Think that those small Pacific islands where people go for get-away-from-it-all vacations are marginal to global strategic interests? Think again. Even Canada is getting more interested. In September 2016, Global Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion became the first Canadian minister to attend the Pacific Island Forum. In this APF Canada talk, Cleo Paskal, Associate Fellow at Chatham House (the Royal Institute of International Affairs) and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Visiting Fellow at CÉRIUM, explain why, as she identifies several aspects of the 16-member Pacific Island Forum (PIF) that have augmented the group's global significance. These include:
- Geostrategic location between the Americas and Asia
- Extensive global footprint (one-sixth of the earth's surface)
- Pivotal collective voting power within international forums
- Growing importance to China's strategic positioning
This event is open to the public.
