Pacific Legal Gateway

Regional Organisations

Selected Pacific Regional Organisations that are influential in the region. Most organisations included in this list either influence policy making or have a law component to their website.

• Association of Pacific Islands Legislatures

  The Association of Pacific Islands Legislatures is a regional organization committed to working together on matters of mutual concern and interest. APIL, formed in 1981, is comprised of legislative representatives from 12 island governments.

• Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific [CROP]

  CROP is an ad-hoc committee composed of the heads of different Pacific Island intergovernmental organisations, and permanently chaired by the Forum Secretariat. Its purpose, according to its charter, is to discuss and coordinate the work-programmes and policies of the different regional agencies to avoid either duplication or gaps in the provision of services to member countries.

• Forum Fisheries Agency [FFA]

  The Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), is aimed at enabling members to maximise sustained benefits from the conservation and sustainable use of their fisheries resources.

• Micronesian Seminar [Micsem]

  Known popularly as MicSem, is a private non-profit, non-governmental organization that has been engaged in public education for thirty years. Micronesian Seminar's purpose is to stimulate people to reflect on current issues in their societies. Excellent source of articles about Micronesia.

• Pacific Concerns Resource Centre Inc. (PCRC)

  The mission of the PCRC is "to coordinate, articulate and disseminate information about the concerns and struggles of peoples of the Pacific in their desire to exist free from exploitation, from the threat of environmental degradation and from both foreign and internal forms of subjugation." Includes access to full text resources in the following areas: Demilitarisation, Decolonisation, Environment, Sustainable Human Development, Human Rights & Good Governance.

• Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP)

  The founding mission of PIDP, established in 1980, is to assist Pacific islands leaders in advancing their collective efforts to achieve and sustain equitable social and economic development consistent with the goals of the Pacific islands region's people. PIDP's role as a regional organization has expanded to include the following five major activity areas: Secretariat of the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders, Secretariat for the United States/Pacific Island Nations Joint Commercial Commission, Research & Dialogue, Education & Training, Pacific Islands News.

• Pacific Islands Law Officers' Network (PILON)

The Pacific Islands Law Officers' Network (PILON) is a network of senior law officers of the Pacific. It provides a forum for addressing law and justice issues common to countries within the Pacific region. The network focuses on legal issues that are not addressed in other Pacific policy forums.

• Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (formerly South Pacific Forum)

The Pacific Islands Forum, formerly the South Pacific Forum until a name change in October 2000, was founded in August 1971 and comprises 16 independent and self-governing states in the Pacific. The Forum is the region's premier political and economic policy organisation. Forum Leaders meet annually to develop collective responses to regional issues.

• Pacific Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT)

  RRRT is a non-profit training and technical resource organisation specialising in human rights advocacy, law and education tailored specifically to the Pacific region.

• Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)

  SPC is an international organisation that provides technical assistance, policy advice, training and research services to 22 Pacific Island countries and territories in areas such as health, human development, agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

• South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP)

  The South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), promotes regional cooperation in environmental matters.

• University of the South Pacific (USP)

  The University of the South Pacific (USP) is the premier provider of tertiary education in the Pacific region and an international centre of excellence for teaching, research and consulting on all aspects of Pacific life.