The 50th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Summit took place in Tuvalu from 13 to 16 August, 2019.

Leaders from across the Pacific gathered to discuss issues vital to the region’s future, and the planet as a whole. They were joined by Associate Members, Observers, Dialogue Partners and other delegations.

Invited by the host of the conference, The Rt Hon Enele Sopoaga, Prime Minister of Tuvalu, the Special Envoy of Switzerland for the Pacific Islands Region, Ambassador Yasmine Chatila Zwahlen, used the opportunity to meet many of Switzerland’s partners in the Pacific to discuss on-going cooperation and bilateral relations. “The event bears a high degree of symbolism, being hosted in one of the world’s smallest and most climate-vulnerable nations” and “I am humbled by the generosity, resilience and acute political and cultural awareness of our hosts”, said Ambassador Chatila.

Switzerland has diplomatic relations with all the sovereign states in the Pacific Islands Region and is an important contributor to the Multilateral Development Financing Institutions and International Organisations, particularly in the fields of Disaster Risk Reduction and rapid response, climate change adaptation, human rights and migration. Switzerland supports the Pacific Islands States to “increase their visibility and influence in the global fora, especially at the UN and other International Organisations in Geneva”, added Ambassador Chatila.