KEY POINTS:
Fiji's interim Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, faces his Pacific neighbours next week after backtracking on his 2007 commitment to hold elections by March.
His u-turn ensures Fiji will dominate the headlines when 16 nations meet for the annual Pacific Islands Forum from Wednesday to Friday. However, the host, new Niuean Premier Toke Talagi, is hoping the focus on Fiji does not completely overshadow other issues when the leaders go into retreat on Thursday.
He says economic development - including fostering tourism - is a major issue for his country. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has also tried to emphasise issues in the wider Pacific.
Discussion is expected to include New Zealand's seasonal employment scheme for Pacific Islanders in horticulture and viticulture and measures to boost aviation security. There will also be a strong emphasis on rising food and fuel prices - including whether countries should group together to bulk-buy fuel - and environmental issues.
What's in the talk-fest:
FIJI
The leaders will demand an explanation from Commodore Bainimarama over his backdown on a promise to hold elections by March. A meeting of forum foreign ministers in July indicated a uniform feeling among other Pacific countries that Fiji should honour the commitment he made at the forum in 2007.
There was also concern about his plans - via a People's Charter - to make electoral reforms. Many consider such reforms should be made only by a democratically elected government after an election.
There are no set rules governing how forum meetings are conducted and convention requires a response to be on the basis of consensus among the leaders. It is unlikely Fiji will be suspended from the forum. Concern remains about the impact of sanctions on the people of Fiji, especially travel bans on family members of the Fijian interim administration and military, which stop young people travelling on sports trips or education scholarships.
JOBS
Helen Clark says there will be a review of New Zealand's new seasonal employment scheme, under which up to 5000 workers from 11 Pacific Island countries can work in horticulture or viticulture in New Zealand for up to seven months a year. The scheme has had hiccups - including concerns about pastoral care and conditions provided for some workers.
However, it is broadly welcomed for both easing NZ's labour shortage and giving Pacific Islanders a way to earn money to send back home.
Helen Clark says one topic will be finding ways to make it cheaper for workers in New Zealand to send money back to the islands - a practice crucial for many Pacific economies.
Australia's Kevin Rudd is tipped to announce a similar but smaller programme at the forum after lobbying by Australia's Farmers Federation.
PETROL PRICES
The sharp petrol price increases over the past year will give urgency to work already under way for countries to club together to bulk-buy fuel.
Officials are optimistic it will be under way within a year and Helen Clark has identified it as a priority, saying it could significantly reduce prices for some nations.
Increased prices because of global oil increases are exacerbated by the Islands' isolation and shipping costs. In Niue petrol costs $2.40 a litre.
There is also likely to be discussion about alternative energy sources for power. Kiribati President Anote Tong raised the prospect of more use of solar power on his recent visit to New Zealand, pointing out one resource most Pacific Islands had a lot of was sun. The European Union has contributed £1.2 million ($3.20 million) to the forum for work in this area.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Has been raised since at least 2001 as low-lying countries try to find ways to deal with so-called "environmental refugees" whose homes are lost to rising sea levels. President Tong said recently that efforts by New Zealand and Australia to cut emissions were welcome, but too late for many in Kiribati, which had a pressing need to resolve where the people would go as sea levels rose.
ELECTING A NEW SECRETARY-GENERAL
The death of former Secretary-General Greg Urwin, 62, last week will cast a shadow over the meeting.
It is the Polynesian islands' turn to have someone in the job and three people have been nominated. One is Tuvalu's Feleti Teo, who was acting Secretary-General when Mr Urwin was ill. Another is Cook Islands Foreign Minister Wilkie Rasmussen, a former New Zealand Herald journalist and high commissioner to NZ. The third is Samoan Tuiloma Neroni Slade, former Attorney-General and now a judge on the International Criminal Court.
THE HOST COUNTRY
Niue is the smallest of the forum's member states. It has a population of about 1500 and only one major hotel, Matavai Resort. Officials are expecting this forum to be shorter and more intimate, with 350-400 attending.
New Zealand has helped prepare Niue for the onslaught, from sending extra police to providing extra plates and cutlery.
The Defence Force has helped with logistics - upgrading the high school's toilets and taking over extra communications equipment as well as two buses to carry the leaders around, which will remain on the island to be used by the Government.
Niue was due to host the forum in 2004, but the summit was moved to Apia in Samoa after Cyclone Heta hit Niue. Premier Talagi will chair the summit and remain forum chairman until next year's leaders meeting.
THE BIG NAMES
Leaders of 15 of the 16 forum countries are attending, among whom Helen Clark will be one of the longest standing, along with Papua New Guinea's Sir Michael Somare. The dynamics will be different from previous years because of a number of new faces around the table - including Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, attending his first forum.
Mr Talagi was elected Niue's Premier in June and Solomons PM Derek Sikua was elected in December.
The leadership changes will make the previously contentious issue of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (Ramsi) less prominent this year.
Dr Sikua has already expressed commitment to Ramsi - a change from last year when his predecessor, Manasseh Sogavare, boycotted the forum in protest at a rejection of changes he wanted, which Australia's then foreign minister, Alexander Downer, had claimed would weaken Ramsi.
Mr Rudd is also likely to explain his grand vision for an Asia-Pacific Community - a proposed trade grouping of Pacific states and Asian countries such as China and India.
President Emanuel Mori from the Federated States of Micronesia will be the only absent leader - in his stead will be the Vice President and Foreign Minister.
AFTER THE FORUM
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma will be at the forum as an observer.
Several of the forum's 13 "dialogue partners" will also be there after the leaders retreat, including representatives from China, the European Union, Japan and the United States.
The parties will be interested to hear what progress has been made on Fiji. China has continued to give aid and support to Fiji, but Suva remains suspended from the Commonwealth, and the EU is withholding money to develop Fiji's sugar industry at least until it is assured the republic is making genuine progress towards holding democratic elections.
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed Washington's concerns last month on a visit to New Zealand. She said there was "hard work" to do on Fiji, saying the return to democracy was "an absolute necessity" and an election was "something that the Government of Fiji has promised to do next year and should do".
WHAT'S IT ABOUT
* The forum was set up in August 1971 with seven members to provide a way for countries to work together more and resolve problems such as bad governance and security on a region-wide basis.
* It consists of 16 countries, including Australia and New Zealand. There has been an increasing focus on economic development as governance problems begin to subside. However, it is also active politically to promote good governance and security in individual states where problems impact on the wider region. It aims for consensus - there are no formal rules or a set list of options if trouble arises. Instead leaders make decisions by consensus, giving them a strong moral weight. The forum also has a practical purpose - its full-time secretariat sets up projects to meet goals of leaders outlined in a forum communique - ranging from governance problems to practical work on fisheries.
