View source for Pacific Community

{{Short description|International development organisation}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}

{{Infobox Geopolitical organization
| linking_name           = the Pacific Community
| image_flag             = Flag of the Pacific Community.png
| symbol_type            = Logo
| image_symbol           = Pacific Community logo.svg
| symbol_width           = 130px
| image_map              = Map of Pacific Community, 2016.webp
| image_map_caption      = SPC 2016 member map
| membership             = {{collapsible list
  | titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
  | title = [[#Present|27 countries and territories]]
  | {{Flag|American Samoa}}
  | {{Flag|Australia}}
  | {{Flag|Cook Islands}}
  | {{Flag|Fiji}}
  | {{Flag|France}}
  | {{Flag|French Polynesia}}
  | {{Flag|Guam}}
  | {{Flag|Kiribati}}
  | {{Flag|Marshall Islands}}
  | {{Flag|Micronesia}}
  | {{Flag|Nauru}}
  | {{Flag|New Caledonia|local}}
  | {{Flag|New Zealand}}
  | {{Flag|Niue}}
  | {{Flag|Northern Mariana Islands}}
  | {{Flag|Palau}}
  | {{Flag|Papua New Guinea}}
  | {{Flag|Pitcairn Islands}}
  | {{Flag|Samoa}}
  | {{Flag|Solomon Islands}}
  | {{Flag|Tokelau}}
  | {{Flag|Tonga}}
  | {{Flag|Tuvalu}}
  | {{Flag|United Kingdom}}
  | {{flag|United States}}
  | {{Flag|Vanuatu}}
  | {{Flag|Wallis and Futuna|local}}
 }}
| admin_center_type      = Headquarters Location
| admin_center           = [[Nouméa]], [[New Caledonia]]
| leader_title1          = Committee of Representatives
| leader_name1           = Annual Chair Rotation
| leader_title2          = {{nowrap|Director-General}}
| leader_name2           = {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Australia}} [[Stuart Minchin]]}}
| established_event1     = as South Pacific Commission
| established_date1      = 1947
| established_event2     = as the Pacific Community
| established_date2      = 2016
| time_zone              = {{collapsible list
  | titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
  | title = 12 [[List of time zones|time zones]]
  | [[UTC]]
  | &nbsp;[[UTC+8|+8]] &nbsp;{{flagicon|Australia}}
  | &nbsp;[[UTC+9|+9]] &nbsp;{{flagicon|Palau}}
  | &nbsp;[[UTC+9:30|+9:30]] &nbsp;{{flagicon|Australia}}
  | &nbsp;[[UTC+10|+10]] &nbsp;{{flagicon|Australia}}{{flagicon|FSM}}{{flagicon|Papua New Guinea}}
  | &nbsp;[[UTC+11|+11]] &nbsp;{{flagicon|FSM}}{{flagicon|New Caledonia}}{{flagicon|Solomon Islands}}
  | &nbsp;+11 &nbsp;{{flagicon|Vanuatu}}
  | &nbsp;[[UTC+12|+12]] &nbsp;{{flagicon|Fiji}}{{flagicon|Kiribati}}{{flagicon|Marshall Islands}}
  | &nbsp;+12 &nbsp;{{flagicon|Nauru}}{{flagicon|New Zealand}}{{flagicon|Tuvalu}}
  | &nbsp;[[UTC+13|+13]] &nbsp;{{flagicon|Kiribati}}{{flagicon|Tonga}}
  | &nbsp;[[UTC+14|+14]] &nbsp;{{flagicon|Kiribati}}
  | &nbsp;[[UTC-10|-10]] &nbsp;{{flagicon|French Polynesia}}
  | &nbsp;[[UTC-9:30|-9:30]] &nbsp;{{flagicon|French Polynesia}}
  | &nbsp;[[UTC-9|-9]] &nbsp;{{flagicon|French Polynesia}}
  | &nbsp;[[UTC-8|-8]] &nbsp;{{flagicon|Pitcairn Islands}}
 }}
| official_website       = [http://www.spc.int spc.int/]
| demonym                = 
| area_km2               = 
| area_rank              = 
| GDP_PPP                = 
| GDP_PPP_year           = 
| HDI                    = 
| HDI_year               = 
| today                  = 
| conventional_long_name = Pacific Community
}}

