The island nation of Tonga played host to the annual meeting of the leaders of the Pacific Island Forum from August 26 to 30. More than 1,500 delegates from 40 nations were in attendance at the conference.
A grouping of island nations in Oceania, the Pacific Island Forum has seen an increase in stature over the past few years, as powerful nations seek to peddle influence in the region.
The Forum was founded in November 1971, with Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Nauru, New Zealand, Tonga and Western Samoa as the founding members. In January 1972, the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Cooperation was established; it was renamed to the Forum Secretariat in 1981.
At present, the Forum has 18 member states—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. Australia and New Zealand are among the larger nations in the bloc, with some countries having populations as small as 1,500 people. The Pacific Island Forum envisages a “resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, that ensures all Pacific peoples can lead free, healthy and productive lives”.
Several of the member countries of the Forum are particularly susceptible to environmental challenges, making climate change and sea level rise key focal points for the forum.
A cherished method of dispute resolution central to the Forum is the “Pacific way”, which seeks to build consensus and places relationships between the countries of the “Blue Pacific Family” at the centre. The Blue Pacific Family members are linked by common culture and heritage, and distinguish themselves from the broader Indo-Pacific region.
For this year’s summit, China sent the largest delegation in the Forum’s history. The U.S. also had a sizeable delegation led by Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. The incoming chair is Siaosi Sovaleni, Tongan Prime Minister.
The most pressing issue under discussion at the Forum was the ongoing unrest in the French territory of New Caledonia, where violence ensued between French officers and locals, killing nine civilians and two gendarmes.
The Indigenous Kanak people of New Caledonia have long sought independence from France, which colonised it in 1853. Even though it granted citizenship to all Kanaks in 1957, the demand for independence has continued. The latest unrest followed attempts by the French government to amend its Constitution to expand voting lists in New Caledonia and grant more French residents the right to vote. Kanaks have decried a vote on the matter in 2021 as illegitimate- a position France refuses to accept.
The Forum has now planned to hold an official “talanoa” (dialogue) on the matter later this year.
UN chief Antonio Guterres, in an address at the Forum, supported efforts to raise a climate fund to tackle regional issues. He said people were “ treating the sea like a sewer.” Water quality has deteriorated in several island nations as natural water sources have been contaminated by rising sea levels and natural disasters.
Police training centre
Under discussion is also an Australian-funded Pacific police training centre, viewed as a measure to counter China’s bid to equip the law enforcement agencies of some island nations. The A$400 million proposal envisages a regional policing plan to improve training and create a multinational crisis reaction force, comprising of 200 officers. Four centres will be established across the Pacific with a hub in Brisbane. On August 28, the Pacific Island leaders endorsed the plan. The recognition of Taiwan at the Forum has caused controversy. China and its allies, including Solomon Islands, have sought to remove Taiwan as a development partner, indicating that it is a part of China. But the final declaration reaffirmed a 1992 agreement, which allowed Taiwan to participate — the section was later removed following criticism from Chinese officials at the Forum.
Further, the American territories of Guam and American Samoa were made associate members of the forum, despite Solomon Islands protesting.
Initial meeting of the Forum did not garner broad international interest, but this has changed in recent years. The Forum currently has 21 dialogue partners, with diplomatic and civil society observers participating. There is a waiting list for entry, and the Forum is not accepting new members till it can restructure its working model, with talks of a tiered model.Bigger powers have sought to exercise influence over the resource-rich region. Chinese efforts to offer aid and military support in the region have drawn in other powers’ interests. In 2022, China signed a security pact with Solomon Islands. It has also pressured nations in the grouping to reject the inclusion of Taiwan, with Soloman Islands, Kiribati and Nauru now accepting this position.
In 2022, amid China’s rising influence in the region, the U.S. invited Pacific leaders to a White House summit for the first time.
Earlier, it was Australia and New Zealand which functioned as security partners in the region. Now the region has the attention of great powers.
