention to pull out, stating that "If this is the way Micronesia is treated, then it is better off withdrawing from the Forum".

[7] Four members of the Micronesian bloc – the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, and Nauru – decided to hold a virtual meeting to discuss whether to exit the Forum.

[10][11] The President of the Federated States of Micronesia, David Panuelo, said that he had been told that Henry Puna would step down as Secretary-General, and that other reforms would occur.

[36] In April, it was reported that the President of the Marshall Islands, David Kabua, was urging other Micronesian leaders to agree to several proposed reforms but to withdraw their demand for Puna to step down.

[37] In June 2022, Forum leaders reached an agreement which would see Puna remain in office, and be replaced by a Micronesian candidate when his term ended.

According to The Australian newspaper, China had issued a directive to prevent Taiwan from participating in the 2025 Forum meeting, scheduled to be held in Solomon Islands.

[48] In early September 2024, China's Ambassador to the Pacific Qian Bo successfully lobbied for the Forum to remove references to Taiwan in the final communique of the 2024 leaders' summit in Tonga that week.

[76] As of April 2008, there is an ongoing negotiation to design and agree on a protocol to include trade in services and the temporary movement of natural persons (a broader concept than the GATS's Mode 4).

[78] The Biketawa Declaration (2000) on collective security committed Pacific Islands Forum members to eight values, including good governance, liberty of the individual, democratic processes, indigenous rights and cultural values, traditions and customs, and recognising the importance and urgency of equitable economic, social and cultural development to satisfy the basic needs and aspirations of the peoples of the Forum.

Regional institutional framework issues and WTO Doha round developments were discussed, followed by discussion of country-initiatives and the Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility launched 19 August 2008 to provide up to A$200 million over four years to help improve infrastructure in Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.