The '''Pacific Community''' ('''PC'''), formerly the '''South Pacific Commission''' ('''SPC'''), is an [[international development]] organisation governed by 27 members, including 22 Pacific island countries and territories around the [[Pacific Ocean]]. The organisation's headquarters are in [[Nouméa]], [[New Caledonia]], and it has regional offices in [[Suva]], [[Pohnpei]], and [[Port Vila]], as well as field staff in other locations in the Pacific.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spc.int/about-us/contact-us|title=Contact Us|website=The Pacific Community|language=en|access-date=2019-03-25}}</ref> Its working languages are English and French. It primarily provides technical and scientific advice, and acts as a conduit for funding of development projects from donor nations.<ref>[http://purl.org/spc/digilib/doc/4b5zf Pacific Community Strategic Plan, 2016-2020]</ref> Unlike the slightly smaller [[Pacific Islands Forum]], PaciCom is not a trade bloc, and does not deal with military or security issues.

PaciCom's regional development issues include climate change, [[disaster risk management]], fisheries, [[food security]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=SPC promotes food security|url=https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/spc-promotes-food-security/|access-date=2020-11-06|website=Fiji Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> education, gender equality, human rights, non-communicable diseases, agriculture, forestry and land use, water resources, and youth employment.

== History ==
The Pacific Community was founded in 1947 as the '''South Pacific Commission''' by six developed countries with strategic interests and territories in the region: [[Australia]], [[France]], the [[Netherlands]], [[New Zealand]], the [[United Kingdom]], and the [[United States]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nla.gov.au/selected-library-collections/south-pacific-commission|title=South Pacific Commission {{!}} National Library of Australia|via=National Library of Australia|access-date=2019-03-25}}</ref>

The SPC's founding charter is the Canberra Agreement.<ref>[http://purl.org/spc/digilib/doc/9zcgq SPC Governance Compendium]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/1948/15.html|title=Agreement establishing the South Pacific Commission (Canberra, 6 February 1947)|author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 1984|work=Australian Treaty Series 1948 No. 15|publisher=Australian Government Publishing Service|access-date=2008-08-11|edition=First}} The first edition document hosted on the Australasian Legal Information Institute web site.</ref> In the aftermath of [[World War II]], the six colonial powers which created the SPC arguably intended it to secure Western political and military interests in the postwar Pacific.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.bartleby.com/67/4283.html|title=The Pacific Region, 1944–2000: The Islands, 1946–2000: 1947|editor-last=Stearns|editor-first=Peter N.|date=June 2002|encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of World History: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern|publisher=bartleby.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080623035503/http://www.bartleby.com/67/4283.html|archive-date=23 June 2008|url-status=dead|access-date=2008-08-13|display-authors=etal}} A licensed reproduction of {{cite book|title=The Pacific Region, 1944–2000: The Islands, 1946–2000: 1947|publisher=Houghton Mifflen Company|year=2001|isbn=0-395-65237-5|editor=Peter N. Stearns|series=The Encyclopedia of World History: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern|location=Boston|pages=xxvii, 1243p.; maps; 25&nbsp;cm|chapter=H, 1, 1947|display-editors=etal}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/556331/Secretariat-of-the-Pacific-Community#tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=Secretariat%20of%20the%20Pacific%20Community%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia|title=Secretariat of the Pacific Community|year=2008|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online|access-date=2008-08-16}} Supports SPC's formation "to advise on economic, social, health matters affecting the South Pacific Island territories..."</ref> Two founding members, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, have since withdrawn from the SPC as the Pacific territories they controlled either gained independence or the right to represent themselves in the organization.

