Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)

Established: As the South Pacific Forum by a subgroup of the South Pacific Commission meeting August 5, 1971, in Wellington, New Zealand; current name adopted October 3–5, 1999, effective October 2000.

Purpose: To facilitate cooperation among member states, to coordinate their views on political issues of concern to the subregion, and to accelerate member states’ rates of economic development.

Headquarters: Suva, Fiji.

Principal Organs: The Forum, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

Web site: www.forumsec.org

Secretary General of Forum Secretariat: Tuiloma Neroni Slade (Samoa).

Membership (16): Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.

Associate Members (2): New Caledonia, French Polynesia.

Observers (3): Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna.

Official Language: English.

Origin and development. Since the South Pacific ...