The grouping of small island states has been meeting ahead of this week's summit of Pacific Island Forum leaders in Vanuatu.
The issue of climate change has again been at the top of the agenda.
Johnny Blades is in Vanuatu's capital, Port Vila, and sent this report:
"As it was at last year's meeting of small island states at the Forum's summit , this year's talks will be focusing on the impacts of climate change. In his opening remarks at the PSIS (Pacific Small Islands States) meeting, the Forum Secretary-General Tuiloma Neroni Slade said the small island states can't allow the disappointment of last year's Copenhagen UN Climate Change Summit to distract them from pushing for that goal of cutting carbon emissions from indistrialised countries. Meanwhile it's become clear that a third Pacific leader won't be attending this year's summit. Papua New Guinea's Sir Michael Somare will instead be sending his National Planning minister Paul Tiensten. This is in addition to the non-attendance of Australia's Julia Gillard and the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Dr Derek Sikua."