From the start, the SPC's role was constrained. The invitation from Australia and New Zealand to the US, France, the Netherlands and the UK to participate in a South Seas Commission Conference in 1947 included the statement that "the [South Pacific] Commission to be set up should not be empowered to deal in any way with political matters or questions of defense or security".<ref>{{cite book|title=Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 2007-09-18|editor=A.H. McLintock |date= 1966|series=International Relations: The South Pacific Commission|isbn=978-0-478-18451-8|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/I/InternationalRelations/TheSouthPacificCommission/en|access-date=2008-08-16}} "From the outset political and security matters were excluded from consideration; the proposed Commission was to act in a consultative capacity on questions of welfare of the peoples in the area and social and economic development."</ref> This constraint on discussion (particularly the constraint on discussing nuclear weapons testing in the region) led to the 1971 creation of the [[Pacific Islands Forum|South Pacific Forum]] (now Pacific Islands Forum), which not only excluded the more distant "metropolitan" powers of France, UK and US, but also at the time their Pacific island territories.

In 1949, the Pacific Community established its permanent headquarters in Nouméa, New Caledonia, at a former American military base. In 1995, a new headquarters was constructed close to the same location and the military base was demolished.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T5pPpJl8E5wC&q=SPC+Headquarters+building+pentagon&pg=PA329|title=The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia|last1=Lal|first1=Brij V.|last2=Fortune|first2=Kate|date=2000|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=9780824822651|language=en}}</ref> A monument and plaque commemorating SPC's original headquarters location can be found on site of the Le Promenade complex at Anse Vata.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.noumea.nc/en/discover-noumea/history-and-heritage/1854-today/important-dates|title=Important dates|date=2013-07-31|website=Ville de Nouméa|language=en-en|access-date=2019-03-28}}</ref>

In 1962, the Pacific Community created the South [[Pacific Games]] Council with the goal of holding a regular Pacific wide sporting event. The first games Games were held in Suva, Fiji in 1963, with 646 participants from 13 Pacific territories taking part. Initially the Games were held at three-year intervals although this was subsequently expanded to four following the [[Tumon]] Games in [[Guam]].

[[Netherlands New Guinea|Dutch New Guinea]], formerly represented in the SPC by the Netherlands, was transferred to [[United Nations Temporary Executive Authority|United Nations authority]] in 1962 and to [[Indonesia]] the following year. Without any territory remaining in the region, the Netherlands withdrew from the SPC in 1962.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zriADAAAQBAJ&q=1962+netherlands+leaves+SPC+Pacific&pg=PA15|title=The Pacific Island States: Security and Sovereignty in the Post-Cold War World|last1=Henningham|first1=S.|last2=Kovac|first2=Velibor Bobo|date=1995-10-25|publisher=Springer|isbn=9780230372436|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T5pPpJl8E5wC&q=%22The+Dutch+withdrew+in+1962+when+the%22&pg=PA329|title=The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia|last1=Lal|first1=Brij V.|last2=Fortune|first2=Kate|date=2000|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=9780824822651|language=en}}</ref>

Governance of the SPC reflected the changing political environment. At inception, each member had equal representation and a single vote. When Western Samoa joined as newly independent state in 1965 the rules were changed to ensure that the Western foundation nations would maintain firm control over the organization. Australia was given five votes, France, Britain, New Zealand, and the United States four and Western Samoa just one.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T5pPpJl8E5wC&q=Western+Samoa+joined+SPC+in+1965&pg=PA329|title=The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia|last1=Lal|first1=Brij V.|last2=Fortune|first2=Kate|date=2000|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=9780824822651|language=en}}</ref>

In 1972, the first South Pacific Arts Festival was convened by SPC in Suva, Fiji. The event drew more than 1000 participants from 14 countries. In 1975 SPC created a Council of Pacific Arts, permanently making culture issues a part of the SPC mandate and establishing the [[Festival of Pacific Arts]] as a regular event.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Meeting House of the Pacific|publisher=Secretariat of the Pacific Community|year=2007|isbn=978-982-00-0221-0|location=SPC Library, Noumea, New Caledonia|pages=90}}</ref>

In response to demand to rapid development of the Pacific regions media industry, SPC established a Regional Media Center in 1973 in collaboration with the recently created [[University of the South Pacific]]. The center produced audio material for the regions radio stations and provided training in video production.

