This year’s Pacific ACP Trade Officials Meeting presents a valuable opportunity for Pacific ACP States to consider the progress on the mandates and decisions taken by Pacific ACP Trade Ministers at their meeting in 2020 and engage in a collective discussion on key priority issues, including:
- the COVID-19 Impact on the Pacific Regional Trade Landscape;
- the OACPS-EU Partnership Agreement;
- a comprehensive Review of Trade Agreements in particular modernisation of PICTA; and
- the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement to be endorsed by the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in December.
“the present circumstances require the Pacific ACP States to embrace proactive and innovative approaches and explore opportunities and mechanisms that will collectively support us in “staying ahead of the curve” on trade and development, including the development of a regional trade observatory and regional industrialization framework to boost trade competitiveness in the region,” says Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Henry Puna.
Puna told Pacific Trade officials that PACP countries are party to key trade agreements which require effective implementation strategies, capacity building, and institutional strengthening to achieve favourable outcomes through increased trade flow export and import; and to increase economic growth.
“The pandemic has revealed core issues that ought to be revisited, such as utilisation of E-Commerce/ Digital Economy; Trade Diversification/ Emerging Sectors; Quality Infrastructure, and; Trade Facilitation,” said Puna
“As we commemorate fifty years since the establishment of the Forum, we must leverage our collective efforts and bargaining power in light of our Leaders Vision and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent,” He added.
