State of the Pacific 2016 will take place over three days from 13-15 September 2016. State of the Pacific is an annual conference hosted by the State, Society and Governance in Melanesia (SSGM) Program in the Australian National University’s Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs. A showcase for research on the Pacific region, it brings together academics, policy makers, business leaders, civil society representatives and the media to discuss current research on the Pacific and to explore the vital links between research and policy.

2016 marks the 20th anniversary of SSGM’s establishment and the 70th anniversary of Pacific studies at the ANU. Drawing on this unique legacy – seven decades of long-term applied research in and on the region – and the extensive networks of researchers, policy makers and practitioners developed during this period, State of the Pacific 2016 will explore a range of issues concerning state, society and governance in Melanesia and the broader Pacific today.

These issues will be explored through four broad themes:

• Pacific regionalism
• Social and cultural developments in the Pacific
• The state of democracy in the Pacific
• Political economy trends in the Pacific