Pacific Community facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pacific Community
Flag Logo
SPC 2016 member map
Headquarters Location	Nouméa, New Caledonia
Membership	27 countries and territories  American Samoa  Australia  Cook Islands  Fiji  France  French Polynesia  Guam  Kiribati  Marshall Islands  Micronesia  Nauru  New Caledonia  New Zealand  Niue  Northern Mariana Islands  Palau  Papua New Guinea  Pitcairn Islands  Samoa  Solomon Islands  Tokelau  Tonga  Tuvalu  United Kingdom  United States  Vanuatu  Wallis and Futuna
Leaders
• Committee of Representatives	Annual Chair Rotation
• Director-General	Stuart Minchin
Establishment
• as South Pacific Commission	1947
• as the Pacific Community	2016
Time zone	12 time zones UTC  +8    +9    +9:30    +10    +11    +11    +12    +12    +13    +14    -10    -9:30    -9    -8
Website spc.int/

The Pacific Community (PC), also known as SPC, is an important group that helps countries and territories in the Pacific Ocean. It has 27 members, including 22 Pacific island nations and territories. The main office is in Nouméa, New Caledonia. There are also other offices in places like Suva, Pohnpei, and Port Vila.

The Pacific Community uses English and French to communicate. It mainly gives expert advice and scientific help to its members. It also helps get money from other countries to fund important projects. Unlike some other groups, the SPC does not deal with trade, military, or security issues.

The SPC focuses on many important topics for the Pacific region. These include climate change, managing natural disasters, fisheries, making sure there's enough food, education, and equal rights for everyone. They also work on health, farming, protecting forests, water, and helping young people find jobs.

How the Pacific Community Started

The Pacific Community began in 1947. It was first called the South Pacific Commission. Six developed countries with interests in the Pacific created it: Australia, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The agreement that started the SPC is called the Canberra Agreement. After World War II, these countries wanted to protect their interests in the Pacific. Over time, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom left the SPC. This happened as the Pacific territories they controlled became independent or could speak for themselves.

From the beginning, the SPC had rules about what it could discuss. It was not allowed to talk about political matters or defense. This rule led to the creation of another group in 1971, the Pacific Islands Forum. This new group did not include the bigger countries like France, the UK, and the US.

In 1949, the Pacific Community set up its main office in Nouméa, New Caledonia. It was built on an old American military base. A new headquarters was built nearby in 1995.

In 1962, the Pacific Community helped create the South Pacific Games Council. The goal was to hold a big sports event for the Pacific islands. The first games were in Suva, Fiji, in 1963. Athletes from 13 Pacific territories took part.

Netherlands New Guinea, which the Netherlands used to represent, joined Indonesia in 1963. Since the Netherlands no longer had territory in the region, it left the SPC in 1962.

Changes in How the SPC is Run

At first, each member country had one vote. When Western Samoa became independent and joined in 1965, the rules changed. The founding nations wanted to keep control. Australia got five votes, while France, Britain, New Zealand, and the United States each got four. Western Samoa only had one vote.

In 1983, at the Saipan Conference, the "one member, one vote" rule returned. This meant all members, big or small, had an equal say. During this conference, the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA) was also created. This made the SPC the only Pacific group fully run by its members.

In 1988, the SPC helped start the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP). This group helps different regional organizations work together. Their goal is to help the Pacific region develop in a way that lasts for a long time.

The United Kingdom left the SPC in 1996 but rejoined in 1998. They left again in 2004. The UK's interests were often managed through the European Union. The UK rejoined the SPC again in 2021.

In 1996, leaders in agriculture asked for help to protect their plant resources. These resources are important for food. The SPC started the Regional Germplasm Centre (RGC) in 1998 to help. This center grew and was renamed the Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT) in 2007. It stores many types of Pacific plants like taro and banana. It has helped islands rebuild their farms after disasters.

In 2000, Lourdes Pangelinan from Guam became the first woman to lead a CROP organization. She was the Director-General of the SPC until 2006.

The Pacific Way Television Series

The SPC started a TV show called The Pacific Way in 1995. It was a way to share news stories between Pacific Island TV stations. The show became very popular because it focused on local and regional topics. At its peak, it made 26 episodes a year for 21 TV stations.

Since 2017, The Pacific Way produces 10 episodes per season. It also has podcasts for radio. The show shares stories about development in the Pacific, for the Pacific. It covers important issues like how to deal with climate change, health, jobs for young people, new farming ideas, and protecting cultural heritage.

Name and Logo Changes

The letters "SPC" have been used since 1947. However, the full name and logo have changed. The original name was the South Pacific Commission. This showed that its members and activities were limited. In 1997, the name changed to the Pacific Community. This new name showed that more members from all over the Pacific region had joined. The current logo was chosen in 2015.

    1960

    1970

South Pacific Commission ― Pacific Community
logos

The Pacific Community Today

Today, the Pacific Community has 22 Pacific island countries and territories. These places were once controlled by the original founding members of the SPC. The group also includes the developed countries of Australia, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The main office of the Pacific Community in 2018.

The SPC focuses on giving expert and scientific advice to its members. This is very helpful for small island nations. They might not have enough experts in certain areas on their own. The SPC also helps when countries need to work together on regional issues.

In 2018, the Pacific Community's budget was about €82 million. The organization gets money from membership fees and from other countries that want to help. Major supporters include the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, France, and the United States.

How the SPC Works

The SPC works in over 25 different areas. These include studying fish, checking public health, understanding the Earth's geology, and protecting plant resources for food. They also work on statistics and education.

The SPC uses a team approach to help its members. It brings together skills and knowledge from across the region and from other countries. This helps Pacific communities grow stronger and share their knowledge with each other.

The SPC has nine main divisions:

• Climate Change and Environmental Stability (CCES)
• Educational Quality and Assessment Program (EQAP)
• Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (FAME)
• Geoscience Energy and Maritime (GEM)
• Land Resources Division (LRD)
• Public Health Division (PHD)
• Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT)
• Social Development Program (SDP)
• Statistics for Development (SDD)

The original SPC Headquarters building in Nouméa.

Leaders of the Pacific Community

The leader of the Pacific Community is called the Director-General. They are chosen for a two-year term. They can serve up to six years in total.

See also

• Pacific Islands Forum
• Pacific Regional Environment Programme
• University of the South Pacific
• Festival of Pacific Arts
• Pacific Games
• International organization