Pacific Islands Forum
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/* Secretaries-General List based on that provided in the "Rulers" website */
{{Primarysources|date=February 2008}}
{{Infobox Geopolitical organization
|name = Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)
|linking_name = the Pacific Islands Forum
|symbol_type = Logo
|image_symbol = PIF Logo.png |symbol_width=150px
|image_map = PIF.svg
|membership = 16 member states<br/>{{nowrap|2 associate members}}<br/>2 observers
|admin_center_type = Headquarters
|admin_center = [[Suva]], [[Fiji]]
|established_event1 = as the South Pacific Forum
|established_date1 = 1971
|established_event2 = as the PIF
|established_date2 = 2000
}}
The '''Pacific Islands Forum''' is an inter-governmental organization which aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the [[Pacific Ocean]] and represent their interests. It was founded in [[1971]] as the '''South Pacific Forum'''; the name was changed in [[2000]] to better reflect the correct geographic locations of its member states both in the north and south [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]].
The Forum's member states are: [[Australia]], the [[Cook Islands]], the [[Federated States of Micronesia]], [[Fiji]], [[Kiribati]], the [[Marshall Islands]], [[Nauru]], [[New Zealand]], [[Niue]], [[Palau]], [[Papua New Guinea]], [[Samoa]], the [[Solomon Islands]], [[Tonga]], [[Tuvalu]], and [[Vanuatu]]. Since 2006, associate members territories are [[New Caledonia]] and [[French Polynesia]].
The decisions of the Forum are implemented by the ''[[Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat]]'' (PIFS), which grew out of the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation (SPEC). As well as its role in harmonising regional positions on various political and policy issues, the Forum Secretariat has technical programmes in economic development, transport and trade, and chairs the [[Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific]] (CROP).
New Zealand and Australia are much larger in population (with the exception of [[Papua New Guinea]]), and wealthier than the other small, poor, and in some cases outright impoverished island nations that make up the rest of the forum. They are significant aid donors and big markets for exports (for instance, through a concessional tariff deal on textiles exports from Fiji to Australia). Australia's population is around twice that of the other 15 members combined and its economy more than five times larger. In Papua New Guinea (in [[Bougainville Province|Bougainville]]), Solomon Islands (2003-), Nauru (2004-) and Tonga (2006), New Zealand and Australian military and police forces have recently been part of a regional peacekeeping/stabilization operations. Such regional efforts are mandated by the [[Biketawa Declaration]], which was adopted at the 31st Summit of Pacific Islands Forum Leaders, held at Kiribati in [[October 2000]].
== History ==
From [[5 August|5]] to [[7 August]] [[1971]], the first meeting of South Pacific Forum was initiated by New Zealand and held in [[Wellington]], with attendants of seven countries including 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 and informal discussion of a wide range of issues of common concern, concentrating on matters directly affecting the daily lives of the people of the islands of the South Pacific, devoting particular attention to trade, shipping, tourism, and education. Afterwards this meeting was held annually in member countries and areas in turn. In [[1999]], the 30th South Pacific Forum decided to transform into Pacific Islands Forum, with relatively more extensive and formal way of discussion and organization. Immediately after the forum’s annual meeting at head of government level, the Post Forum Dialogue (PFD) is conducted at ministerial level with PFD development partners around the world.
== Main policies ==
The mission of Pacific Islands Forum is “to work in support of Forum member governments, to enhance the economic and social well-being of the people of the South Pacific by fostering cooperation between governments and between international agencies, and by representing the interests of Forum members in ways agreed by the Forum”.
== Membership ==
{|class="wikitable" style="width:100%; font-size:95%; white-space:nowrap;"
|colspan="4" align="center"|
[[Image:Members of Pacific Island Forum.svg|650px|Map indicating the members and observers of the Pacific Islands Forum]]
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#6679bf; color:white;"| Member states
|-
|width="25%"| {{AUS}} (AU) ||width="25%"| {{KIR}} (KI) ||width="25%"| {{PLW}} (PW) ||width="25%"| {{SOL}} (SB)</tr>
| {{COK}} (CK) || {{NRU}} (NR) || {{PNG}} (PG) || {{TGA}} (TO)</tr>
| {{flagcountry|FSM|name=Fed. Sts. of Micronesia}} (FM) || {{NZL}} (NZ) || {{MHL}} (MH) || {{TUV}} (TV)</tr>
| {{FIJ}} (FJ) || {{NIU}} (NU) || {{SAM}} (WS) || {{VAN}} (VU)</tr>
|-
!colspan="2" style="background:#99b4e0; color:white;"| Associate members
!colspan="2" style="background:#6679ff; color:white;"| Observers
|-
| {{NCL}} (NC) || {{PYF}} (PF) || {{TKL}} (TK) || {{TLS}} (TL)</tr>
|-
|colspan="4" style="background:white; text-align:center; font-size:90%;"| ''For abbreviations, see [[ISO 3166-1]]''.
