Dame Meg Taylor of Papua New Guinea has been appointed as the new Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, replacing Tuiloma Slade of Samoa.

The appointment was made during the 45th Pacific Islands Forum Meeting that was held in Koror, Palau from 29-31 July. 

Dame Meg Taylor is the first female Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

The Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakano led Tonga’s delegation to the 45th Pacific Islands Forum Meeting.

Prior to the Forum meeting, Lord Tu’ivakano attended the fourth meeting of the Polynesian Leaders Group(PLG) that was held in Auckland on 26 July.

The eight founding members of the PLG are:  American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga and Tuvalu. The group aims to strengthen cooperation among Polynesian people.

"With our shared heritage and close links through Polynesia, PLG provides an important platform to share experiences and best practices that will help us leaders make strengthened decisions on the future sustainability and productivity of our islands," said Lord Tu’ivakano.