Political & Security
Regional Cooperation in the Legal Sector
The Forum Secretariat works with Forum member countries to provide legal assistance and enhance legal cooperation in the Pacific region in various ways. Through the Pacific Plan, the Secretariat is working to explore opportunities for enhanced legal sector cooperation including the sharing of judicial resources and legal institutions at a regional level. The Legal Adviser also works with other areas of the Secretariat as well as other regional and international organisations to provide advice and help coordinate regional action on international legal issues of interest to members. Through the assistance of its legislative drafters, the Secretariat also provides a resource to members for the preparation, enactment and implementation of legislation in areas designated as regional priorities. In recent years the Secretariat has undertaken a large amount of legal assistance work in the areas of security, transnational crime and anti-terrorism, in accordance with the Forum’s Honiara Declaration and Nasonini Declaration on Regional Security. Agreement Establishing the Pacific Islands Forum / Secretariat The constitutive treaty for the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat currently in force is the Agreement Establishing the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, done at Tarawa on 30 October 2000. In 2004, as part of a range of recommendations to reform the Forum, Leaders directed that its constitutive Agreement be reviewed to reflect the new purposes and functions of the Forum. The resulting new Agreement was opened for signature on 27 October 2005, and has been signed by all Forum members. The new Agreement will enter into force when it is ratified by all sixteen Forum members. Agreement Establishing the Pacific Islands Forum, done at Port Moresby on 27 October 2005 Treaty Depositary Function The Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum is the nominated depositary for nine Pacific regional treaties (including one Memorandum of Understanding with legal status), as follows: Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the Pacific Forum Line Limited, done at Suva, 1977 TEXT STATUS REPORT South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement, done at Tarawa 1980, and 1989 Amendments (SPARTECA) TEXT STATUS REPORT South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, done at Rarotonga, 1985 and Protocols 1, 2 and 3 done at Suva, 1986 (SPNFZ, or Treaty of Rarotonga) TEXT STATUS REPORT Convention for the Protection of the Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region, done at Noumea 1986 (Noumea Convention) TEXT STATUS REPORT - Protocol for the Prevention of Pollution of the South Pacific Region by Dumping (original Dumping Protocol) TEXT [Link] Amended Dumping Protocol (not yet in force) TEXT - Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Pollution Emergencies in the South Pacific Region (Emergencies Protocol) TEXT [Link] - Protocol on Hazardous and Noxious Substances Pollution preparedness, response and cooperation in the Pacific Region (not yet in force) TEXT - Protocol on Oil Pollution preparedness, response and cooperation in the Pacific Region (not yet in force) TEXT STATUS REPORT for the Convention and Protocols Convention to Ban the Importation into Forum Island Countries of Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes and to Control the Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within the South Pacific Region, done at Waigani, 1995 (Waigani Convention) TEXT STATUS REPORT Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations, done at Nauru, 2001 (PACER) TEXT STATUS REPORT Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement, done at Nauru, 2001 (PICTA) TEXT STATUS REPORT Pacific Islands Air Services Agreement, done at Auckland, 2003 (not yet in force) (PIASA) TEXT STATUS REPORT The Pacific Islands Civil Aviation Safety and Security Treaty, done at Apia, 2004 (PICASST) TEXT STATUS REPORT Pacific Islands Law Officers’ Meeting The Pacific Islands Law Officers’ Meeting (PILOM) is an annual meeting of senior government law officers from Pacific countries, most often Attorneys-General, Solicitors-General and senior Crown Counsel. While PILOM is generally attended by all Forum member countries, it is not a Forum body but a stand-alone entity supported by its own Secretariat within the University of the South Pacific. The Forum Secretariat enjoys observer status within PILOM. For more information on PILOM visit the PILOM Secretariat website |
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