With [[decolonization]] efforts expanding, newly independent states and nonindependent territories were also allowed to apply for membership. "As its membership grew, the character and scope of the SPC evolved to incorporate the indigenous peoples of the Pacific."<ref>{{Citation|last=Gover|first=Kirsty|chapter=Indigenous membership and human rights|date=2016-02-05|pages=35–48|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780203119235|doi=10.4324/9780203119235-4|title=Handbook of Indigenous Peoples' Rights}}</ref>

In 1983, at the Saipan Conference, unequal voting was abandoned, once again establishing a "one member, one vote" principle for SPC.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Secretariat-of-the-Pacific-Community|title=Secretariat of the Pacific Community {{!}} international organization|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2019-03-25}}</ref> However, this decision did not come without criticism as some pointed out that the combination of allowing membership to non-independent territories and establishing a one-vote per member principle effectively provided additional votes to France and the United States who continued to maintain control over Pacific territories. It was also during the Saipan Conference that the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA) was established, creating the only Pacific regional organization that was both fully representative of the Pacific, and fully governed by its membership.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Meeting House of the Pacific|publisher=Secretariat of the Pacific Community|year=2007|isbn=978-982-00-0221-0|location=SPC Library, Noumea, New Caledonia|pages=108}}</ref>

In 1988, the SPC become a founding member of the [[Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific]] or CROP (formerly the South Pacific Organisations Coordinating Committee, SPOCC)  "to improve cooperation, coordination, and collaboration among the various intergovernmental regional organisations to work toward achieving the common goal of sustainable development in the Pacific region".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forumsec.org/council-of-regional-organisations-of-the-pacific/|title=Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific|website=forumsec.org|access-date=2019-04-01}}</ref>

The United Kingdom withdrew from the organisation in 1996 and rejoined in 1998.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T5pPpJl8E5wC&q=The+United+Kingdom+relinquished+its+membership+in+1996&pg=PA329|title=The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia|last1=Lal|first1=Brij V.|last2=Fortune|first2=Kate|date=2000|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=9780824822651|language=en}}</ref> The UK withdrew a second time in [https://spccfpstore1.blob.core.windows.net/digitallibrary-docs/files/ef/ef6ed2338bebd29d94705cdd89959048.pdf?sv=2015-12-11&sr=b&sig=vGg1F8Nh23gdKjZlCkqh95YaHRFopZRqUufpHvV3jao%3D&se=2019-10-01T23%3A28%3A55Z&sp=r&rscc=public%2C%20max-age%3D864000%2C%20max-stale%3D86400&rsct=application%2Fpdf&rscd=inline%3B%20filename%3D%22CRGA_34_Paper_11_E.pdf%22 2004]. The UK's interests in the Pacific Community were prior to Brexit primarily managed through the European Union, although the UK also is a direct donor for some projects.{{update inline|date=August 2020}} The UK rejoined in 2021 after reopening its high commissions in Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-02|title=Britain rejoins major Pacific body|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/457062/britain-rejoins-major-pacific-body|access-date=2021-12-02|publisher=Radio New Zealand|language=en-nz}}</ref><!-- due to Brexit -->

In 1996, the Pacific Heads of Agriculture and Livestock Programmes asked "to put in place, both in their countries and through regional cooperation, policies to conserve, protect and best utilize their plant genetic resources".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lrd.spc.int/the-centre-for-pacific-crops-and-trees-cepact|title=The Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT)|website=lrd.spc.int|access-date=2019-04-04}}</ref> As these resources were considered a shared regional responsibility, it made sense for a regional organization to respond to this need. SPC established the [[Regional Germplasm Centre]] (RGC) in 1998. The facility grew rapidly and in 2007 was renamed [[Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees]] (CePaCT). It currently holds more than 2000 varieties of genetic material on Pacific strains of taro, banana, breadfruit and others, and has been instrumental in helping to rebuild island agriculture after disasters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fijisun.com.fj/2017/02/20/minister-to-attend-winston-service/|title=Minister to attend Winston service|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-04}}</ref>

In 2000, SPC became the first CROP organization to be headed by a woman, [[Lourdes Pangelinan]] of Guam, who served in the role from 2000 to 2006.

