Trade Ministers Focus On Regional Agreements
Forum Ministers responsible for trade met in Rarotonga, Cook Islands on July 22 to consider and make decisions on a number of trade-related issues of great importance to the region, according to a release from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
Those issues included participation by Forum Island Countries (FICs) in the World Trade Organization (WTO), progress and status of the Regional Trade Facilitation Program (RTFP) under the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) and deepening trade and economic cooperation between all Forum Members (PACER Plus).
- ADVERTISEMENT -
Ministers reiterated their support for the activities of the Forum WTO Office in Geneva, which advocates FIC interests in the WTO and provides capacity building activities for the FICs. In doing so, Ministers recognized the need for continuity in the financing of the office on a cost-sharing basis and the need for support from development partners to finance the office. It was agreed that a donor roundtable meeting be convened later in the year to discuss possible funding options for the office.
Ministers stressed the importance of protecting and advocating for Traditional Knowledge (TK) and Intellectual Property Rights and welcomed the early commencement of a study on the possible establishment of a regional institution for that purpose as mandated by Forum Leaders.
Ministers reaffirmed their support to the program of work on trade facilitation under the Regional Trade Facilitation Program. Ministers agreed on a course of action to enhance the effectiveness of the Program, including the formal establishment of a Steering Committee to oversee the activities of RTFP. Ministers welcomed the announcement by New Zealand of a further contribution of NZ$500,000 to fund RTFP activities for 2008-2009.
Ministers reaffirmed that PACER Plus be more than a typical FTA, with sufficient flexibility to take account of different capacity, country contexts and stages of development in the region. Ministers directed that work on PACER Plus be continued through informal discussions over the coming months. Australia and New Zealand offered to organize and fund three further informal discussions. The first of these informal discussions will be held before the end of the year.
Ministers discussed the proposal mandated by Pacific ACP Leaders for an Office of the CTA to support the FICs in their engagement in PACER Plus. Australia announced a trade fellowship program to assist in the capacity building of the FICs, involving provision of training to one official from each FIC, starting in September 2008.
Australia also announced the availability of a facility for the FICs to undertake national studies to inform their engagement in PACER Plus. New Zealand announced the funding of a study on the assessment of the capacity of Non-State Actors (NSA) to engage in PACER Plus discussions and its willingness to fund further capacity-building workshops for FIC officials.
