Micronesian Islands Forum Opens Today On Guam
Tamuning - Three presidents and six governors of island states and territories — Palau, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia and its states of Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae — will gather here starting Monday for the annual Micronesian Islands Forum (MIF)..
Last year Palau hosted the Micronesian Islands Summit which was formerly known as the Micronesian Chief Executive s Summit (MCES). This year the forum is hosted by Guam.
The MIF, formerly known as the Micronesian Chief Executives Summit, is underway this week in Guam.
The agenda includes climate change, Micronesia Challenge, Invasive Species Council, regional health, transportation, regional labor development, public safety and recycling initiative.
The Micronesian Chief Executives Summit was first hosted in Palau in 2003.
President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr., arrived on Guam Sunday for the meeting. Remengesau will be joined by President Peter Christian of FSM and President Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands. Others expected to join includes Gov. Johnson Elimo, of Chuuk; Gov. Tony Ganngiyan, of Yap; Gov. Lyndon Jackson, of Kosrae; Gov. Marcelo K. Peterson, of Pohnpei; and Gov. Ralph D. Torres, of the CNMI. Governor Eddie Baza Calvo of Guam will formally assume the chairmanship of the 22nd MIF at the start of the first day.
The two-day event provides an opportunity for the regional governments to establish arrangements and regional cooperation on various issues that of mutual interest to the region.
Last week, representatives from the respective governments met ahead of the summit to review the progress of their assignments from their last meeting in Palau, and to formulate recommendations for the Chief Executives’ support and endorsement.
One major result of the meeting in Palau last year was to rename the MCES and the Micronesian Presidents’ Summit into a one organization.
Remengesau said the renaming of the organization would put more strength in the Micronesian region will all leaders collaborating to voice out their issues.
In the 2016 meeting, leaders agreed that the workforce development is a critical issue in both the public and private sectors.