=== Pacific Way television series ===
The SPC began producing a television program, known as ''The Pacific Way'', in 1995. Supported by [[UNESCO]] as a trial for exchanging news stories, the first season was shared freely with just one tape circulated between TV stations in several Pacific Island nations. The programs' regional and local focus made it popular addition to local television schedules and at its height was producing and distributing 26 annual episodes to 21 TV stations around the region. Since 2017, the Pacific Way has been developing 10 episodes per season for television and has been reintroduced to radio through its complementary podcasts. The half-hour show shares development stories about the Pacific for the Pacific. It covers important topics and key issues, such as climate change adaptation, health, youth employment, innovation in agriculture, fisheries management and the protection of cultural heritage.

=== Name and logo ===
While the acronym "SPC" has been consistent since the organization's founding in 1947, the name and logo have evolved over the years. The organization's original name was the '''South Pacific Commission''', which represented the limited nature of its membership and activities. The name was changed in 1997 to the '''Pacific Community''', reflecting the growth of membership across the entire Pacific region. The current logo was officially adopted in 2015.

{{multiple image
 | align = center
 | image_gap = 10
 | total_width = 420
 | background color = #dfffdf
 | image1 =   SPC Logo-historique-1960-eng.jpg
 | alt1 =     SPC Logo 1960
 | caption1 = {{quad}}1960
 | image2 =   SPC Logo-1970-eng.jpg
 | alt2 =     SPC Logo 1970
 | caption2 ={{quad}}1970
 | image3 =  
 | alt3 =    
 | caption3 =
 | footer_align = center
 | footer = South Pacific Commission ― Pacific Community<br />logos
}}

== Present ==
The Pacific Community today includes 22 Pacific island countries and territories, which were all previously territories (or, in the case of Tonga, a [[protectorate]]) of the original founding members of the SPC, along with the developed countries of Australia, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spc.int/our-members|title=SPC – Pacific Community: Our Members|website=SPC – Pacific Community|language=en|access-date=2019-03-25}}</ref>

[[File:SPC Headquarters 7.jpg|thumb|Headquarters of the Pacific Community in 2018]]

