Publication

This paper examines some of the main issues facing the institutions that make up the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific, with a particular focus on the Pacific Islands Forum, a political institution that links Australia, New Zealand and 14 independent island nations. Among other issues, the author discusses 1) the problems created by policy differences between Pacific Island nations on one side and Australia and New Zealand on the other over such issues as climate change, trade and decolonization; 2) the desire of the island nations for Australia and New Zealand to have a less dominant role within the forum; 3) the challenge of how to reintegrate Fiji into the forum; and 4) the impact of the emergence of new development aid providers for the region, such as China.