Our History

Prior to the existence of the PIIF its predecessor the Pacific Provident Funds and Social Security Forum (PPFSSF) was formed in 2005 and registered in the Solomon Islands with 7 founding members that came together in the true spirit of Pacific cooperation and collaborate to resolve common issues amongst the members. Between 2005 and 2015 the PPFSSF held 6 CEO Forum Meetings.

At the 2015 PPFSSF CEO Forum in Tonga, the CEO’s began discussions on how to revitalise the organisation and re-engage with its members and meet their needs.

In 2017 at the PPFSSF CEO Forum in Tuvalu, the CEO’s resolved to approve a Statement of Corporate Intent to drive improvements to the organisation and appoint a secretariat tasked with supporting and delivering on the objectives, leading to the establishment of the PIIF.

The PIIF Constitution was adopted at the inaugural PIIF CEO Forum hosted by the Cook Islands National Superannuation Fund (CINSF) in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on the 28th of May 2018, and officially registered as an Incorporated Society in the Cook Islands on the 6th of June 2018. The PIIF founding membership included 18 Funds from 12 Countries, representing the financial security of over 1.6 million Pacific people. The PIIF was established to provide 3 key support services to the members - a place to collaborate, education programs for the members, and the opportunity to invest together.

The PIIF logo is the representation of a traditional weave, this represents strength of the members embracing and working together to achieve more. The colours represent the islands and the ocean around us.

In 2019 at the second PIIF CEO Forum hosted by the Samoa National Provident Fund (SNPF) in Apia, Samoa, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) provided a grant funding arrangement to support the PIIF secretariat to drive the objectives of the PIIF. The members also agreed to move forward with the support of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to research the most suitable platform for the Pacific Funds to invest together. From 2020 to the end of 2021 the PIIF and the IFC completed the research work and published the findings.

In 2022 at the third PIIF CEO Forum hosted by the Guardians of the New Zealand SuperFund, in Auckland, New Zealand, the CEO’s accepted the research and recommendations for the PIIF Co-Investment Platform. The co-investment memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed and the members took part in reviewing the first co-investment opportunity. The CEO’s also passed resolutions to build on the statistical reporting and research for women in super, and the consideration of an ESG statement into each members investment policies.

Later in 2022 through the support of MFAT, the Investment Officers from across the Pacific, met in Rotorua, New Zealand, for the first Investment Officers Forum (IO Forum) to review the co-investment MOU, and how it will work practically. The Investment Officers then also took part in reviewing an investment opportunity and how it will flow through the process from concept to due diligence, structuring, funding, completion of transaction, and on going management.

The next PIIF CEO Forum is due to be held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea in 2023.

The 18 founding members of the PIIF in alphabetical order:

• Cook Islands National Superannuation Fund

• Fiji National Provident Fund

• Kiribati Provident Fund

• Nauru Sovereign Wealth Fund

• New Zealand SuperFund

• Ngati Awa Group Holdings

• Papua New Guinea – Nambawan Super

• Papua New Guinea – NASFUND

• Samoa National Provident Fund