Ties between Pacific island nations and Japan are growing deeper year by year as Japan's private sector continues to invest in these countries and more official development assistance is extended to them. From fiscal 1991 to fiscal 1999, the Fund implemented the project Inviting Media Personnel from the Pacific Island Region to Japan. More than 60 media personnel from Pacific island nations visited Japan throughout that project, which sought to promote an understanding of Japan within the region. Thanks to the project's success, it was decided to follow up with the present five-year project.
The Japanese government hosted the third Japan-Pacific Islands Forum Summit Meeting (PALM 2003) in Okinawa in May 2003. The Fund enabled participation from U.S. and French territories when it extended invitations to 10 journalists working for such media organs as the Marianas Variety (Northern Marianas), the Pacific Daily News (Guam), Pacific Magazine (Hawaii), Televise Samoa (Samoa), and Tahitipress (French Polynesia). The media coverage of this summit contributed to a deeper understanding between Japan and the Pacific island nations.
In the meantime, the project could not implement the long-term stay in Japan of a senior journalist because the Pacific Islands News Association, which is the Fund's counterpart, based in Fiji, underwent an organizational merger and was temporarily unable to serve as a secretariat.