The Cook Island Nurses, Nursing Association and Ministry of Health hosted the first South Pacific Chief Nursing Officers Alliance (SPCONA) on 15-19 November 2004. The meeting was organised following the recommendations of the Summit on Emerging Diseases: Lessons from SARS meeting at UTS, Sydney April 2004 and the WHO Forum of Government Chief Nurses held in Geneva May 2004. Its intent was to contribute to overall strengthening of nursing leadership and policy making capacities and efforts focused on national, regional and global priorities.