The Permanent Commission of the South Pacific (CPPS), constitutes a regional maritime system, an alliance, a strategic, political and operational option in the Southeast Pacific, to consolidate the presence of the coastal countries in said geographical area and its projection in an effective and coordinated, both towards the surrounding areas and the link with the Pacific Basin.
The origin of the CPPS dates back to 1952 when its founding document, the Declaration of Santiago, was signed. This manifestation was a visionary document whose content in the preamble states: "Governments have the obligation to ensure their peoples the necessary conditions of subsistence and to provide them with the means for their economic development" (Santiago Declaration of 1952).
The Permanent Commission of the South Pacific (CPPS) is an intergovernmental organization, created by agreement between Chile, Ecuador and Peru, to which Colombia subsequently joined in 1979. Therefore, the CPPS is a legal person under international law in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement of Paracas, Peru, of January 14, 1966.
The CPPS is the Executive Secretary of the 1981 Lima Agreement and the Action Plan for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Areas of the Southeast Pacific.
The CPPS has established a north and has defined the crucial actions to achieve it by incorporating in its philosophy a new strategic orientation that contemplates, in its development, the ability to understand the environment, in its context and the opportunities that derive from it. The institution has been managing the protection of its maritime resources for sixty years.
Today the CPPS is an organization that promotes and coordinates cooperation between its members and with other organizations of the international community in maritime affairs. Its main activities include carrying out scientific studies related to the El Niño phenomenon in order to timely forecast this phenomenon and alert their populations to the climatic risks associated with this event. This activity is carried out through research cruises carried out with the support of the research vessels of the four member countries, coordinated by the CPPS, constituting a joint action, unique at the international level.
Another important activity of the CPPS in the field of prevention is the coordination of the regional tsunami warning system in the Southeast Pacific, it promotes education for the population in order to reduce their risks and their effects on coastal populations and also helps in the adequate preparation of prevention institutions to face these phenomena.
The CPPS maintains support programs for artisanal fishing promoting the training of fishermen in order to guarantee sustainable fishing and avoid overexploitation of marine resources. In this same context, the CPPS supports the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, an activity that puts the resources of our region at risk and that requires a coordinated effort from its member countries. The CPPS and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representation in Ecuador collaborate to promote the adoption of the port state governing agreement and its main criteria.
Another management coordinated by the CPPS is the support to its member states for an adequate assessment of their marine and coastal ecosystems in order to create awareness of their economic importance for the benefit of their population.
In addition, the CPPS, as Executive Secretary of the 1981 Lima Agreement and of the Action Plan, carries out activities to monitor and control marine pollution in each of the member countries, providing an updated overview of the state of ocean health in the Southeast Pacific region.