PACER Plus Parties are meeting in Apia this week for a Strategic Planning Workshop and a series of Subsidiary Committee meetings, bringing together officials from across the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand to progress regional trade and development priorities for the next cycle of PACER Plus.
The meetings build on extensive country consultations undertaken across PACER Plus Parties between February and March 2026, during which governments, agencies and stakeholders provided input on national priorities, implementation challenges, and areas for future cooperation. Outcomes from those consultations are now being considered collectively at the regional level to help shape the next phase of PACER Plus implementation.
The programme commenced with a Strategic Planning Workshop on 20–21 April 2026, focused on the development of the Development and Economic Cooperation (DEC) Work Programme for 2026–2030. The workshop provided an opportunity for national focal points and component contact points to review the draft DEC framework, discuss strategic priorities, and assess proposed projects to ensure they reflect country needs, regional priorities, and agreed PACER Plus outcomes. Participants also reviewed the PACER Plus Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation (MELA) Logical Framework for 2026–2030, which sets out a results‑based approach to guide implementation over the next five years.
Discussions emphasised practical cooperation in key areas including trade facilitation, customs procedures, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, services, investment and labour mobility, with a strong focus on delivering tangible benefits for Pacific economies, businesses and communities.
Following the workshop, PACER Plus Subsidiary Committee meetings will be convened 22–24 April 2026, covering:
These meetings are particularly significant, representing the first in‑person convening of PACER Plus Subsidiary Committees and strengthening relationships among officials while enabling more detailed, solution‑focused technical discussions.
More than 60 participants from PACER Plus Parties are attending the meetings in Apia, Samoa hosted at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel and PPIU facilities. Discussions are expected to confirm priority activities for the 2026–2027 Annual Plan, guide the finalisation of the DEC Work Programme, and support coordinated, effective implementation of PACER Plus across the region.
PACER Plus Parties reaffirmed their shared commitment to working together in partnership, strengthening regional integration, and ensuring that PACER Plus continues to support sustainable development, inclusive growth and economic resilience for Pacific countries.
