From the 17th to the 19th of May, a research group headed by Makoto Washizu, President of the Institution for Transport Policy Studies, will be dispatched by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) to the Republic of Palau. The group will investigate possible forms of support for establishment of a regional coast guard for the three nations of Micronesia (Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Republic of Palau).

The specific mandate of the research group is to visit the relevant ministries in the Republic of Palau to investigate current activities, international law systems and regional needs relevant to maritime safety. The group will also be dispatched by SPF to carry out a similar investigation in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands from March 30th to April 3rd, 2009.

At six million square kilometers, the territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the three nations of Micronesia are not only the third largest in the world, after the US and Australia, but are also an abundant source of marine resources. Despite their vast marine area, the three nations have a combined land area of approximately 1,400 square kilometres and a population of just 180,000. Hence, appropriate management of the surrounding seas is far from simple without joint efforts between the three islands and cooperation from nearby countries.

Since 1988, SPF has supported the Pacific Islands through The Sasakawa Pacific Island Nations Fund, one of the regional funds maintained by the foundation. During a visit to the Marshall Islands in May 2008, SPF Chairman Jiro Hanyu was asked about the possibility of support for improving maritime safety in the region. This visit set in motion plans for full scale support from SPF with the cooperation of countries connected to the three Micronesian nations; in July 2006, discussions were held with the US State Department and US Coastguard. In September of the same year, meetings were held with the ambassadors of the Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of Palau, and in October, SPF representatives met with Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Australian Navy. In November 2008, at a Micronesian Summit held on Pohnpei Island of the Federated States of Micronesia a joint communiqué was made by representatives of the three Micronesian nations to the effect that they would welcome support for the regional coastguard proposed by SPF.

The results of the upcoming research mission will form the basis for discussions between SPF, its partner organization The Nippon Foundation, the three nations of Micronesia, and coastguard representatives from Japan, the US, and Australia regarding an appropriate system of cooperation and policy of support to establish a regional coastguard.