Pacific Islands Forum leaders have chosen Tuiloma Neroni Slade of Samoa as the Secretary General for a three-year term.
Tuiloma, who has been a judge at the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, was one of three candidates trying to succeed Greg Urwin of Australia who died earlier this month.
Tuiloma was also a candidate in 1997.
His appointment was announced in the communique released at the end of the Niue summit.
While the bulk of that report is taken up with the condemnation of the Fiji interim government and the threat of suspension from the agency, the leaders have also agreed to push for rugby as an Olympic sport.
There was a commitment by New Zealand to bring in experts to try and progress the push to buy fuel in bulk for the small island countries.
Australia's signing of the Kyoto agreement was welcomed along with their offer of 135 million US dollars for a Climate Change Adaptation Programme with the bulk of that money to be spent in the Pacific.