The Pacific Islands Forum is the region’s premier political and economic policy organisation. Founded in 1971, it comprises 18 members: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The Forum’s Pacific Vision is for a region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, so that all Pacific people can lead free, healthy, and productive lives.
The Pacific Islands Forum works to achieve this by fostering cooperation between governments, collaboration with international agencies, and by representing the interests of its members.
Since 1989, the Forum has organised an annual meeting with key Dialogue Partners at Ministerial level. The Forum currently recognises 18 dialogue partners: Canada, People’s Republic of China, Cuba, European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.
The work of the Forum is guided by the Framework for Pacific Regionalism, which was endorsed by Forum Leaders in July 2014. It sets out the strategic vision, values, objectives and approaches to achieve deeper regionalism in the Pacific. A regionalism defined as:
The expression of a common sense of identity and purpose, leading progressively to the sharing of institutions, resources, and markets, with the purpose of complementing national efforts, overcoming common constraints, and embracing sustainable and inclusive development within Pacific countries and territories and for the Pacific region as a whole.
The Framework for Pacific Regionalism supports political conversations and initiatives that address key strategic issues. All Pacific people have an important role to play in regionalism and to support this principle, the Framework promotes an inclusive regional policy development process. The Framework also encourages prioritisation of the Forum Leaders’ agenda to ensure that Leaders have the time and space to drive these policy initiatives forward.
The annual Forum meetings are chaired by the Head of Government of the Host Country, who remains as the Forum Chair until the next meeting. Decisions made by Leaders are reached by consensus and are outlined in a Forum Communique, from which policies are developed and implemented.
Agreed regional policies and initiatives are coordinated by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and implemented through the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP).
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