For many delegates and journalists coming for Tuesday's Pacific Islands Forum, this is the first time in their lives to visit or even hear about this isolated coral atoll thousands of km north-east of New Zealand. And for the 1,600 Niuean people living their peaceful lives in theremote, tiny island, the forum is a big event for years.
Last time Niue hosted the Forum, which annually brings 16 headsof government of the states in the Pacific, was more than 30 yearsago in 1977. The smallest country of the group wants to show off its tropical beauty and win more tourism as it rebuilds itself after the devastation of the Cyclone Heta in 2004.
The newly elected Niue Premier, Toke Talagi, was confident the three-day meeting would be a success. "It's great for Niue... we bring you here and you can see what Niue is trying to do at the present time," he said.
Over the weekend locals were busy with last-minute preparation work, while 50 additional police officers from New Zealand were flown in to supplement the island's regular team of 16 officers.
The 16-year-old Uma was helping her mother putting up a welcomesign made of paper cups off the main road. She has been excited about the sudden rise of 25 percent of island population, a resultof up to 500 visitors for the forum.
"We have some tourists, mostly from New Zealand, in windsurfingseason, but not so many," she said, adding "we are not working for the government, but volunteers to put up this sign. It's my mom's idea to make it with used paper cups."
At the media registration site in the police station, local police officer Kieta Hipa was impressed by the Lenovo computers donated by China. "It just takes a second to print out your mediacard with photo," he said with a big smile. Friendly faces can beseen almost everywhere of the island where a quiet and laidback life style is enjoyed very much.
China also donated the computers, printers and Internet wireless connection equipment in media center.
With extra visitors on the island, Niue's 1,600 people scattered in the 14 villages of the 269-square-km island put on a show day for the delegations that had already arrived. Traditional dancings were held in the villages and all people around were invited to a walk against global warming, the main theme of this year's summit.
The effect of "global warming" has been a threat to food security and safety of island communities. As a consequence, many Forum Island countries are already subjected to sea level rising.
As normal people are showing their hospitality, politicians are expecting more. Talagi hopes that the forum will focus on more than Fiji's stalled election process, which topped the agenda of last year Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga.
"Please don't focus on one particular topic this year.. We have great potential here for tourism and the forum must also focus on sustainable economies," said Premier Talagi.
"There are quite a few investment opportunities in Niue which has potential in tourism, and people should seize the opportunities," he said.
Fiji interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama announced on Monday he would not attend this year's PIF in Niue ashe has "local political issues to focus on." Bainimara's latest move may help ease the irritation of other Pacific states, like Niue, that want to improve their aid-ridden economies, enhance labor mobility to the richer nations of Australia and New Zealand and promote industries other than agriculture, logging and fishing.
"I hope very much to modernize my nation, not in a way of building a lot of high constructions or factories, but in my own way," said former Prime Minister Young Vivien who negotiated the independence of Niue from New Zealand in 1974 and spent most of his life trying to find a better way to develop his little home country.
Source:Xinhua
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