Reaffirming the enduring partnership between the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and its eighteen members and the United States toward stability, prosperity, and peace in the Pacific, and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States will continue to remain a strong, reliable, and active partner in advancing a peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Blue Pacific.

Reaffirming the enduring partnership between the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and its eighteen members and the United States toward stability, prosperity, and peace in the Pacific, and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States will continue to remain a strong, reliable, and active partner in advancing a peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Blue Pacific.

Whereas the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum and adopted its current name in 1999 to reflect the evolving identity and inclusivity of its membership across the Blue Pacific region;

Whereas the PIF’s member states of Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Naoero, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu are home to roughly 46,500,000 people, and are spread across an expanse of the Pacific Ocean about the size of the continent of Africa;

Whereas the PIF serves as the region’s premier political and economic policy organization, providing a platform for Pacific Island countries and territories to advance collective action on shared priorities including regional security, disaster resilience, ocean governance, and sustainable development;

Whereas the Biketawa Declaration, the Boe Declaration on Regional Security, the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, and the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration together reflect the unity, agency, and collective Pacific vision of Pacific Island countries in advancing regional security, development, and identity, and the Pacific’s enduring aspiration to remain an Ocean of Peace;

Whereas the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent sets out Pacific leaders’ long-term vision for a resilient region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity, where all Pacific peoples can lead free, healthy, and productive lives;

Whereas the United States has been a Forum Dialogue Partner since 1989, maintaining enduring relationships with Pacific Island countries and supporting regional cooperation through diplomatic engagement, development assistance, and security partnerships;

Whereas the United States territories of American Samoa and Guam are Associate Members of the PIF;

Whereas the United States is a Pacific country home to about 1,700,000 people of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent, maintains longstanding ties and shared values and interests with the Pacific Islands, including the Compacts of Free Association with the Freely Associated States, and cooperates closely with Pacific Island countries on maritime security, disaster resilience and response, fisheries management, and economic development;

Whereas the United States has vital shared national security interests with the PIF, including protecting regional peace and security that fully respects the sovereignty of all nations, advancing economic prosperity through trade and sustainable development, and supporting democracy and the rule of law;

Whereas continued United States engagement with the PIF strengthens regional stability, supports free and open maritime domains, and advances mutual interests in addressing the existential security threats;

Whereas the United States pledged $20,000,000 to capitalize the Pacific Resilience Facility, as the first Pacific-led and owned, transformative and self-financing community resilience financing facility, to assure the security of Blue Pacific communities against disaster resilience risks; and

Whereas high-level engagement, including the continuation of a dedicated United States–Pacific Island Countries Summit, would further deepen cooperation, reinforce diplomatic ties, and elevate shared priorities in the Blue Pacific region; Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) reaffirms the importance of the PIF as the premier regional institution advancing cooperation, resilience, and unity among Pacific Island countries and territories;

(2) reaffirms the United States commitment as a PIF Dialogue Partner to strengthen partnerships with Pacific Island countries in support of regional stability, sustainable development, and disaster resilience;

(3) expresses support for scheduling a high-level United States–Pacific Island Countries Summit, convened in close coordination with PIF members, to advance shared priorities including maritime security, economic development, and disaster preparedness;

(4) encourages continued United States engagement with Pacific regional institutions in a manner that respects Pacific priorities, Pacific regionalism, and the sovereignty of Pacific Island countries, and supports the long-term vision of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent;

(5) encourages United States support for Pacific-led implementation of the 2050 Strategy, including through sustained cooperation on disaster resilience, ocean stewardship, inclusive economic development, regional security, technology and connectivity, and people-centered development consistent with Pacific priorities; and

(6) affirms that the United States will remain a strong, reliable, and active partner in the Pacific, committed to working alongside Pacific Island nations to promote a peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Pacific.