Pacific Union

{{Short description|Intergovernmental project}} {{about|the proposed international organization|the college in Northern California|Pacific Union College}} {{Infobox Geopolitical organisation |name = Pacific Union |linking_name = the Pacific Union |image_map = Members of Pacific Island Forum.svg |map_caption = Map indicating members of the Pacific Islands Forum (potential Pacific Union). |membership_type = Potential members |membership = {{collapsible list |titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal; |title = 16 states and 2 dependencies |{{flagcountry|Australia}} |{{flagcountry|Cook Islands}} |{{flagcountry|Federated States of Micronesia|name=FS Micronesia}} |{{flagcountry|Fiji}}|{{flagcountry|France}} (New Caledonia and French Polynesia) |{{flagcountry|Kiribati}} |{{flagcountry|Marshall Islands}} |{{flagcountry|Nauru}} |{{flagcountry|New Zealand}} |{{flagcountry|Niue}} |{{flagcountry|Palau}} |{{nowrap|{{flagcountry|Papua New Guinea}}}} |{{flagcountry|Samoa}} |{{flagcountry|Solomon Islands}} |{{flagcountry|Tonga}} |{{flagcountry|Tuvalu}} |{{flagcountry|Vanuatu}} }} |area_km2 = 13,962,549 |area_sq_mi = 5,390,970 |population_estimate = 40 million |population_estimate_year = 2008 |population_density_km2 = 4 |GDP_nominal = US$ 1.689 trillion |GDP_nominal_year = 2012 |GDP_nominal_per_capita = US$ 28,543 |currency = {{collapsible list |titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal; |title = 12 currencies |Australian dollar|CFP franc |Cook Islands dollar{{sup|a}} |Fijian dollar |Kiribati dollar{{sup|b}} |New Zealand dollar |Pa'anga |{{nowrap|Papua New Guinean kina}} |Solomon Islands dollar |Samoan tala |Tuvaluan dollar{{sup|b}} |United States dollar |Vanuatu vatu |<hr/> |{{small|a Pegged to NZ dollar.}} |{{nowrap|{{small|b Pegged to Australian dollar.}}}} }} }}

The '''Pacific Union''' is a proposed development of the Pacific Islands Forum, first suggested in 2003 by a committee of the Australian Senate,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-08-12/senate-calls-for-pacific-community-to-head-off/1463386 |title=Senate calls for Pacific community to head off regional crises |publisher=ABC |date=12 August 2003 |accessdate=15 September 2020}}</ref> into a political and economic intergovernmental community. The union, if formed, would have a common charter, institutions and currency.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/17/1061059717704.html |title=Howard push for Pacific union |work=The Age |date=18 August 2003 |accessdate=15 September 2020}}</ref> Although John Howard, the former Prime Minister of Australia, spoke of a Pacific Union whilst in office, his government's emphasis was focused on bilateral relations and agreements with the individual states of the Forum.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/australia-plays-down-pacific-union |title=Australia Plays Down Pacific Union |publisher=YaleGloabl Online |date=14 August 2003 |accessdate=15 September 2020}}</ref>

==Existing integration== The most prominent example of pre-existing regionalism amongst countries of the Pacific Ocean is the Pacific Islands Forum, an intergovernmental organisation that aims to represent the interests of its members and enhance cooperation between them. The Pacific Islands Forum does not have a common charter, institutions or currency.

Closer Economic Relations (CER) free trade agreement between the governments of New Zealand and Australia allow the free trade of most goods and services between the two nations without the tariff barriers or export incentives.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newzealand.embassy.gov.au/wltn/CloseEconRel.html |title=Closer Economic Relations - CER Australia New Zealand |publisher=Australian High Commission |date= |accessdate=15 September 2020}}</ref> The Melanesian Spearhead Group is a more recent trade treaty governing the four Melanesian states of Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and recently, Fiji.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msgsec.info/ |title=Melanesian Spearhead Group Website |publisher=Melanesian Spearhead Group |date= |accessdate=15 September 2020}}</ref> The nations of Australia, Nauru, Kiribati and Tuvalu use the Australian dollar while the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and New Zealand use the New Zealand Dollar.

