proposed reforms. However, on 9 July 2022 Kiribati confirmed its withdrawal. On 30 January 2023, Prime Minister of Fiji Sitiveni Rabuka confirmed that Kiribati has reconciled with the Pacific Islands Forum and plans to rejoin soon. Rabuka met Kiribati president Taneti Mamau who informed Rabuka of the decision. The larger Pacific Community functions mainly to promote international development by providing technical and scientific advice and funding development projects, and does not consider security issues or function as a trade bloc. History The Forum grew out of a proposal from Cook Islander Premier Albert Henry for a political forum to work alongside the existing South Pacific Commission. The idea was supported by other newly-independent island nations, and they agreed to meet to discuss a permanent body. The first meeting of the South Pacific Forum was initiated by New Zealand and held in Wellington, New Zealand, from 5–7 August 1971 with attendants of the following seven countries: the President of Nauru, the Prime Ministers of Western Samoa, Tonga and Fiji, the Premier of the Cook Islands, the Australian Minister for External Territories, and the Prime Minister of New Zealand. It was a private and informal discussion of a wide range of issues of common concern, concentrating on matters directly affecting the daily lives of the people of the islands of the South Pacific, devoting particular attention to trade, shipping, tourism, and education. Afterwards this meeting was held annually in member countries and areas in turn. In 1999, the 30th South Pacific Forum decided to be renamed the organization to the Pacific Islands Forum, to better account for areas outside the south Pacific. Immediately after the forum's annual meeting at head of government level, the Post Forum Dialogue (PFD) is conducted at ministerial level with PFD development partners around the world. Suspension of Fiji In August 2008, the Forum threatened to suspend Fiji if the latter did not commit to holding a general election by March 2009. Subsequently, at a special leaders' meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum held in Papua New Guinea in January 2009, Forum leaders set a deadline of 1 May, by which date Fiji must set a date for elections before the end of the year. Fiji rejected the deadline. Consequently, on 2 May, Fiji was suspended indefinitely from participation in the Forum with immediate effect. Toke Talagi, the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum and Premier of Niue,