The Pacific Islands Forum
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 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).
Forum Vision
Our 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.
Forum Values
We value and depend upon the integrity of our vast ocean and our island resources.
We treasure the diversity and heritage of the Pacific and seek an inclusive future in which cultures, traditions and religious beliefs are valued, honoured and developed.
We embrace good governance, the full observance of democratic values, the rule of law, the defence and promotion of all human rights, gender equality, and commitment to just societies.
We seek peaceful, safe, and stable communities and countries, ensuring full security and wellbeing for the peoples of the Pacific.
We support full inclusivity, equity and equality for all people of the Pacific.
We strive for effective, open and honest relationships and inclusive and enduring partnerships—based on mutual accountability and respect—with each other, within our sub-regions, within our region, and beyond.
These Pacific regional values will guide all our policy-making and implementation.
