What is the Pacific Islands Forum? How a summit for the world’s tiniest nations became a global draw

Associated Press

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (AP) — Torrential rain and an earthquake greeted leaders welcomed to the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga, underscoring the natural and climate crises the region faces. As the South Pacific has become an increasingly contested geopolitical space, the annual summit for its leaders has grown from its 18 member countries to delegates from more than 40 nations, all seeking to advance their agendas in the region. As always, the leaders of small island nations are focused on climate change, with regional security, economies and the unrest in New Caledonia also playing major roles.