Pacific Islands Forum

Lore & Background

The Forum grew out of a proposal from Cook Islander Premier Albert Henry for a political forum alongside the South Pacific Commission. The first meeting was initiated by New Zealand and held in Wellington from 5–7 August 1971, with seven attendees: the President of Nauru, the Prime Ministers of Western Samoa, Tonga and Fiji, the Premier of the Cook Islands, the Australian Minister for External Territories, and the Prime Minister of New Zealand. It was a private discussion focusing on trade, shipping, tourism, and education. In 1999, the 30th session renamed it the Pacific Islands Forum to account for areas outside the south Pacific.

In August 2008, the Forum threatened to suspend Fiji if it did not commit to a general election by March 2009. After Fiji rejected a deadline, it was suspended indefinitely on 2 May 2009, the first suspension in the organisation's 38-year history. The suspension was lifted on 22 October 2014 following the Fijian general election of 17 September 2014.

In February 2021, following the election of Henry Puna as Secretary-General, Palau announced its intention to withdraw from the Forum, claiming a violation of a 'gentlemen's agreement' to rotate the position among Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, and Nauru also decided to leave. In February 2022, the departure process was paused pending proposed reforms. Kiribati confirmed its withdrawal on 9 July 2022, but on 30 January 2023, Fijian prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka confirmed that Kiribati had reconciled and planned to rejoin.

Reader's Guide

The Pacific Islands Forum is significant as the primary political and economic inter-governmental organisation for Oceania, facilitating cooperation among its diverse member states, including larger powers Australia and New Zealand alongside smaller island nations. Its role in regional peacekeeping, mandated by the Biketawa Declaration adopted in October 2000, has been notable in operations in Solomon Islands (2003–) and Nauru (2004–2009). The Forum's history includes the suspension of Fiji in 2009 over human rights and democracy concerns, marking a rare enforcement of membership standards. The 2021 Micronesian withdrawal crisis highlighted tensions over representation and the 'Pacific Way', with disputes over the Secretary-General appointment process leading to several departures and subsequent reconciliation efforts. The Forum's secretariat also runs technical programmes in economic development, transport, and trade, and its Secretary General serves as permanent Chairman of the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific. The organisation's evolution from the South Pacific Forum reflects its expanding geographic and political scope.

Did You Know?

• The Forum was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum and renamed in 1999.
• Fiji was suspended from the Forum in 2009, the first suspension in the organisation's history, and was readmitted in 2014 after elections.
• The Biketawa Declaration, adopted in October 2000, provides a framework for regional security cooperation, including peacekeeping, enabling collective action on a case-by-case basis.
• In February 2021, Palau announced its intention to withdraw from the Forum over a dispute about the election of Henry Puna as Secretary-General, followed by several other Micronesian states.