‘Pacific Community’ name adopted

Expect to see and hear a lot more about the Pacific Community. This follows the decision that the ‘Secretariat of the Pacific Community’ should be known simply by its formal name, the ‘Pacific Community’, while retaining the acronym "SPC", the organisation announced this week.

“By adopting the ‘Pacific Community’ as our public name we’re essentially going back to the future, as this was the legal name chosen by our members back in 1997, replacing the ‘South Pacific Commission’ title,” the Pacific Community Director-General, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, said.

“Reverting to our organisation’s formal name reflects the Pacific Community’s inclusive mandate and broad Pacific region coverage, and promotes greater ownership by our 26 country and territory members, beyond the secretariat."

The name change has coincided with the release of the SPC  Strategic Plan for 2016-2020.

Dr Tukuitonga said that SPC recognised that development effectiveness relies on "partnerships built on shared goals and commitment".

The Pacific Community logo retains the familiar circular element that has been part of the organisation’s logo for more than three decades.

The abbreviation ‘SPC’ is being retained given its widespread use across the Pacific Islands region.

The Pacific Community is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, is an international development organisation owned and governed by its 26 country and territory members.