The meeting coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the Pacific Islands Forum. Nauru is a founding member of the Forum, along with six others - Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Tonga and Western Samoa – now Samoa.
Nauru’s President, Lionel Aingimea, and chair of the Micronesian Presidents' Summit (MPS), attended the meeting as a representative of the Micronesia leaders, who standing on the principles of the Mekreos Communique, are not attending the retreat.
