The ONOC International Relations Commission (IRC) was established by the ONOC Executive Board in 2018 (Tokyo, Japan) and endorsed by the ONOC General Assembly in 2019 (Nadi, Fiji).

Its Chair is Hon. Baklai Temengil, Minister for Community and Cultural Affairs in Palau.

The purpose of the IRC is to engage with regional and international stakeholders through the new Pacific Regional Sports Taskforce (PRST) and contribute towards the development of the Pacific Sport, Physical Activity and Physical Education (SPAPE) Action Plan 2019 - 2030. The PRST offers a regional coordination mechanism for sport, physical activity and physical education in Oceania.  

The IRC will harness the PRST to engage with regional stakeholders across government, non-government, UN agencies, tertiary institutions, private sector and civil society organisations.  

For historical context, the IRC builds on the legacy of ONOC’s engagement and leadership of sport and development in the Pacific through its Pacific Sports Compass Working Group active from 2015 to 2018. The Working Group reviewed the contribution of sport to Pacific economies, reviewed the status of national sport policies, developed a series of sport models for the Pacific, supported national governments in setting policy priorities in sport for development, informed the delivery of quality physical education, enhanced the delivery of sport education and sport management, and developed a measurement framework to support regional sport policy implementation.  

The Commission will build on the legacies of the ONOC Pacific Sports Compass Working Group, and a regional project called 'Raising the Voice for Sport in the Pacific' that was funded by the European Union and led in partnership by ONOC, UNESCO and Sport Matters.

The IRC draws from and aligns to the Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport Commission (formerly the International Relations Commission) in the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  

At global IOC level, the Public Affairs and Social Development Through Sport Commission ‘advises the IOC Session, the IOC Executive Board and the IOC President on strategies to promote the role of sport and Olympism in society and to position the IOC as a thought leader and a strong actor on the international stage around sport for development and peace in and beyond the Games.’  

The ONOC International Commission is the youngest of the commissions in the Oceania Continent.

Pacific Regional Sports Research Scholarship
The Pacific Regional Sports Research Scholarship (PRSRS) is a partnership with the University of the South Pacific (USP), the Pacific's premier regional institution of educational excellence. It was established in 2018, the year of USP's 50th anniversary.

The graduate research scholarship, coordinated by the USP Research Office and the ONOC International Relations Commission, is for Master's level studies in sports research in schools under the USP's Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) or the Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE).The strategic partnership is built on values education, sustainability and innovation. The initial thematic areas are reflected in the Adjunct Professors appointed to complement USP faculty and they bring expertise in sports economics, the social impact of sport on society, and physical education.
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The PRSRS is an important legacy from the USP's 50th anniversary year and opens new doors for institutional partnerships for the ONOC and USP with private sector, NGOs and international student and teaching exchanges.ONOC through its IRC is strengthening the teaching and research capacity at USP in sports and sustainable development which is a significant milestone for regional sports education and research and demonstrates strong leadership towards filling a research gap in the Pacific Islands.

Terms of Reference
The Commission has a Terms of reference outlining its core functions and responsibilities.

Members