Indonesia once again hosts a prestigious international conference. Today through tomorrow, Indonesia is hosting the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum in Nusa Dua Bali.
Several heads of state will attend the AIS Forum Summit in Bali. The five leaders who will attend in person are the President of Micronesia, the Prime Minister of Niue, the Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe, the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, and the Prime Minister of Tuvalu.
Fiji and Tonga will be represented by their Deputy Prime Ministers. Eight countries will be represented by their Ministers, namely Maldives, Marshall Islands, Palau, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka and Papua New Guinea.
Meanwhile, three countries will be represented by officials at the level of Deputy Minister, Director-General or Secretary-General, namely Cabo Verde, New Zealand and Madagascar. Eleven countries will be represented by their ambassadors, including Ireland, Japan, Cyprus, Samoa, Malta, the United Kingdom, Saint Lucia, Cook Island, the Philippines, Suriname and Bahrain.
In addition, four international organizations will send representatives: the Melanesian States Cooperation Group (MSG), the Pacific Island Countries Forum (PIF), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The theme of the 2023 AIS Forum is "Fostering Collaboration, Enabling Innovation, for our Ocean and Our Future". The meeting will focus on three main areas: developing the blue economy, addressing the challenges of climate change, and strengthening solidarity among island nations and states.
The two-day conference will focus on implementing initiatives that will have a real impact on island and island nation communities.
Jodi Mahardi, Deputy for Coordination of Maritime Sovereignty and Energy at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment), explained that the Forum will not only focus on speeches but will also emphasize on-the-ground initiatives based on input from local communities for the betterment of island and archipelagic states in the AIS.
Therefore, the AIS Forum Secretariat continues to work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to develop various initiative programs that can be implemented in AIS countries.
With a focus on concrete initiatives and programs, the AIS Forum is committed to continue to grow and make a real positive impact for all communities in island states.
