Praneeta Prakash 
Forum Foreign Ministers will meet in Fiji this Friday for their annual discussions on the key regional priorities for the Blue Pacific region.
The meeting will be chaired by Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown.
One of the key priorities for deliberation will be the implementation plan of the 2050 Strategy. The five-year implementation plan is scheduled to be endorsed at the upcoming Forum Leaders meeting.
In line with the 2050 Strategy, ministers will deliberate on global and regional strategic trends and dynamics, the climate crisis, and a revitalized gender equality declaration.
This will include the region’s key engagement and advocacy priorities, including the preparation for the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78) and US-PIF Summit, the upcoming Forum Leaders Meeting, COP28, and the release of treated Fukushima nuclear wastewater by Japan into the Pacific Ocean.
Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna says Forum Foreign Ministers will also consider the outcomes of recent ministerial meetings, including the Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders Meeting, the Forum Economic Ministerial Meeting, and the Forum Fisheries Ministerial Meeting of the Forum Fisheries Agency.
He says that on top of the work programs around the 2050 implementation and international engagement and advocacy, there is much work to do.
