The 2050 Strategy calls for “the inclusion of all key stakeholders in supporting and delivering on our shared priorities, and engaging as the Blue Pacific Continent in strategically beneficial partnerships”
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Private Sector Representatives
The private sector drives economic growth, trade, and investment in the Pacific and we are committed to wide engagement and cooperation in this sector. Read more
Civil Society Organisations
These organisations play a crucial role in advocating for the rights and interests of the people within the region. Read more
Associate Members
In order to promote closer contact with non-sovereign Pacific territories, in 2005 Forum Leaders approved the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Policy on Associate Membership. As such, any territory[1] in the Pacific Islands region may submit a written request to the Forum for Associate Membership.
Current Associate Members of the Forum include Tokelau and Wallis and Futuna.
Among others, the key entitlements of Associate Membership in the Forum include the right:
a. To attend, and to speak at, the Plenary Session of the annual Forum Leaders’ Meeting. Associate members will not as a rule be entitled to attend the Leaders’ retreat, although Leaders retain the discretion to vary this policy as they may see fit from time to time;
b. To attend, and to speak at, plenary sessions of other Leaders’ meetings which may occur from time to time;
c. To attend, and to speak at, meetings of the Forum Officials’ Committee;
d. To attend, and to speak at, plenary sessions of other Forum Ministerial Meetings and officials’ Committees, under the same terms and restrictions (eg as to delegation size) as full members; and
e. To nominate for participation in Forum working groups, subject to the ordinary decision-making processes among members when deciding on the composition of working groups.
The Policy for Associate Membership can be found here.
Footnote: 1. “Territory” is used throughout this policy as a broad term in reference to those self-governing territorial entities which are not full Forum members. It does not exclude such entities whose formal title is something other than territory, such as “Administration” or “overseas country
Forum Dialogue Partners
Forum Dialogue Partners are countries that strategically engage with the Pacific Islands Forum, contributing to discussions and initiatives aimed at regional development and security.
The Forum Dialogue Partner mechanism facilitates dialogue and engagement with countries outside of the Blue Pacific region that have significant cooperation, engagement and political or economic interests in the Pacific. We work with Forum Dialogue Partners to build understanding, support and action on the Forum Leaders’ vision and regional priorities.
Currently there are 21 Forum Dialogue Partners. The five founding Dialogue Partners were Canada, France, Japan, United Kingdom and the United States of America. A full list is provided below:
- Canada (1989)
- France (1989)
- Japan (1989)
- United Kingdom (1989)
- United States of America (1989)
- People's Republic of China (1990)
- European Union (1991)
- Republic of Korea (1995)
- Malaysia (1996)
- Philippines (1999)
- Indonesia (2001)
- India (2002)
- Thailand (2004)
- Italy (2007)
- Cuba (2013)
- Spain (2014)
- Türkiye (2016)
- Germany (2016)
- Chile (2021)
- Norway (2021)
- Singapore (2021)
The criteria for Forum Dialogue Partners, which must be met by countries at the time of admission and then continuously adhered to, are:
- Demonstratable commitment to advancing the vision and priorities of the Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum.
- Long-established historical connections to the Pacific region which could include strategic, security, economic, social, and cultural links.
- Long-term forward commitment to the Pacific region as demonstrated through foreign policy commitments, engagement strategies, diplomatic missions and engagement with regional organisations, and transparency in declaring economic, political, and strategic interests in engaging in the region.
- Dedicated support for the sustainable and resilient development of the Pacific region including development assistance, trade and investment promotion, knowledge transfer and technical cooperation, people to people exchange, and south-south cooperation.
- Shared interests and common positions on international issues and a commitment to using global networks and membership of international organisations to support Forum priorities.
- Commitment to engaging with the Forum in accordance with the Blue Pacific Principles for Dialogue and Engagement.
The Criteria and Guidelines for Forum Dialogue Partners can be accessed here.
There is a hold on all new Forum Dialogue Partner applications until the Review of the Regional Architecture is completed. The Review of the Regional Architecture is expected to be considered by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum in 2024.
At the 50th Pacific Islands Forum Meeting in Tuvalu in 2019, Forum Leaders endorsed the Blue Pacific Principles to guide Pacific Islands Forum’ Dialogue and Engagement, including with Dialogue Partners.
These principles are:
- One Blue Pacific – recognising and engaging with the full Forum Membership
- Regional priorities – embedding and progressing the Forum’s regional priorities
- Partnership approach – joint planning, programming and delivery by both the Pacific Islands Forum and the Forum Dialogue Partner(s)
- Utilising existing mechanisms – aligning with, and seeking to build-off existing regional and international mechanisms, processes and meetings
- Collective outcomes and impact – developing joint outcomes statements and outlining a clear process for follow-up and implementation.
Annual Dialogue with Pacific Islands Forum Leaders
An annual meeting of Forum Dialogue Partners with Pacific Islands Forum Leaders takes place during the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. The focus is on the role of Forum Dialogue Partners in supporting Forum Leaders’ priorities, both through their engagement in the region and in the international arena.
Regional Development Partners Roundtable
A Regional Development Partner Roundtable linked to the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) supports regional development partner coordination and the alignment of regional financing to Forum Leaders’ priorities. There is naturally overlap between Forum Dialogue Partners and development partners to the region, and therefore they participate in both meetings.
In addition to these mechanisms, a number of Forum Dialogue Partners have either semi-regular or established summitries with either the Forum or sub-groupings of Forum Members.
The Forum Secretariat is currently undertaking work to improve relations and engagement with Forum Dialogue Partners by strengthening the partner engagements and development coordination mechanisms as part of the broader Review of the Regional Architecture. It is anticipated that the proposed new Partner Dialogue Engagement Mechanism will strengthen Forum Dialogue Partner coherence and maximise the value of development support on Pacific priorities and mobilisation of resources for the 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan.
Whilst this work is underway, there is a hold on all new Forum Dialogue Partner applications until such time that the Review of the Regional Architecture and other relevant pieces of work are completed. The Review of the Regional Architecture is expected to be considered by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum in 2024.
Forum Observers
Our Forum Observers are non-member states and international organisations that have an interest in the Pacific Islands Forum's activities and the broader Pacific region.
Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP)
CROP is a partnership of regional agencies that specialise in various aspects of development, such as health, education, and economic cooperation. As regional organisations working together we can address the multifaceted challenges and make the most of opportunities in the Pacific region.
Coordinated by the Pacific Islands Forum, CROP is working together to deliver the 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan.
Read more about the CROP agencies and their work in the link below.
