The funeral of Greg Urwin, the late Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum who passed away at the weekend was to be held in Apia, Western Samoa today, August 14.

Greg, who attended the 2007 Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Tonga, last October, a few months later resigned as the Secretary General of the Forum because of ill health.

Pacific Islanders will remember what Greg has done for the Pacific Islands.

Apart from the many working projects that Greg administered for the Forum during his term in office from 2004-08, the Pacific Plan had a goal of advancing Regional Cooperation and Integration. It aimed to enhance and stimulate economic growth, sustainable development, good governance and security for Pacific countries through regionalism.

Greg, an Australian national who made Samoa his home was the first non Pacific islander to become the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum since it was established in 1971. In 2000 the Forum changed its name from the South Pacific Forum to Pacific Islands Forum.

While Greg was the Secretary General of the Forum, the Pacific Islands was emerging as a Regional entity eager to participate in the globalization of the 21st century. His second three-year term was due to expire in early 2010.

Greg's absence will be felt by Forum leaders as they gather for the 2008 annual Forum Meeting to be held in Niue from August 19 to 21.