{| class="wikitable sortable" 
|- style="font-weight:bold;"
! Member
! Population<br />(2020)
! Area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>)
! EEZ Area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>)
! GDP per capita<br />(USD, 2020)
! Currency
! UN Membership
! Sovereign State /<br />Associated with
! Status
! Date of Admission
|-
| {{Flag|American Samoa}}
| 56,813
| 200
| 404,391.00
| $11,245
| USD
| No
| [[United States]]
| [[Territories of the United States#Organized vs. unorganized territories|Unorganized Unincorporated Territory]]
| 1983
|-
| {{Flag|Australia}}
| 25,882,100
| 7,692,024
| 8,148,250.00
| $53,321
| AUD
| Yes
| 
| 
| 1947
|-
| {{Flag|Cook Islands}}
| 17,459
| 237
| 1,830,000.00
| $24,913
| NZD
| No
| [[New Zealand]]
| [[Political status of the Cook Islands and Niue|Freely Associated State]]
| 1980
|-
| {{Flag|Fiji}}
| 926,276
| 18,276
| 1,282,980.00
| $6,152
| FJD
| Yes
| 
| 
| 1971
|- 
| {{Flag|France}}
| 67,100,000
| 675,000
| 1,100,000.00
| $49,435
| EUR
| Yes
| 
| 
| 1947
|-
| {{Flag|French Polynesia}}
| 275,918
| 4,167
| 4,767,240.00
| $22,308
| XPF
| No
| [[France]]
| [[Overseas country of France|Overseas Country]]
|1983
|-
| {{Flag|Guam}}
| 168,801
| 540
| 221,504.00
| $34,153
| USD
| No
| [[United States]]
| [[Territories of the United States#Incorporated vs. unincorporated territories|Organized Unincorporated Territory]]
| 1983
|-
| {{Flag|Kiribati}}
| 119,940
| 811
| 3,441,810.00
| $1,636
| AUD
| Yes
| 
| 
| 1983
|-
| {{Flag|Marshall Islands}}
| 54,590
| 181
| 1,990,530.00
| $4,337
| USD
| Yes
| [[United States]]
| [[Compact of Free Association|Freely Associated State]] 
| 1983
|-
| {{Flag|Micronesia}}
| 105,503
| 701
| 2,996,420.00
| $3,830
| USD
| Yes
| [[United States]]
| [[Compact of Free Association|Freely Associated State]] 
| 1983
|-
| {{Flag|Nauru}}
| 11,690
| 21
| 308,480.00
| $11,666
| AUD
| Yes
| 
| 
|1969
|-
| {{Flag|New Caledonia|local}}
| 273,015
| 18,576
| 1,422,540.00
| $37,448
| XPF
| No
| [[France]]
| [[Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity|Sui Generis Collectivity]]
| 1983
|-
| {{Flag|New Zealand}}
| 4,900,000
| 270,500
| 4,000,000.00
| $43,953
| NZD
| Yes
| 
| 
| 1947
|-
| {{Flag|Niue}}
| 1,562
| 261
| 450,000.00
| $18,757
| NZD
| No
| [[New Zealand]]
| [[Political status of the Cook Islands and Niue|Freely Associated State]]
| 1980
|-
| {{nowrap|{{Flag|Northern Mariana Islands}}}}
| 56,608
| 464
| 749,268.00
| $23,550
| USD
| No
| [[United States]]
| [[Commonwealth (U.S. insular area)|Commonwealth]]
| 1983
|-
| {{Flag|Palau}}
| 17,930
| 444
| 603,978.00
| $2,854
| USD
| Yes
| [[United States]]
| [[Compact of Free Association|Freely Associated State]] 
| 1983
|-
| {{Flag|Papua New Guinea}}
| 8,934,475
| 462,840
| 2,402,290.00
| $2,854
| PGK
| Yes
| 
| 
| 1975
|-
| {{Flag|Pitcairn Islands}}
| 50
| 47
| 836,108.00
| N/A
| NZD
| No
| [[United Kingdom]]
| [[British Overseas Territories|Overseas Territory]]
| 1983
|-
| {{Flag|Samoa}}
| 198,646
| 2,934
| 127,950.00
| $4,284
| SAT
| Yes
| 
| 
| 1965
|-
| {{Flag|Solomon Islands}}
| 712,071
| 28,230
| 1,553,440.00
| $2,295
| SBD
| Yes
| 
| 
| 1978
|-
| {{Flag|Tokelau}}
| 1,506
| 12
| 319,031.00
| $6,882
| NZD
| No
| [[New Zealand]]
| [[Realm of New Zealand|Dependent Territory]]
| 1983
|-
| {{Flag|Tonga}}
| 99,780
| 749
| 659,558.00
| $5,081
| TOP
| Yes
| 
| 
| 1983
|-
| {{Flag|Tuvalu}}
| 10,580
| 26
| 749,790.00
| $4,223
| AUD
| Yes
| 
| 
| 1978
|-
| {{flag|United Kingdom}}
| 66,000,000
| 242,495 
| 6,805,586.00
| $40,284
| GBP
| Yes
| 
|
| 1947{{efn|Withdrew from 1 Jan 1996 until it rejoined 1 Jan 1998; Withdrew again from 1 Jan 2005 until it rejoined again on 2 Dec 2021}}
|-
| {{flag|United States}}
| 324,000,000
| 9,800,000
| 11,700,000.00
| $55,800
| USD
| Yes
| 
| 
| 1947
|-
| {{Flag|Vanuatu}}
| 294,688
| 12,281
| 663,251.00
| $3,260
| VUV
| Yes
| 
| 
| 1983
|- 
| {{Flag|Wallis and Futuna|local}}
| 11,441
| 142
| 258,269.00
| $12,848
| XPF
| No
| [[France]]
| [[Overseas collectivity|Overseas Collectivity]]
| 1983
|}

;Notes
{{notelist}}

The SPC is concentrated on providing technical and scientific advice to its member governments and administrations, particularly in areas where small island states lack the wherewithal to maintain purely national cadres of expertise, or in areas where regional co-operation or interaction is necessary.