In October 2000, national leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum signed the Biketawa Declaration constituting a framework for coordinating response to regional crises leading to New Zealand and Australian military and police forces participating in regional peacekeeping/stabilisation operations in Papua New Guinea (in Bougainville), Solomon Islands (2003–present), Nauru (2004–present) and Tonga (2006).

== Future prospects ==

There has been a call from within both the Australian and New Zealand business communities to extend the Closer Economic Relations (CER) Free Trade Agreement to other Pacific Island nations, moving towards a single market and allowing the free movement of people and goods.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.piie.com/publications/chapters_preview/330/1iie3020.pdf |title=The New Trend in Asia-Pacific Regional Trade Initiatives |publisher=Institute for International Economics |date= |accessdate=15 September 2020}}</ref> Harmonising both the CER and the Pacific Regional Trade Agreement is one possibility of moving towards this goal. The idea's future has become somewhat confused with the Rudd government's call for an Asia-Pacific Community,<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/kevin-rudds-vision-for-asia-pacific-community-evolves/story-e6frg6so-1225791163253?nk=1e53cd5542849d55d8c5525b53e6f1f7 Kevin Rudd's vision for Asia-Pacific community evolves] Patrick Walters, National security editor, THE AUSTRALIAN 26 tháng 10, 2009 12:00AM [https://web.archive.org/web/20091031065127/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26259137-16953,00.html bản lưu 31/10/2009]</ref> which would have a wider membership than a Pacific Union.

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [http://www.forumsec.org/ Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080923231729/http://www.pacificplan.org/ The Pacific Plan]

===Articles, editorials and reports=== * [http://www.aspi.org.au/publications/publication_details.aspx?ContentID=157&pubtype=10 Engaging our neighbours: Towards a new relationship between Australian and the Pacific Islands] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080722021405/http://aspi.org.au/publications/publication_details.aspx?ContentID=157&pubtype=10 |date=2008-07-22 }} * {{cite journal|title=Beyond Cooperation: Towards an Oceanic Community |author=Jim Rolfe |volume=60 |issue=1 |date=2006 |journal=Australian Journal of International Affairs |page=83-101|doi=10.1080/10357710500494598 |s2cid=153787023 }} * [http://www.usp.ac.fj/fileadmin/files/Institutes/piasdg/dev_studies/papers/robertson_regionalism_pacific.pdf Regionalism in the Pacific: A New Development Strategy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227110506/http://www.usp.ac.fj/fileadmin/files/Institutes/piasdg/dev_studies/papers/robertson_regionalism_pacific.pdf |date=2008-02-27 }} * [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/12/1060588392171.html The Age (2003-08-13): Call for EU-Style 'Pacific Community'] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071027071740/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/08/18/926513.htm ABC (2003-08-18): Australia Floats 'Pacific Union' Idea] * [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/08/29/1062050663347.html The Age (2003-08-30): Time to Look at a Pacific Community] * [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/05/1078464639849.html The Age (2004-03-06): Bold Plan for Pacific Unity] * [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/05/1081017102111.html The Age (2004-04-06): Pacific Forum Beckons EU-Style Links] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071027071746/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2004/04/06/1081735.htm ABC (2004-04-06): Pacific Plan Expected to Fall Short of Total Union] * [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/06/1081222465725.html The Age (2004-04-07): Pacific Heads Back Region Unity Plan] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090304175015/http://peb.anu.edu.au/pdf/PEB20-3%20Sercombe-Peebles-policy.pdf Pacific Economic Bulletin (2005 #3): Towards a Pacific Community] * [http://www.theage.com.au/news/hugh-white/pacific-plan-puts-howard-to-the-test/2005/10/09/1128796408094.html The Age (2005-10-09): Pacific Plan Puts Howard to the Test] * [http://www.abc.net.au/correspondents/content/2006/s1694008.htm ABC (2006-07-23): Urwin Calls for Pacific Settlement]

Category:Proposed international organizations Category:Continental unions Category:Australia–New Zealand relations Category:Politics of Australia Category:Politics of New Zealand