The current Pacific island regional order includes traditional security arrangements involving the United States, Australia, and New Zealand; regional bodies set up by former sovereign states and Pacific island countries; arrangements specific to individual Pacific island nations; and, more recently, alternative arrangements offered by China as part of the South-South cooperation initiative. However, Japan is not party to any of these arrangements. Although Japan's expanded role is expected, especially by the U.S., the intergovernmental Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM) alone has not been sufficient to address the situation.
 

This project is a private-sector led initiative designed to facilitate candid and substantive dialogue between Pacific island nations and other stakeholders including Japan, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and India. It will complement the PALM and build a new regional order layer centered on Japan that contributes to a rules-based order, stability, and prosperity in the region.