The “Pacific Islands Leadership Program with Taiwan (PILP),” co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan and the East-West Center (EWC), a think tank in Hawaii, USA, commenced on October 7, 2024 at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs. The opening ceremony was hosted by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chancellor of the Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs, Amb. François Chihchung Wu. Ambassador Anjanette Kattil of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Jeremy Cornforth, Deputy Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, and other distinguished guests also attended the ceremony.
This program was initiated in 2011 by Kurt Campbell, former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and current U.S. Deputy Secretary of State. Since 2013, the Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EWC have co-organized this training program, which takes place in both Taiwan and the U.S.
This year (2024), 21 participants come from countries including the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Cook Islands, the Solomon Islands, French Polynesia, and Samoa. The program focuses on international relations, regional security, sustainable environments, healthcare cooperation, and Austronesian studies. Activities include visits to the Council of Indigenous Peoples and the Ocean Affairs Council, a tour of Changhua Christian Hospital, as well as attending the 2024 TAITRONICS and AIoT Taiwan. Participants will also give talks, sharing their perspectives at the “2050 Blue Pacific Continent Strategy: Sharing Practical Experience in Oceania” forum.