Editing Marshall Islands (section)

===Foreign affairs and defense===
[[File:Marshall Islands Police patrol vessel Lomor and USCGC Oliver Berry - 180703-G-CA140-115.jpg|thumb|left|The [[USCGC Oliver F. Berry (WPC 1124)|USCGC ''Oliver Berry'']] and the [[RMIS Lomor (03)|RMIS ''Lomor'']] on a joint patrol<ref name=Dvids2018-08-01/>]]
[[File:Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands.jpg|thumb|The Marshall Islands host Missile Defense Site]]
[[File:Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in Japan.jpg|thumb|Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in Japan]]

{{further|Foreign relations of the Marshall Islands|Compact of Free Association}}
The [[Compact of Free Association]] with the United States gives the U.S. sole responsibility for international defense of the Marshall Islands. It gives the islanders (the [[Demographics of the Marshall Islands|Marshallese]]) the right to [[emigrate]] to the United States without any visa.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/12/02/world/The-Marshall-Islands-Are-Disappearing.html |title=The Marshall Islands Are Disappearing |first1=Coral |last1=Davenport |first2=Josh |last2=Haner |date=December 1, 2015 |access-date=August 22, 2017 |newspaper=The New York Times |archive-date=August 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823193536/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/12/02/world/The-Marshall-Islands-Are-Disappearing.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Maie V. Garland">{{cite web |url=https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2021/08/02/19-73099.pdf |title=Bryan Maie V. Merrick Garland, No. 19-73099 |page=6 |publisher=U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit |date=August 2, 2021 |access-date=2021-08-09 |quote=Bryan Maie is a native and citizen of the Marshall Islands who came to the United States as a child with his family in 1989. Maie and his family arrived in Hawaii pursuant to the Compact of Free Association, which allows citizens of the Marshall Islands to come to the United States to live, work, and go to school without a visa. |archive-date=2021-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802190538/https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2021/08/02/19-73099.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> However, as [[Alien (United States)|aliens]], they can be placed in [[removal proceedings]] if convicted of certain criminal offenses.<ref name="Maie V. Garland"/>

The Marshall Islands was admitted to the [[United Nations]] based on the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]]'s recommendation on August 9, 1991, in [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 704|Resolution 704]] and the [[United Nations General Assembly|General Assembly]]'s approval on September 17, 1991, in Resolution 46/3.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/46/3 |title=United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/3, ''Admission of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to Membership in the United Nations,'' adopted September 17, 1991 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118011819/http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A%2FRES%2F46%2F3 |url-status=dead |series=United Nations Official Document |archive-date=November 18, 2015 |website=un.org}}</ref> In international politics within the United Nations, the Marshall Islands has often voted consistently with the United States with respect to General Assembly resolutions.<ref>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/82642.pdf General Assembly – Overall Votes – Comparison with U.S. vote] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202183404/https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/82642.pdf |date=2019-12-02 }}  lists the Marshall Islands as the country with the second highest incidence of votes. Micronesia has always been in the top two.</ref>

