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
PACER Plus Parties Emphasise Regional Economic Integration at the 2023 Forum Trade Ministers Meeting
SUVA, Fiji – The 2023 Forum Trade Ministers Meeting (FTMM) convened on 6 October 2023 in Suva, Fiji where delegates engaged in discussions on key priorities that will shape the future of trade and investment in the region. (L-R) Ms. Sovaia Marawa, Melaneasian Spearhead Group Secretariat; Mr. Esala Nayasi, Pacific Islands Forum’s Deputy Secretary General; Mrs. Laisiana Tugaga, PPIU’s Operations and Secretariat Manager; H.E. Ambassador Mere Falemaka, Permanent Delegation of the Pacific Islands Forum to the United Nations, World Trade Organisation. The meeting was chaired by the Cook Islands, and attended by PACER Plus Parties Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu as well as the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and Marshall Islands. Key priorities discussed during the meeting included the current Regional Trade and Investment Landscape, the implementation of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, the Pacific Aid for Trade Strategy, private sector development priorities, and labour mobility. Representatives from the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus) Parties emphasised the pivotal role of PACER Plus as a mechanism for regional economic integration. The discussions underscored the commitment to principles of regionalism and sustainable socio-economic development, highlighting the importance of collaboration among Pacific nations. The 2023 FTMM recognised the need for alignment across regional frameworks to increase efficiency gains and enhance development returns to member countries. Participants acknowledged the significance of fostering cooperation and solidarity in addressing shared challenges and pursing common goals for the Pacific. Mrs. Laisiana Tugaga, Operations and Secretariat Manager of the PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) stated, “The 2023 FTMM provided a valuable platform for PACER Plus Parties to strengthen their commitment to regional economic integration. The discussions reflected a shared vision for the sustainable development of the Pacific, and the PACER Plus Implementation Unit is eager to work collaboratively with the Pacific Islands Forum on common initiatives for the region.” -END- More articles like this one
PACER Plus Ministers Meeting: Advancing Regional Economic Integration and Membership Expansion
APIA, Samoa – The Ministerial representatives of the Parties to the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus) convened virtually on 26 July 2023 under the chairmanship of Hon. Crossley Tatui, Minister for Infrastructure and Finance for Niue. The meeting saw government ministers and representatives from the 10 PACER Plus Parties – Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu – along with representatives from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Regrettably, Tuvalu conveyed their apologies as they were unable to attend. Ministers and officials from PACER Plus parties at the PACER Plus Ministers Meeting. Ministers took note of the significant achievements and progress made by the PACER Plus Implementation Unit and Labour Mobility Secretariat in delivering the annual work programme for FY2022-2023. Recognising the importance of supporting Pacific private sector businesses and enhancing their participation in regional and international trade, Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to realising the benefits of PACER Plus. The principles of inclusion, mutually agreed priorities, complementarity with existing regional activities, value for money, and timely support for economic recovery remained central to their approach. Expanding the members of PACER Plus was acknowledged as a valuable step towards enhancing regional economic integration. The Ministers emphasized that this expansion would foster more efficient and cost-effective supply chains, open up access to intra-regional and international markets, and attract foreign investment while boosting the positive impact of labour mobility. With keen interest from Nauru and other Forum Island Countries in ratifying the PACER Plus, the Ministers tasked the PACER Plus Implementation Unit and Labour Mobility Secretariat to actively engage these countries and facilitate their accession. The Ministers also highlighted the importance of addressing trade, investment, and labour mobility issues through streamlined regional activities that benefit all parties involved. Recognising the limitations in human resources and technical capacity within both public and private sectors, as well as the constraints in economic infrastructure and supply chain robustness, they underscored the need for coordinated efforts to implement reforms and capitalise on opportunities. Regarding labour mobility, the Ministers lauded the progress in the delivery of the labour mobility work program for Financial Year 2022-2023 and endorsed the activity plan for Financial Year 2023-2024. They acknowledged that these initiatives contributed directly to the development of a regional and holistic labour mobility policy and explored new opportunities for Pacific labour receiving countries. Emphasizing the value of the Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM) in facilitating effective regional cooperation, the Ministers committed to supporting the implementation of agreed regional initiatives. Additionally, the Government of the United Kingdom’s offer to provide technical expertise to support the implementation of the Development and Economic Work Programme was acknowledged with appreciation. The Chair of the PACER Plus Ministers Meeting, Hon. Crossley Tatui, stated: “The PACER Plus agreement remains crucial for our region’s economic growth and prosperity. By working together and coordinating our efforts, we can harness the full potential of PACER Plus to enhance trade, investment, and labour mobility, ultimately improving the lives of our people across the Pacific.” The Ministers’ commitment to realising the benefits of PACER Plus and advancing regional economic integration promises a brighter future for the Pacific, fostering sustainable socio-economic development and resilience against global challenges. -END- More articles like this one
