Which Oceanian country adopted the world's first nuclear-free constitution in 1981? The answer is Palau.
Palau's constitution was approved by voters in 1981, while the islands were still in free association negotiations with the United States. It prohibited the use, storage, and disposal of nuclear, toxic chemical, gas, and biological weapons unless a 75% referendum majority approved them.
The nuclear-free clause became a major political issue because the United States wanted flexibility for nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed vessels under the proposed Compact of Free Association. Palau's constitution therefore delayed the agreement and Palau's eventual independence in 1994.
A common mix-up is confusing constitutional adoption with independence: Palau became independent in 1994, but its nuclear-free constitution dates to 1981. Palau is also different from nearby nuclear-free policy initiatives that were established by legislation, treaties, or regional declarations rather than embedded in a national constitution.