Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) Director of the Pacific and Regional Affairs Division (PRAD) Antonina Browne is chairing the Pacific ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific States) Officials meeting and the Smaller Island States Officials Meeting in Suva, Fiji this week.

Last week, Browne joined members from each of the 18 member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), including the Specialist Sub-Committee responsible to the Forum Officials Committee (FOC), to present the revised draft of the 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan (205OIP).

The 3Oth FOC Specialist Sub-Committee Meeting was co-chaired by Browne, on behalf of PIF Chair, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, and Olita Tupou, Deputy Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister from Tonga.

Browne said it was an opportunity for them to consider the draft Implementation Plan that has been revised based on feedback received during the consultation period.

She said the draft 2050 Implementation Plan and policy brief documents were circulated for consultation and feedback following the 29th Sub-Committee Meeting held on August 18.

She thanked all members for their commitment and work they put into the Multi-Stakeholder Expert Group (MSEG} and Informal Working Group (IWG) processes of the last six months, which led to the development of the draft.

The Forum Officials Committee Meeting this week culminates in the annual Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting (FFMM), and serves to frame Pacific regionalism by identifying and assessing priority initiatives to advance Pacific regionalism for leaders’ consideration at the annual Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting.

Browne said the meeting held last week provided not only an opportunity for them to consider the revisions of the draft 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan but to also provide an update and next steps to the FOC.

"It will inform preparations for the Forum Officials Committee who are the representative body of PIF Forum members, on which regional issues should be considered by Forum Foreign Ministers next week, and Pacific Island Forum Leaders at their Meeting, which will be hosted by the Cook Islands from 6 - 10 November 2023.”

Meanwhile, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Henry Puna at the Pacific ACP opening said the meeting is expected to finalise the recommendations on important matters for the PACP Leaders’ consideration.

The agenda was focused on aspects of their engagement with the European Union (EU) and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), in anticipation of the operationalisation of the new OACPS-EU Partnership Agreement.

“The new OACPS-EU Partnership Agreement now has the full EU membership approval, and all agreement partners will be meeting hopefully later this year or early next year in Apia, Samoa to complete the signing formalities and to celebrate the new agreement’s launching and recognition of this agreement as the - Samoa Agreement,” he said.

He said the test of the ‘Samoa Agreement’ is in its implementation and flexibility to incorporate, adjust and realign to any future changes made by the 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan.

The ‘Samoa Agreement’ has at least a 20-year life span and will fall within the 2050 timeframe.

Puna, also speaking at the Smaller Island States meeting, said this week they would see a comprehensive scope of issues discussed among the membership that began with the Smaller Island States meeting.

“I think you would agree that the region, and indeed the SIS, has come through a range of complex challenges in the last five years.

“We have survived a pandemic, we have grappled with high levels of economic uncertainty, we continue to weather the intensity of climate change, and we have withstood some of the most sensitive political challenges and through it all – we have worked together as a Forum Family to develop a long-term vision through the 2050 Strategy of the Blue Pacific Continent.”

He said they now cast their efforts and resources behind the development of the 2050 Strategy Implementation and Monitoring Plan which will guide their collective efforts towards the achievement of their Leaders vision.

LL / Release