U.S. Engagement within the Pacific Islands
The US is a proud Pacific nation with a protracted shoreline, a state, and territories within the Pacific. We now have deep and longstanding ties to the international locations of the Pacific: our neighbors, allies, and pals.
The Pacific Islands are a vital a part of the Indo-Pacific area. Our histories and futures are inextricably linked, and we’re deeply dedicated to the safety and prosperity of the area.
Simply as we confronted historic challenges collectively, we are going to deal with present and future challenges collectively, together with by strengthening our shared democratic values and creating our financial hyperlinks to fight the local weather disaster, and the results of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to guard the free and open Pacific.
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman reaffirmed the U.S. dedication to the Pacific Islands at this yr’s Pacific Islands Convention of Leaders (PICL) convened by the East-West Heart’s Pacific Islands Growth Program in Honolulu, Hawai’i.
The Deputy Secretary was happy to steer a high-level U.S. interagency delegation, together with representatives from the Nationwide Safety Council, U.S. Division of the Inside, U.S. Division of Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth (USAID).
On the PICL, the Deputy Secretary highlighted a spread of ongoing areas of cooperation with the Pacific Islands and introduced a number of new applications that may present help for governance, people-to-people applications, local weather resilience, and data and communications expertise.
President Joe Biden will host the Pacific Island Nation summit later this month to advance a extra resilient pacific area.
The US has offered over $1.5 billion for the Pacific Islands over the previous decade.
Beneath the Indo-Pacific Technique, we are going to proceed to broaden our efforts to companion with Pacific Island International locations (PICs) and territories on their most urgent challenges, together with financial and environmental resilience, water and meals safety, well being safety, maritime area consciousness, and strengthening democratic establishments and good governance.
Via the Administration’s Partnership for World Infrastructure and Funding, we can even develop our efforts to deploy safe digital connectivity; construct local weather resilience within the area as a part of PREPARE, the Administration’s cornerstone worldwide adaptation initiative; strengthen world well being methods and well being safety; and advance gender equality and fairness.
These applications and initiatives have continued even because the COVID-19 pandemic has made journey within the area troublesome.
This new U.S. help and ongoing engagement with the Pacific Islands as a part of the Indo-Pacific Technique contains: