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 international group that helps countries and territories in the Pacific Ocean. It has 27 members, including 22 Pacific island nations. The main office is in Nouméa, New Caledonia. There are also offices in Suva, Pohnpei, and Port Vila.

The Pacific Community gives expert advice and scientific help. It also helps get money for projects that improve life in the Pacific. Unlike some other groups, it does not deal with trade or military issues.

The group works on many important topics for the Pacific region. These include climate change, preparing for disasters, fishing, and making sure there is enough food. They also focus on education, fairness for everyone, health, and helping young people find jobs.

History of the Pacific Community

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

The main goal was to help the Pacific region after World War II. The group's first rules were set in the Canberra Agreement. At first, the group could not talk about political or military issues. This led to another group, the Pacific Islands Forum, being formed later in 1971.

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

Sporting and Cultural Events

In 1962, the Pacific Community helped create the South Pacific Games Council. This group organizes a big sports event for the Pacific islands. The first games were held in Suva, Fiji, in 1963. Athletes from 13 Pacific areas took part. These games now happen every four years.

In 1972, the first South Pacific Arts Festival was held in Suva, Fiji. Over 1,000 people from 14 countries joined. In 1975, the Pacific Community created a Council of Pacific Arts. This made sure that culture would always be part of the group's work. It also made the Festival of Pacific Arts a regular event.

Changes in Membership and Rules

The Netherlands left the group in 1962. This happened because they no longer had control over any territory in the region.

When the group first started, each member had one vote. But when Western Samoa joined in 1965, the rules changed. The founding countries got more votes. For example, Australia had five votes, while Western Samoa had only one.

As more Pacific island nations became independent, they could join. This changed the group's focus to include the local people of the Pacific. In 1983, the "one member, one vote" rule returned. This meant all members, big or small, had an equal say.

The United Kingdom left the group in 1996 but rejoined in 1998. They left again in 2004. However, the UK rejoined for a third time in 2021. This happened after they reopened their offices in Tonga, Samoa, and Vanuatu.

Helping Farmers and Scientists

In 1996, leaders in agriculture asked for help to protect plant resources. In response, the Pacific Community started the Regional Germplasm Centre (RGC) in 1998. This center collects and stores different types of plants. In 2007, it was renamed the Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT). It now holds over 2,000 types of plants like taro, banana, and breadfruit. This center has been very important in helping islands regrow crops after natural disasters.

In 2000, Lourdes Pangelinan from Guam became the first woman to lead the Pacific Community. She served until 2006.

The Pacific Way Television Series

The Pacific Community started a TV show called The Pacific Way in 1995. This show shares stories about development in the Pacific. It was first a way for TV stations to share news. The show became very popular. At its peak, it made 26 episodes each year for 21 TV stations. Since 2017, the show makes 10 episodes per season. It also has podcasts. The show covers topics like climate change, health, and protecting cultural heritage.

Name and Logo Changes

The group's short name, "SPC," has been used since 1947. But its full name and logo have changed. It was first called the South Pacific Commission. In 1997, the name changed to the Pacific Community. This showed that more members from all over the Pacific were joining. The current logo was chosen in 2015.

    1960

    1970

South Pacific Commission ― Pacific Community
logos

Members of the Pacific Community

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

The symbol ‡ means an independent state.

Headquarters of the Pacific Community in 2018

Member	Population (2020)	Area (km2)	EEZ Area (km2)	GDP per capita (USD, 2020)	Currency	UN membership	Sovereign State / Associated with	Status	Date of admission
American Samoa	56,813	200	404,391	11,245	USD	No	United States	Unorganized Unincorporated Territory	1983
Australia	25,882,100	7,692,024	8,148,250	53,321	AUD	Yes	‡		1947
Cook Islands	17,459	237	1,830,000	24,913	NZD	No	New Zealand	Freely Associated State	1980
Fiji	926,276	18,276	1,282,980	6,152	FJD	Yes	‡		1971
France	67,100,000	675,000	1,100,000	49,435	EUR	Yes	‡		1947
French Polynesia	275,918	4,167	4,767,240	22,308	XPF	No	France	Overseas Country	1983
Guam	168,801	540	221,504	34,153	USD	No	United States	Organized Unincorporated Territory	1983
Kiribati	119,940	811	3,441,810	1,636	AUD	Yes	‡		1983
Marshall Islands	54,590	181	1,990,530	4,337	USD	Yes	United States	Freely Associated State	1983
Micronesia	105,503	701	2,996,420	3,830	USD	Yes	United States	Freely Associated State	1983
Nauru	11,690	21	308,480	11,666	AUD	Yes	‡		1969
New Caledonia	273,015	18,576	1,422,540	37,448	XPF	No	France	Sui Generis Collectivity	1983
New Zealand	4,900,000	270,500	4,000,000	43,953	NZD	Yes	‡		1947
Niue	1,562	261	450,000	18,757	NZD	No	New Zealand	Freely Associated State	1980
Northern Mariana Islands	56,608	464	749,268	23,550	USD	No	United States	Commonwealth	1983
Palau	17,930	444	603,978	2,854	USD	Yes	United States	Freely Associated State	1983
Papua New Guinea	8,934,475	462,840	2,402,290	2,854	PGK	Yes	‡		1975
Pitcairn Islands	50	47	836,108	N/A	NZD	No	United Kingdom	Overseas Territory	1983
Samoa	198,646	2,934	127,950	4,284	SAT	Yes	‡		1965
Solomon Islands	712,071	28,230	1,553,440	2,295	SBD	Yes	‡		1978
Tokelau	1,506	12	319,031	6,882	NZD	No	New Zealand	Dependent Territory	1983
Tonga	99,780	749	659,558	5,081	TOP	Yes	‡		1983
Tuvalu	10,580	26	749,790	4,223	AUD	Yes	‡		1978
United Kingdom	66,000,000	242,495	6,805,586	40,284	GBP	Yes	‡		1947
United States	324,000,000	9,800,000	11,700,000	55,800	USD	Yes	‡		1947
Vanuatu	294,688	12,281	663,251	3,260	VUV	Yes	‡		1983
Wallis and Futuna	11,441	142	258,269	12,848	XPF	No	France	Overseas Collectivity	1983

Notes

The Pacific Community focuses on giving expert and scientific advice to its members. This is especially helpful for small island nations. They might not have enough local experts in certain areas. The group also helps when countries need to work together on issues.

The Pacific Community's budget in 2018 was about €82 million. It gets money from membership fees and from other countries and groups that want to help. Some of its main supporters include the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, France, and the United States.

How the Pacific Community Works

The Pacific Community works in over 25 different areas. These include studying fish, checking public health, and protecting plant resources. They also work on statistics and education. The group uses many different skills from around the region and the world. They help Pacific communities become stronger and share knowledge between countries.

SPC has nine main divisions:

Original SPC HQ in Nouméa

• 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)

Leaders of the Pacific Community

The Director-General is the main leader of the Pacific Community. They are chosen for a two-year term. This term can be extended for 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