Pacific Islands Forum

Pacific Islands Forum, formerly known as South Pacific Forum, offshoot of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, created in 1971 by heads of government to discuss interests and issues common to all member states. The Forum has no formal agenda, budget, or structure. Liaison work is carried out by the Secretariat, based in Suva, Fiji, and is funded by contributions from its 16 members: Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The Forum meets annually, the location rotating among the members. Since its inception it has established a permanent bureau for economic affairs, adopted a treaty for a nuclear-free zone in the south Pacific, and made agreements about fisheries and the protection of marine resources. Until October 2000 the Pacific Islands Forum was known as the South Pacific Forum.