The operational budget of the Pacific Community in 2018 was approximately €82 million.<ref>[https://spccfpstore1.blob.core.windows.net/digitallibrary-docs/files/f6/f622b53d8bf705c118cae027dc9f1618.pdf?sv=2015-12-11&sr=b&sig=QEZCbLiycviE2qhH3psUizapTOSlMjqJtj%2FsG5fiSmU%3D&se=2019-10-01T23%3A01%3A37Z&sp=r&rscc=public%2C%20max-age%3D864000%2C%20max-stale%3D86400&rsct=application%2Fpdf&rscd=inline%3B%20filename%3D%22SPC_budget___financial_year_ending_31_December_2019_002.pdf%22 SPC budget, FY 2019]</ref> The organization is financially supported through a combination of membership fees and donor funding. Its major funding partners include the [[European Union]], the [[Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]], the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (New Zealand)|New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs]], and the governments of [[Government of France|France]] and the [[United States Department of State|United States]]. Additional funding and knowledge partners include:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Partners |url=https://www.spc.int/partners |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813204310/https://www.spc.int/partners |archive-date=2022-08-13 |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=The Pacific Community |language=en}}</ref>

{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|

* [[Australian Bureau of Statistics]]
* [[Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research]]
* [[Australian Council for Educational Research]]
* [[Conservation International]]
* [[Food and Agriculture Organization]]
* [[French Development Agency]]
* [[French Facility for Global Environment]]
* [[German Corporation for International Cooperation]]
* [[Global Environment Facility]]
* [[Government of Sweden]]
* [[International Atomic Energy Agency]]
* [[International Foundation for Aids to Navigation]]
* [[International Fund for Agricultural Development]]
* [[International Labour Organization]]
* [[International Seafood Sustainability Foundation]]
* [[Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology]]
* [[Melanesian Spearhead Group]]
* [[Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights]]
* [[UN Women]]
* [[UNICEF]]
* United States [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]
* [[United Nations Development Programme]]
* [[United Nations Population Fund]]
* [[United States Agency for International Development]]
* [[Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission]]
* [[World Bank]]
* [[World Health Organization]]
}}

=== Divisions ===
The SPC works across more than 25 sectors. It is involved in such areas as fisheries science, public health surveillance, geoscience and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, statistics and education. Using a multi-sector approach in responding to its members' development priorities, SPC draws on skills and capabilities from around the region and internationally, and supports the empowerment of Pacific communities and sharing of expertise and skills between countries and territories.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://purl.org/spc/digilib/doc/4b5zf|title=SPC Strategic Plan 2016-2020|website=SPC website}}</ref>

SPC currently has nine divisions:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spc.int/about-us/divisions|title=SPC's Divisions|website=The Pacific Community|language=en|access-date=2019-03-25}}</ref>

[[File:SPC-HQ-Pentagon.jpg|thumb|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)

