Changing economic, political and environmental conditions at the regional and global level have important implications for the political and development ambitions of the Pacific Islands Forum. For example, an increasingly complex and crowded Pacific provide challenges to our ability to maintain solidarity on key issues affecting our region. Other important issues for the region include protecting the resources and value of our shared Blue Pacific, promoting global and regional peace, and navigating shifts towards a multipolar world.

In recognition of this challenging context, during the 2017 Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting in Suva, Ministers agreed on the need for a collective Forum foreign policy to address key challenges and harness opportunities to safeguard the Pacific’s interests.  Furthermore, in considering how institutional arrangements could support the development and implementation of Forum foreign policy, Foreign Ministers committed to strengthening the foundational architecture for effective Forum diplomacy and tasked the Secretariat to coordinate a Forum Officials Committee sub-committee of Members to develop a rolling Forum strategy and plan for international advocacy.

Further, during their meeting in Apia in September 2017, Forum Leaders endorsed The Blue Pacific as a new narrative for collective political action in the Pacific that calls for working together as one Blue Continent. The Blue Pacific aims to harness our shared ocean identity, geography and resources to drive positive change in the Pacific’s socio-cultural, political and economic development.

To assist with progressing the development of a Forum Foreign Policy and strategy for action, we invite you to consider the following questions:

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* 1. What is your name? 

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* 2. What is your email address?

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* 3. How did you hear about this consultation?

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* 4. What might a Blue Pacific Diplomacy look like?

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* 5. What do you think are the key global and regional challenges and opportunities that require collective diplomatic and foreign policy action by the Pacific Islands Forum?

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* 6. How can the Forum best organise itself to strengthen its diplomatic influence on issues of importance to the Blue Pacific?

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* 7. What mechanisms would be required to promote and strengthen Blue Pacific solidarity and accountability?

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* 8. Do you have any other comments you would like to make?

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