As part of the first General Assembly of the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (PIPA), held from 7 to 11 September 2026 in Papeete, participating delegations took part on Monday 7 September in a first cultural and social day in Tahiti.
Under PIPA’s Statutes, adopted at Natadola, Fiji, on 28 August 2025, the organisation established its headquarters in Tahiti, French Polynesia. During this transitional period ahead of PIPA’s transformation into a treaty-based regional organisation, the Assembly of French Polynesia provides operational support to PIPA’s Secretariat, and organised this first General Assembly.
The day began at the Papeete fishing port, where participants discovered a number of facilities and activities linked to the maritime and fishing sector in French Polynesia. Delegations were able to visit facilities dedicated to naval construction and maintenance, view a fishing vessel, and tour a facility focused on the processing and enhancement of seafood products. This visit gave representatives of the various Pacific parliaments a clearer picture of the realities of French Polynesia’s maritime sector, its expertise and activities, while fostering exchanges with the professionals they met on site.
Delegations then travelled on to Paea to discover a local sugarcane processing and value-adding activity. This visit gave them insight into another area of expertise developed in French Polynesia, grounded in the use of local resources.
In the afternoon, members of the Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly’s Board met to discuss a number of matters relating to PIPA’s organisation and functioning, its institutional identity, budgetary and financial matters, and preparations for the work of the General Assembly. Their discussions also covered the organisation’s institutional partnerships and its upcoming milestones.
This first General Assembly brings together in Tahiti parliament presidents, parliamentarians, officials and institutional partners from across the region around the theme: “A Pacific Voice in a Divided World: Parliamentary Diplomacy, Regional Unity and Global Peace.”
Held one year after the adoption of PIPA’s Statutes at Natadola, Fiji, this gathering marks a new stage in the establishment of the organisation and in strengthening inter-parliamentary dialogue across the Pacific.
The work of the first General Assembly will continue this week at the Assembly of French Polynesia, with a number of institutional sessions dedicated to the shared challenges facing Pacific parliaments and peoples.