== SPC Directors-General  ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ South Pacific Commission ― Pacific Community <br />
The Director General is appointed for a two-year term of office which can be extended by two additional two-year terms (maximum service period of six years). <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spc.int/about-us/director-general/director-general-recruitment |title=Recruitment process for the next Director-General of the Pacific Community is now underway &#124; the Pacific Community }}</ref>
|-
! Directors-General !! Country !! Start Date !! End Date !! Comment
|-
| Stuart Minchin || Australia || 23 Jan 2020 || present || 
|-
| [[Colin Tukuitonga]] || Niue || 5 Jan 2014 || 23 Jan 2020 || 
|-
| [[Jimmie Rodgers (Pacific Community)|Jimmie Rodgers]] || Solomon Islands || 6 Jan 2006 || 5 Jan 2014 || 
|-
| [[Lourdes Pangelinan|Lourdes T. Pangelinan]] || Guam || 6 Jan 2000 || 5 Jan 2006 || 
|-
| Robert B. Dun || Australia || 8 Jan 1996 || 5 Jan 2000 || 
|-
| [[Ati George Sokomanu]] || Vanuatu || 6 Jan 1993 || 7 Jan 1996  || 
|-
| M. Jacques Iékawé || New Caledonia || 10 Mar 1992 || 10 Mar 1992 || Died before assuming office
|-
| Atanraoi Baiteke || Kiribati || 16 Jun 1989 || 5 Jan 1993 || 
|-
| [[Jon Jonassen|Jon Tikivanotau Jonassen]] || Cook Islands || 1 Jan 1989 || 15 Jun 1989 || Interim
|-
| Palauni M. Tuiasosopo || American Samoa || 9 Dec 1986 || 31 Dec 1988 || 
|-
| [[Francis Bugotu]] || Solomon Islands || 1 Jul 1982 || 30 Nov 1986 || 
|-
| [[Young Vivian|Mititaiagimene Young Vivian]] || Niue || 1 Jul 1979 || 3 Jun 1982 || 
|-
| E. Macu Salato || Fiji || 9 Dec 1975 || 30 Jun 1979 || 
|-
| [[Fred Betham]] || Western Samoa || 1 Nov 1971 || 30 Nov 1975 || 
|-
| John E. de Young || United States || 18 Feb 1971 || 31 Oct 1971 || Interim
|-
| [[Afoafouvale Misimoa]] || Western Samoa || 1 Jan 1970 || 18 Feb 1971 || 
|-
| [[Gawain Westray Bell]] || United Kingdom || 1 Jan 1967 || 11 Dec 1969  || 
|-
| [[Bill Forsyth (diplomat)|William D. Forsyth]] || Australia || 24 Mar 1963 || 31 Dec 1966 || ''reappointed''<ref name=forsyth>Chad Mitcham, ‘Forsyth, William Douglass (Bill)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/forsyth-william-douglass-bill-27737, published online 2018</ref>
|-
| Thomas Richard Smith || New Zealand || 1 Mar 1958 || 2 Mar 1963 || 
|-
| Ralph Clairon Bedell || United States || 1 Mar 1955 || 28 Feb 1958 || 
|-
| [[Brian Freeston|Sir Brian Freeston]] || United Kingdom || 12 Nov 1951 || 12 Nov 1954 || 
|-
| [[Bill Forsyth (diplomat)|William D. Forsyth]] ||  Australia || 1 Nov 1948 || 3 Jun 1951 || Founding official<ref name=forsyth>Chad Mitcham, ‘Forsyth, William Douglass (Bill)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/forsyth-william-douglass-bill-27737, published online 2018</ref>
|}

== See also ==
===CROP agencies===
*[[Pacific Islands Forum]]
*[[Pacific Regional Environment Programme]]
*[[University of the South Pacific]]
*[[Forum Fisheries Agency]]
*[[South Pacific Tourism Organisation]]
*[[Pacific Aviation Safety Office]]

===Others===
*[[Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees]]
*[[Festival of Pacific Arts]]
*[[Pacific Games]]
*[[Pacific Island Farmers Organisation Network]] (PIFON)
*[[Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO)]]
*[[Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC)]]
*[[Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission]]
*[[International organization]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* [http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/forsyth-william-douglass-27737/text35421 Mitcham, Chad, 'Forsyth, William Douglass (1909–1993)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published online 2018.]
* South Pacific Commission. 'Meeting House of the Pacific: The Story of the SPC, 1947–2007', Nouméa, New Caledonia: SPC Secretariat, 2007.

== External links ==
* [http://www.spc.int/ Pacific Community official website]
* [http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/1948/15.html The Canberra Agreement establishing the South Pacific Community]
* [https://www.un.org/en/ga/sixth/69/pacific_community.shtml The Pacific Community gains official observer status with United Nations]

{{regional organizations}}{{Culture of Oceania}}{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Pacific Community| ]]
[[Category:International organizations based in Oceania]]
[[Category:New Zealand–Pacific relations]]
[[Category:Secretariats of international organizations|Pacific Community]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1947]]
[[Category:Intergovernmental organizations established by treaty]]