Peace Corps signs letter of intent to establish North Pacific program with Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau

KOROR, Palau - Peace Corps Acting Director Christopher Landau, Federated States of Micronesia President Wesley W. Simina, Republic of the Marshall Islands President Hilda C. Heine and Republic of Palau President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. today signed a letter of intent to support the establishment of a Peace Corps North Pacific program. The leaders signed the letter of intent while attending the 55th Pacific Island Forum in Koror, Palau.

The letter of intent demonstrates the nations' mutual interest in establishing a unified North Pacific Peace Corps program with volunteers serving in Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau. The Peace Corps marked its official return to Palau in July 2026.

Acting Director Landau noted the historic ties between the three Pacific countries and the United States saying, "This letter of intent reflects the shared understanding of four sovereign governments that our people-to-people ties are worth strengthening, formally and deliberately, in the spirit of the shared history that already binds us. Each of our nations brings its own laws, its own institutions, and its own processes to this effort. But what unites us is a common intention: to actively renew and further our engagement, and to give a new generation of Peace Corps volunteers the opportunity to serve in the North Pacific."

With the signed letter of intent, the Peace Corps will follow its established, comprehensive process for opening programs. The agency will consider factors including health and safety of volunteers and staff, administration priorities, programmatic alignment, agency resources and host government engagement in its country assessments of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.

Prior to the 2026 reopening of the Palau program, more than 4,400 Peace Corps volunteers served in Micronesia and Palau, which operated as a single program spanning both countries from 1966 to 2018. The Government of the Federated States of Micronesia formally invited the Peace Corps to reestablish a country program in 2022.

More than 140 Peace Corps volunteers served in the Marshall Islands from 1966 until 1996, working alongside community members primarily in support of shared priorities in the education sector. In 2023, the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands formally invited the Peace Corps to reestablish a country program and renewed its invitation in 2026.

Peace Corps volunteers collaborate with host country partners on locally prioritized projects, gaining skills and experience, while fostering mutual understanding, and promoting American values. Interested individuals are encouraged to visit peacecorps.gov/serve to learn more about the Peace Corps and apply for service.