Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa’s first official international trip since she took over the top decision-making role at the Government building has been a very productive one. 

It also appears to have been a very successful one so far, which is a nice little break for Fiame after all the petty political squabbles of the Constitutional Crisis in Samoa.

First she stopped over in Auckland, New Zealand where the Samoan community warmly welcomed her. The Samoan diaspora in New Zealand formed a key part of the global push for a new Government in the recent past, and so her arrival would have brought great joy to the Samoan community there, one that has not been able to hear from their Prime Minister in person.  

The special celebration of Samoa's 60th Anniversary of Independence provided the first opportunity for many Samoans in New Zealand to meet and welcome Fiame. 

As the daughter of Samoa’s first Prime Minister, Fiame embodies a key part of Samoa's cultural and political history. Her presence in Auckland would have been quite special, especially for supporters, women and the young generations who look up to her as a role model. In a country where another woman, Jacinda Ardern, has transformed political views and political ideals, Fiame would have fitted right in.

New Zealand, however, was not her final destination. The Prime Minister was then off to Fiji where she was warmly welcomed by Fiji’s Prime Minister, Voreqe Frank Bainimarama, who said he was looking forward to working closely with her to advance bilateral relations. 

After Mr Bainimarama’s recent history with Fiame’s predecessor, it would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall during the talanoa between the two leaders. Hopefully, she would have told Bainimarama to tell the Fiji Sevens team to take it easy on the Manu Samoa Sevens, and let them get through to the final of the next HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. 

Officially of course, Prime Minister Fiame opened the new Samoan High Commission at Clarke Street in Suva, which is an important step to show that we are serious about building our relationship with our Pacific neighbour. 

But the real reason Fiame is in Fiji was to attend a high level political dialogue hosted by Mr. Bainimarama, to mend a broken Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). 

The unity of the Forum has been badly fractured as a result of a row over the selection of the Forum Secretary General, a position currently held by a former Cook Islands prime minister, Henry Puna. This angered Micronesian countries who accused the other PIF members of ditching a "gentleman's agreement" over the leadership role, and felt that it was their turn through their candidate, Gerald Zackios. 

Five Micronesian countries threatened to leave the Forum, which was the start of what has been a very rough period for the premier regional body. These countries suspended that withdrawal in February, saying PIF had promised to propose "substantive reforms" to its structure. There were reports also that Mr Puna had signalled his willingness to step aside. The meeting this week was expected to be explosive.

But ”cometh the hour, cometh the man” it appears that our Prime Minister Fiame played a critical role in the reconciliation process, averting the break up of the Forum, so that Secretary General Puna will serve out his term while Micronesia will appoint the next forum leader in 2024. 

Palau was one of the countries that led the protest but even that country’s President Surangel Whipps Jnr said the outcome has been very good for the region.  

"The most important outcome is the, the unity of the Pacific," he said. "The meetings today, and in the past few days have been how to reconcile our differences, how to move forward in a way that brings the Pacific together... I think that is when what has been accomplished.”

Speaking to Radio New Zealand about the resolution, Fiame said she was pleased to have played a role.  

"We need to go through the process of all the members signing up, but those of us who are here, six of us, I think are representative of the three sub-regions and hopefully we will be able to implement what has been proposed and agreed to," she said. 

Well we hope so too. 

The Pacific Islands Forum is a very important body for the region and its people. While the member countries are small, the Pacific’s voice as a collective is a powerful one when it comes to the fight for issues such as security, climate change and health on the global stage. 

The Pacific is a powerful force with one voice. But like all families, and most things in life, nothing is perfect. From time to time, the leaders will get into a squabble but such is life. The most important thing is not to lose sight of the big picture and what is best for all the people of the Pacific region – and that is unity.

One of the best lessons looking at the compromise that has been reached is on how the leaders – including Prime Minister Fiame - have put their differences aside to resolve a conflict through dialogue and mutual respect. The people of the Pacific couldn’t have asked for a better example to emulate.  That, ladies and gentlemen, is certainly the Pacific Way. Malo!