First in-person PACER Plus Ministerial Meeting Convened in Brisbane
BRISBANE, Australia – The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus Ministerial Meeting was held yesterday, Friday 15 November, in Brisbane, Australia, marking the first in-person gathering of Ministers since the PACER Plus Agreement entered into force in December 2020. The meeting was chaired by the Hon. Leota Laki Lamositele, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour of Samoa, and brought together Ministers and senior officials from Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The Ministers discussed the future of trade and investment under the Agreement, which came into effect during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Samoa’s Minister of Finance, Hon. Lautimuia Uelese Vaai (right), at the PACER Plus Ministerial Meeting in Brisbane, Australia. Reflecting on the journey since the Agreement’s first meeting in February 2020, Ministers reaffirmed the foundational importance of PACER Plus in strengthening economic partnerships, fostering sustainable development, and promoting regional economic integration. PACER Plus, which emerged during unprecedented global health and economic challenges, has proven instrumental in supporting Pacific nations’ resilience and recovery through trade liberalisation and capacity building. “The contributions of the PACER Plus Development and Economic Cooperation (DEC) Work Programme have been critical in advancing trade facilitation across our region. The capacity building initiatives aimed at equipping our officials and local enterprises with the tools to navigate the global trade environment have provided substantial benefits. Through PACER Plus, we have managed to alleviate some of the pandemic’s adverse impacts, particularly by providing support to sectors, such as hospitality, that were significantly affected during those challenging times.” Hon. Lautimuia Uelese Vaai, Samoa’s Minister of Finance Australia’s Assistant Minister for Trade and Manufacturing, Hon. Tim Ayres, highlighted the significance of the Agreement: “PACER Plus is not a traditional Free Trade Agreement. It is a facilitative Agreement that makes the region stronger together. Australia is ambitious for the region and rightly so – we recognise our role in supporting ambitions for regional economic prosperity. PACER Plus is an important framework for this, bringing our governments together to make good decisions collectively.” The Ministers acknowledged the work of the PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) in supporting the Parties to implement the Agreement. Australia’s Assistant Minister for Trade and Manufacturing, Hon. Tim Ayres (left), at the PACER Plus Ministerial Meeting 2024 in Brisbane, Australia. The Ministers also acknowledged the importance of the DEC Work Programme, which has provided vital support to Pacific countries, improving trade capacity and strengthening regional cooperation. They commended the strong engagement by PACER Plus Parties, who have leveraged the DEC Work Programme to boost their trade capabilities and build a more robust enabling environment for businesses. Recognising the role of the private sector as the key driver of trade, PACER Plus Ministers and their representatives called for intensified efforts to support private sector development. They tasked the PPIU with accelerating the implementation of the DEC Work Programme and refining its approach to private sector engagement. The PACER Plus Ministerial Meeting was held today in Brisbane, Australia, marking the first in-person gathering of Ministers since the PACER Plus Agreement entered into force in December 2020. Ministers expressed their in-principle support for renewing the Implementing Arrangement for Development and Economic Cooperation under PACER Plus for another five years beyond December 2025, calling for reforms to ensure its continued effectiveness in addressing the unique needs of Pacific Island economies. The meeting was also attended by Nauru, a PACER Plus signatory, and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat who participated as observers. To read the full 2024 PACER Plus Ministerial Meeting Communique, please click here. -ENDS- More articles like this one
Overcoming Barriers: PB Agrifood is making small changes for a big difference
After just two months in Australia, Jimmy from Solomon Islands earned a reputation as one of PB Agrifood’s most productive and enthusiastic workers. While Jimmy has a hearing impairment, with no ability to hear in one ear and only partial hearing in the other, this has not been a barrier to his employment. With the help and support of his employer and colleagues, Jimmy is thriving in his role as a production hand at the Toowoomba-based business, which specialises in trading soybeans, mungbeans, sunflowers, birdseeds, protein meal and planting seed. Jimmy (right) is thriving in his role as a production hand at PB Agrifood. Next to Jimmy is company director, Catherine. Originally from Solomon Islands, Jimmy is part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, which connects workers from the Pacific islands and Timor-Leste with eligible employers in Australia. He joined PB Agrifood in March 2023 and said he is grateful for the way his colleagues and employer have shaped his experience so far. “I’m really enjoying my new job. My friends help me with explanations, and they help me understand,” Jimmy said. PB Agrifood Director Catherine Brodie said the company had made some ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace, to ensure Jimmy can perform all his tasks safely. “We just adjusted some of our procedures and communications with Jimmy to explain what tasks he had to do in his role. If he doesn’t quite understand us, we use sign language or write on paper,” she said. For PB Agrifood making some simple changes has paid off for everyone involved. “He has picked up the role so quickly and has gone 110% above and beyond. Jimmy is always a happy man, he is always smiling. He is one of the best baggers here, and the guys really appreciate having him on their team,” Catherine said. Although Catherine and her team have fulfilled their obligation to make reasonable adjustments for Jimmy, they wanted to take their support a step further. Jimmy has known he has a hearing impairment since he was young but doesn’t have access to hearing aids in Solomon Islands. “My parents knew I had a hearing problem and took me to the hospital but in my country, I couldn’t get hearing aids. They just checked and said, ‘you have a hearing problem’. Then I accepted it and moved on with my life,” he said. Having a hearing aid will impact Jimmy’s life long after he returns home from the PALM scheme. Moving to Australia meant that Jimmy would finally be able to access this technology–but it would cost AU$2,500, the equivalent of around six months’ savings. To improve the quality of his hearing sooner, PB Agrifood and Labour Solutions Australia, worked together with health insurance provider nib to cover the cost of Jimmy’s hearing aids. Within a few months, he was fitted with the small but life-changing devices. “When I hear my voice, the sound is different–it’s better,” said Jimmy, just after his fitting. “Now I will be able to talk easily with my workmates,” he added. But it’s not just about the workplace. Having a hearing aid will impact Jimmy’s life long after he returns home from the PALM scheme. “And my daughter–I’ll talk to her on the weekend. I will tell her that I have new hearing. I’ll tell her that my life has changed,” he said. More articles like this one