Subregional development context

The Pacific Subregion, spanning approximately 6,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean from the east to west, is composed of 22 small island countries and territories, of which 14 are covered by UNDP programmes. The coverage excludes the American Samoa, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Northern Mariana Islands, Pitcairn, and Wallis and Futuna. The countries and territories are also classified in three different clusters: Polynesia (Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu), Melanesia (Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu), and Micronesia (Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, F.S. Micronesia, Palau). The subregion is geographically vast and culturally and ecologically diverse. Each one of the countries/ territories has its own character and particularities. They have varying land size, population, natural resource endowments, economy, income levels, cultures, physical attributes, colonial heritages, languages, degrees of social cohesion, and economic and social policies. While the region has a mix of middle income and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), it also reflects a wide variability in human development terms.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions