State of the Pacific 2026 conference is hosted by our Department of Pacific Affairs
The State of the Pacific (SoTP) conference is a flagship event of the Pacific Research Program, held every two years. The conference will showcase the research partnerships active through the Pacific Research Program. It will convene scholars, policymakers, practitioners, business leaders, civil society representatives and community leaders to engage with the evolving challenges and emerging opportunities shaping the Pacific region.
Weaving Pacific Research Relationships
Centred on the theme, “Weaving Pacific Research Relationships”, SoTP 2026 seeks to engage in dialogue on long-term partnerships grounded in Pacific values. Like weaving, impactful research and policy requires collaboration, trust, and care. The theme demonstrates work across cultures, disciplines, and generations to co-create knowledge that is meaningful, resilient, and rooted in the interests, aspirations and the needs of Pacific communities.
The conference will critically reflect on how research, policy, knowledge exchange, and cross-sector partnerships can strengthen Pacific futures. Discussions will weave together diverse perspectives — across disciplines, across communities, and across borders — reflecting the interconnectedness that underpins Pacific ways of knowing, working, and being. In doing so, we will aim to foster dialogue and collaboration that are not only inclusive but enduring, as we collectively navigate the region’s complex challenges and possibilities.
SoTP 2026 will run over three days, featuring two parallel streams each day. These streams will explore telecommunications, ballot visas, China and France in the Pacific, peacebuilding initiatives, labour mobility, gender, Pacific/Melanesian research, legal and justice approaches, corruption, money laundering, crime and safety, climate diplomacy and the power of Pacific partnerships.