Opening

A traditional Ava ceremony was accorded the heads of the Forum-member delegations as well as the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Secretary General Dame Meg Taylor at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum.

Samoa Prime Minister and Chair of the meeting, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi called on the leaders and member countries to stand together and implement the decisions that the leaders endorse at this year's meeting.

He also encouraged the Pacific to support Fiji's co-presidency of the COP 23, the annual round of the ongoing UN climate negotiations in Germany later this year.

The opening ceremony included a 21 gun salute and a guard of honor from PNGDF soldiers.

The program started at 8am with the arrival of Speaker Job Pomat and his wife, Opposition leader Patrick Pruaitch with his wife, Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia and the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill along with his wife.

Governor General Sir Bob Dadae arrived and inspected the guard of honor before entering the chamber to officially open the 10^th Parliament session.

The opening ceremony proceeded with all the MPs present.