The Pacific matters to Australia’s security and national interests. With much of its population located along the Pacific coastline, Australia has a Pacific identity and a central role in Pacific regionalism.

Cooperation among Pacific countries is key to addressing shared challenges and capitalising on shared opportunities. Pacific regionalism is how collective priorities are developed, agreed and delivered.

While there are many areas where Pacific Island countries disagree, at the regional level there are shared interests in areas such as trade, fisheries, climate change and ocean boundaries. The Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent sets out a common strategic, cultural and philosophical vision for the Pacific to work together as a region.

This paper argues that Australia should plan for and be ready to respond to developments in Pacific regionalism. Potential models include EU-style integration of digital and labour markets or an ASEAN-style mechanism to manage geopolitical conflict.

Consultations with more than 50 experts from Australia and the Pacific revealed a desire for Australia to play an enabling role and contribute to regionalism as a member of the Pacific.

Pacific experts believe that there remains an enduring political commitment to regionalism among Pacific Island countries, despite the significant impact of geostrategic dynamics. Substantive regional policy frameworks have been developed, but there are underlying barriers for Pacific Island countries in translating these regional aims into national plans. These include finance, transport, infrastructure, technical knowledge, poor governance, corruption and geographic isolation. Consultations revealed a desire for Australia to work with Pacific Island countries to prioritise identified areas of shared interest and work with them to overcome barriers to implementation.

Australian experts suggested that a commitment to Pacific regionalism is an imperative, with a strong sense of regionalism paying a significant security dividend for Australia.

There was a perception among some consultees that Australia has a different sense of identity and purpose that can situate it as more of a partner to the Pacific region, rather than a fully integrated member. Although Australia has demonstrated a commitment to Pacific institutions, and a desire to be a helpful partner, it may see itself – and be seen – as distinct. 

Barriers include:

• Australia’s wide, extra-regional interests
• Australia’s size and economic power relative to other Pacific countries
• Australia’s ability to establish separate regional arrangements
• Differing agendas and priorities, especially on climate change.

Australia’s standing as a larger power and with greater resources brings with it responsibilities. Its commitment to Pacific regionalism should be demonstrated through how it approaches these responsibilities and how it commits itself to enhancing regional development. This should be reflected not only in dollar terms, but also in the posture and style of Australia’s engagement.

This paper suggests the following pathways for Australia to support Pacific regionalism:

• Continue to provide support to the Pacific Islands Forum to implement the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent
• Support the Pacific Islands Forum to consider creating a more institutionalised process for facilitating geopolitical conversations, potentially along the lines of the ASEAN Regional Forum
• Support strengthening the coordination of development assistance and progressing more formalised development structures within the Pacific Islands Forum, for example by reviving the Cairns Compact or a similar mechanism
• Continue to build regional disaster response capability where countries collectively contribute to each other’s security
• Use a successful joint Australia-Pacific bid for COP31 to advance the ideals of Blue Pacific Strategy globally and within Australian policy