An informal meeting of Pacific Trade Ministers was convened by New Zealand
in Auckland on May 9, 2009. Australia was represented by Trade Minister Simon
Crean (pictured) and Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance,
Bob McMullan.
At the invitation of the New Zealand Minister of Trade, Tim Groser, the Vice
President of Kiribati, the Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa and Ministers from
Australia, Cook Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu
met informally in Auckland, New Zealand, from May 8-9, 2009.
Representatives of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands also attended. Also
present were the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat,
Mr Tuiloma Neroni Slade, and Mr Kaliopate Tavola, current chair of the Pacific
Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus informal discussions. The
meeting was chaired by Murray McCully, New Zealand's Foreign Minister.
Participants in the meeting welcomed the opportunity to meet to discuss PACER
Plus issues.
Participants recognized the importance of deepening regional trade integration
as a means to create jobs, enhance private sector growth, raise standards of
living and advance the region's sustainable economic development. In doing so,
they reaffirmed the objectives of the PACER.
Further to this, the participants recalled the Forum Leaders' decisions at
Niue in 2008 and acknowledged the need to move the PACER Plus process forward
to give effect to those decisions. In doing so, it was important to build on
the work already undertaken to date, including through the process of informal
discussions amongst Forum trade officials mandated by Ministers in 2008.
All participants expressed concern at the serious effects of the global economic
crisis on all Forum Members. They recognized that those effects could have far
reaching implications throughout the region, especially for the small and vulnerable
Members of the Forum.
This underlined the need to advance trade and investment integration in the
region. Participants also expressed their desire to assist each other in securing
resources through bilateral, regional and multilateral channels to enable Forum
Island Countries (FICs) to address the impacts of the economic crisis.
In this regard, participants welcomed the positive indications by the Australia
and New Zealand of substantial increases in their respective ODA programmes
in the region.
Participants noted that it will be the decision of their Leaders to launch
PACER Plus negotiations. They welcomed commitment by Australia and New Zealand
to support and resource the Office of the Chief Trade Advisor (OCTA), which
would assist FICs in the PACER Plus negotiations.
The urgency of early establishment of the OCTA as a prerequisite to negotiations
beginning was discussed, including through possible interim arrangements. This
issue would be discussed further by officials in Vanuatu on May 13-15 and by
Forum Trade Ministers in June, with a view to taking recommendations forward
to the Forum Leaders Meeting in August.
Participants also welcomed the willingness of Australia and New Zealand to
support the meaningful participation of FICs in PACER Plus.
The participants also expressed their determination to move forward on the
PACER Plus as instructed by Forum Leaders in 2008, including through the upcoming
informal meeting of officials, to be held in Port Vila, Vanuatu from May 13-15
and the Forum Trade Ministers Meeting to be held in June in Apia, Samoa.
Lastly, the participants expressed their appreciation to New Zealand for hosting
the meeting and the courtesies extended.
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