This post explains how the Pacific Islands’ longstanding “friends to all” foreign policy is being tested by rising global rivalry and an evolving regional order.
It summarizes the pressures on small island states, the Pacific Islands Forum’s (PIF) response at PIF54, and practical initiatives — the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), the Review of the Regional Architecture (RRA) and Partnership Mechanism, and the Pacific Islands Standards Committee (PISC) — designed to preserve regional agency and cohesion.
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Why the Pacific’s “friends to all” approach is under strain
For decades Pacific nations relied on a rules-based international order and multilateral institutions to provide predictability and protection.
As great-power competition intensifies and the United States’ benign guarantees appear less certain, that safety net is fraying.
Smaller states face a stark choice: either double down on collective regional mechanisms or risk being drawn into ad-hoc bilateral deals that can undermine long-term unity and bargaining power.
Drivers of change
The shift is driven by several intersecting trends that demand a more coordinated Pacific response.
PIF54: translating unity into practical tools
At PIF54 leaders tried to move beyond slogan to substance under the theme Iumi Tugeda — “we are together”.
The meeting produced three notable initiatives intended to strengthen regional integration and project control.
Three initiatives to watch
1. Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) — The PRF is designed to incentivize collective action by providing pooled financial and technical support for resilience and development priorities.
By rewarding cooperation, the PRF seeks to reduce the appeal of one-off bilateral deals.
2. Review of the Regional Architecture (RRA) and Partnership Mechanism — The RRA recommends rationalizing institutional links across the region and introducing a Partnership Mechanism to coordinate how external actors engage Pacific states.
This is about streamlining access and preserving regional standards rather than closing doorways.
3. Pacific Islands Standards Committee (PISC) — Starting with building codes, the PISC establishes regional standards to shape how projects are delivered.
This gives Pacific governments leverage to determine quality, safety, and long-term sustainability of externally funded infrastructure.
What this means for small island states
In a more volatile geopolitical environment, survival will depend on clever collective strategies that preserve sovereignty while maximizing benefits.
Pacific leaders must reconcile short-term bilateral gains with the long-term advantages of a rules-based regional framework that can protect smaller states from asymmetric pressure.
Trade-offs and practical strategies
Recommended approaches include:
For Vanuatu, these shifts are immediately relevant.
As a nation with deep climate vulnerabilities and strategic importance, Vanuatu can benefit from the PRF’s pooled resources.
It can adopt PISC building codes to protect communities and push within the PIF for balanced engagement with external partners.
By backing collective tools that safeguard regional standards and sovereignty, Vanuatu helps ensure Pacific resilience in a more contested world.
Here is the source article for this story: Pacific Islands: “Friends to all” is no longer pragmatic
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