PACER Plus two years on
This month marks the second anniversary of when the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus) entered into force. PACER Plus is a regional development-centered trade agreement designed to support Pacific Island countries to become more active partners in, and benefit from, regional and global trade. Ten Pacific Island Forum countries ratified and have been party to the agreement since its entry into force on 13 December 2020: Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU), which manages and delivers the work programme, was established in Apia, Samoa last year. PPIU works with Pacific parties to implement activities under PACER Plus. The agreement provides members with a framework to sustainably grow their trade in services and expand participation in key service sectors such as tourism. Sustainable tourism development is a key driver of economic recovery in the Pacific with PACER Plus enabling more transparent and predictable operation conditions for domestic and foreign service providers. With the reopening of Tonga’s international borders, PPIU supported the Tongan tourism industry with training programs on customer service, communications, COVID-19 protocols, and other priority themes identified through a training needs analysis. “The impact of the pandemic on the Tongan tourism industry has been severe but we were pleased that PACER Plus provided the much-needed training to prepare our tourism industry as we welcome the world back to Tonga,” said Ms Lorraine Kauhenga, Deputy CEO at Tonga Ministry of Trade and Economic Development. PPIU was also pleased to support Solomon Islands and Samoa with the ePhyto Capacity Building Workshop attended by exporters and industry stakeholders. The electronic phytosanitary certificate, otherwise known as ePhyto, is a tool that transitions paper phytosanitary certificate information into a digital phytosanitary certificate. This electronic exchange between countries makes trade safer, faster, and cheaper. “ePhyto promotes opportunities to improve bilateral trade in the region and other parts of the world. It will advance trade efficiency by reducing costs associated with bilateral negotiations and reduce fraudulent certificates. The ePhyto system will improve trade thereby improving incomes, creating more employment opportunities, and thereby enhancing economic development,” said Hon. La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt, Samoa’s Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. This year, Samoa hosted the sixth Pacific Labour Mobility Annual Meeting (PLMAM) where more than 150 delegates from government, private sector, international agencies, and stakeholders in the Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, and Timor Leste to discuss labour mobility priorities in the region. “The PLMAM is a significant medium by which we are advancing inclusive regional labour mobility cooperation in the Pacific. This meeting’s theme of ‘Reinvigorating labour mobility cooperation for development’ reiterates the opportunity for all labour mobility stakeholders to re-engage, reset and re-commit to advancing an effective level of cooperation that can enhance mutually beneficial development gains,” said Hon. Leatinu’u Wayne So’oialo, Samoa’s Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Labour. Moving forward, PPIU will focus on exports and broader trade facilitation in the agricultural sector, recovery of the tourism industry, improving cooperation under labour mobility, and implementing activities that focus on enabling PACER Plus parties to meet requirements of importing countries, implementing systems that make trade easier, and promoting export products while establishing business connections across the PACER Plus network. More articles like this one
PACER Plus Ministerial Meeting discuss COVID-19 economic recovery
Ministerial representatives of the Parties to the PACER Plus Agreement and high-level government officials met virtually on Wednesday 27 July 2022. Nauru and Vanuatu were also present at the Ministerial Meeting as signatories to PACER Plus and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat attended as Observer. The PACER Plus Ministerial Meeting 2022 came at a critical time for the region as Pacific Island economies, many of whom are dependent on tourism, were severely impacted by COVID-19 border closures. The Ministerial Meeting discussed how PACER Plus can provide support to the economic recovery of PACER Plus Pacific Island Parties, pursuance of strategic partners to support the work programme and economic integration efforts, and enhancement of mutual gains from the labour mobility work programme. Kiribati hosted the PACER Plus Ministerial Meeting and the Minister for Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Honourable Bootii Nauan chaired the meeting. He paid tribute to the late Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Fisheries and Trade for Tuvalu, Honourable Minute Taupo, who passed away in May this year. “The late Honourable Taupo’s contributions to Tuvalu and her people were immense. He was also a champion of PACER Plus and was quite instrumental in Tuvalu ratifying the Agreement this year. Through his incredible leadership, he has set an example for us all as Pacific leaders of PACER Plus countries to perform our roles well in service to our people and our community,” said Mr. Nauan. Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus or PACER Plus is a regional development-centered trade and investment agreement aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. The Agreement is designed to support Pacific Island countries to stimulate economic growth by becoming more active partners in, and benefit from, regional and global trade. Nine countries are currently parties to the Agreement: Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu. -ENDS- Caption: Government leaders from nine PACER Plus countries virtually met for the second PACER Plus Ministerial Meeting held on Wednesday 27, July 2022. More articles like this one