On April 28, 2015, the [[Iranian navy]] seized the Marshall Island-flagged [[MV Maersk Tigris|MV ''Maersk Tigris'']] near the [[Strait of Hormuz]]. The ship had been chartered by Germany's Rickmers Ship Management, which stated that the ship contained no special cargo and no military weapons. The ship was reported to be under the control of the [[Iranian Revolutionary Guard]] according to [[the Pentagon]]. Tensions escalated in the region due to the intensifying of [[Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war|Saudi-led coalition attacks in Yemen]]. The Pentagon reported that the destroyer [[USS Farragut (DDG-99)|USS ''Farragut'']] and a maritime reconnaissance aircraft were dispatched upon receiving a distress call from the ship ''Tigris'' and it was also reported that all 34 crew members were detained. [[US Defense Department|US defense]] officials have said that they would review U.S. defense obligations to the Government of the Marshall Islands in the wake of recent events and also condemned the shots fired at the bridge as "inappropriate". It was reported in May 2015 that [[Tehran]] would release the ship after it paid a penalty.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/marshall-islands-ship-seized-by-iran-2015-4 |title=Marshall Islands ship seized by Iran – Business Insider |author=Armin Rosen |date=April 29, 2015 |work=Business Insider |access-date=May 6, 2015 |archive-date=May 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503020918/http://www.businessinsider.com/marshall-islands-ship-seized-by-iran-2015-4 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/iran-to-release-cargo-vessel-after-it-pays-fine-2015-5 |title=Iran to release cargo vessel after it pays fine – Business Insider |date=May 6, 2015 |work=Business Insider |access-date=May 6, 2015 |archive-date=May 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509232420/http://www.businessinsider.com/iran-to-release-cargo-vessel-after-it-pays-fine-2015-5 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2017, at the 34th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, [[Vanuatu]] made a joint statement on behalf of the Marshall Islands and some other Pacific nations raising human rights violations in the [[Western New Guinea]], which has been occupied by [[Indonesia]] since 1963,<ref>{{cite news |title=Freedom of the press in Indonesian-occupied West Papua |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jul/22/freedom-of-the-press-in-indonesian-occupied-west-papua |work=The Guardian |date=22 July 2019 |access-date=31 July 2019 |archive-date=25 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725001246/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jul/22/freedom-of-the-press-in-indonesian-occupied-west-papua |url-status=live}}</ref> and requested that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights produce a report.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fox |first1=Liam |title=Pacific nations call for UN investigations into alleged Indonesian rights abuses in West Papua |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-02/pacific-nations-call-for-un-investigations-into-west-papua/8320194 |work=ABC News |date=2 March 2017 |access-date=2019-07-31 |archive-date=2017-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031203404/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-02/pacific-nations-call-for-un-investigations-into-west-papua/8320194 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="SBSMar17">{{cite news |title=Pacific nations want UN to investigate Indonesia on West Papua |url=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/03/02/pacific-nations-want-un-investigate-indonesia-west-papua |work=SBS News |date=7 March 2017 |access-date=31 July 2019 |archive-date=7 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107034058/http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/03/02/pacific-nations-want-un-investigate-indonesia-west-papua |url-status=live}}</ref> Indonesia rejected allegations.<ref name="SBSMar17" />

Since 1991 the [[Republic of Marshall Islands Sea Patrol]], a division of [[Marshall Islands Police]], has operated the 160-ton patrol vessel [[RMIS Lomor (03)|RMIS ''Lomor'']]. ''Lomor'' is one of 22 [[Pacific Forum patrol vessel]]s [[Australia]] provided to smaller nations in the [[Pacific Islands Forum|Pacific Forum]].  While some other nations' missions for their vessels include sovereignty and protection, the terms of the Compact of Free Association restrict ''Lomor'' to civilian missions, like fishery protection and [[search and rescue]].

In 2021, the governments of [[Australia]] and [[Japan]] decided to fund two major law enforcement developments in the Marshall Islands.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mvariety.com/news/australia-japan-fund-law-enforcement-in-marshall-islands/article_fcac5006-63b4-11eb-8dc1-2766414cf8f0.html |title=Australia, Japan fund law enforcement in Marshall Islands {{!}} MVariety |website=mvariety.com|last=Johnson|first=Giff|date=February 1, 2021 |access-date=February 2, 2021 |archive-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209085055/https://mvariety.com/news/australia-japan-fund-law-enforcement-in-marshall-islands/article_fcac5006-63b4-11eb-8dc1-2766414cf8f0.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

In February 2021, the Marshall Islands announced it would be formally withdrawing from the [[Pacific Islands Forum]] in a joint statement with [[Kiribati]], [[Nauru]], and the [[Federated States of Micronesia]] after a dispute regarding [[Henry Puna]]'s election as the forum's secretary-general.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |date=9 February 2021 |title=Five Micronesian countries leave Pacific Islands Forum |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/436039/five-micronesian-countries-leave-pacific-islands-forum |access-date=9 February 2021 |publisher=[[RNZ]] |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308131515/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/436039/five-micronesian-countries-leave-pacific-islands-forum |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite web |date=8 February 2021 |title=Pacific Islands Forum in crisis as one-third of member nations quit |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/09/pacific-islands-forum-in-crisis-as-one-third-of-member-nations-quit |access-date=9 February 2021 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=9 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209013116/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/09/pacific-islands-forum-in-crisis-as-one-third-of-member-nations-quit |url-status=live}}</ref>