Republic of Nauru

The Republic of Nauru is an island located in the South Pacific, close to the line of equator and north of Papua New Guinea. With a population of nearly 12,000, it is a republic (the president is  elected by the parliament) and is one the world’s smallest countries, with 21 square kilometers.

Nauru became a German protectorate in 1888. In 1914, during World War I, it was occupied  by Australian troops and was jointly administered by Australia, the United Kindgdom and New Zealand (1914-1942 and 1947-1968). Between 1942 and 1945, Nauru was occupied by Japan. It became independent in 1968.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the country had one of the world’s largest per capita income due to its phosphate industry. Since the 1990s, however, due to the exhaustion of deposits, the country has been trying to find other sources of income, including fishery licensing and tourism. The center for processing applications for immigrants, operated by Australila since 2001, is also a significantsource of funding for the government. 

Nauru is a signatory to the 1982 Nauru Agreement, which seeks to coordinate and harmonize the management of tuna fisheries in its eight member countries. The theme is of great relevance to the island countries in the Pacific, which depend, at some extent, of income from licensing of foreign fishing vessels to fund the government. In the case of Nauru, 28% of governmental revenues in 2016 originated from those permits.

Diplomatic relations between Brazil and Nauru were established on November 2, 2005, on the ocasion of the visit of a mission headed by ambassador Frederico Cézar de Araújo. The Ambassador of Brazil to Australia is also accredited as Ambassador to Nauru. 

On May 11, 2006, a Basic Technical Cooperation Agreement was signed between Brazil and Nauru. The agreement aims to improve and foster the socio-economic development of both countries, to emphasize sustainable development and to promote technical progress. On June 10, 2009, the Brazilian National Congress approved the text of the agreement. For its entry into force, the treaty still needs approval by Nauru. The government of Nauru expressed interest in identifying cooperation activities in the following areas: healthcare; information technology; water and sanitation.

Trade exchange between Brazil and Nauru is virtually non-existent.

Chronology of Bilateral Relations

2005 – Brazil’s first official mission to Nauru

2005 – Establishment of diplomatic relations

2006 – Signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement

2009 – The permanent representative of Nauru to the UN visits Brazil