|}
The Forum is in dialogue with thirteen partners: [[Canada]], [[China]], [[European Union]], [[France]], [[India]], [[Indonesia]], [[Italy]], [[Japan]], [[Korea]], [[Malaysia]], [[Philippines]], the [[United Kingdom]], and the [[United States]].
== Secretaries-General <ref>List based on that provided in [http://rulers.org/intorgs2.html the "Rulers" website]</ref> ==
* Feleti Teo (Tuvalu) (acting). New SG to be decided by the [[Pacific Islands Forum in Niue]] in August 2008.
* '''Greg Urwin''' (Australia) 2004-May 2008 (resigned due to ill health)
* '''Noel Levi''' (Papua New Guinea) 1998-2004
* '''Ieremaia Tabai''' GCMG (Kiribati) 1992-1998
* '''Henry Naisali''' (Tuvalu) 1988-1992
Directors of the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Cooperation
* '''Henry Naisali''' (Tuvalu) 1986-1988
* '''Mahe Tupouniua''' (Tonga) 1983-1986
* John Sheppard (Australia) (acting) 1982-Jan 1983
* '''Gabriel Gris''' (Papua New Guinea) 1980-1982 (died in office)
* '''Mahe Tupouniua''' (Tonga) Nov 1972-1980
== Institutions and legal framework ==
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat was established initially as a ‘Trade Bureau’ in [[1972]] and later became the '''South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation''' (SPEC). The name South Pacific Forum Secretariat was approved by member governments in [[1988]] and changed to Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in [[2000]].
There are four divisions in the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and each of these divisions has direct responsibility for a range of programs designed to improve the capacity of the Forum member countries and to co-ordinate action on matters of common interest:
# Development and Economic Policy
# Trade and Investment
# Political, International and Legal Affairs
# Corporate Services
== Pacific Islands Countries Trade Agreement ==
The aim of [[Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement]] (PICTA) is to boost trade between the island nations of the Pacific.
The [[Melanesian Spearhead Group]] Preferential Trade Agreement is a similar cooperation attempt by a subset of the PICTA members.
==Recent works==
An "open skies" policy has been under work by a number of nations. The Pacific Islands Air Services Agreement or PIASA would allow member nations to have more access for their airlines to other member countries. To date there have been 10 signatories Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu while only 6 have ratified the agreement. These six are Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
==Common currency==
There have been calls to create a common currency in the Pacific. The Australian government contends{{Fact|date=April 2008}} that the [[Australian dollar]] should be used by the island nations but many people worry that this would lead to a new age of colonialism. Some{{Who|date=April 2008}} feel that the common currency should be different from that of Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Some countries in the Pacific already use the currency of one of the nations listed above. Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and Marshall Islands are currently using the [[United States Dollar]]. Nauru, Kiribati, and Tuvalu are using the Australian Dollar. Tokelau, Cook Islands, Niue, and the Pitcairn Islands use the [[New Zealand Dollar]]. There is also a strong European influence in the Pacific. The French territories of New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and French Polynesia have been using the [[CFP Franc]].
==Future prospects==
There has been a call from within both the Australian and New Zealand business communities to extend the CER ([[Closer Economic Relations]]) to other Pacific Island nations, moving towards a single market and allowing the free movement of people and goods. See [[Pacific Union]].
== Comparison with other regional blocs ==
{{Most active regional blocs}}
== See also ==
* [[Secretariat of the Pacific Community]]
* [[Trade bloc]]
* [[Pacific Union]]
* [[Melanesian Spearhead Group]]
== External links ==
* [http://www.forumsec.org Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat]
<br/>{{Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)}}
<!--Other langauges-->
<!--Categories-->
[[Category:International organizations]]
[[Category:New Zealand-Pacific relations]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Fiji]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1971]]
[[zh-min-nan:Thài-pêng-iûⁿ-tó Lūn-toâⁿ]]
[[de:Pacific Islands Forum]]
[[fr:Forum des îles du Pacifique]]
[[it:Forum delle Isole del Pacifico]]
[[ja:太平洋諸島フォーラム]]
[[ru:Форум тихоокеанских островов]]