According to Gustav Aitaro, Director of the Bureau of International Trade and Technical Assistance, Palau Ministry of State, the team is expected to arrive in Palau over the weekend.
Aitaro said that his office has been tasked to coordinate a conference like meeting between the team and relevant representatives from each of the 6 ministries of the Palau National Government – Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs, Ministry Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Industries and Commerce, and the Ministry of State – and representatives of non-government organizations (NGO)that has received or planning to apply for funding support or technical assistance from SPC.According to Aitaro, his office has conducted a number of meetings with representatives of the varying ministries and NGOs to organize the format of the meetings next week with the Palau-SPC JCS team.Aitaro further added that the purpose of the SPC JCS visit to Palau is to identify and discuss priority initiatives that could potentially be included in the Palau-SPC JCS.“During the meetings with representatives of the ministries and NGOs,” Aitaro said, “We had asked that each ministry and NGO prepare a list of priorities – particular to each entity – and that they hope to be included in the 2009-2013 Palau-SPC JCS; and to be prepared to present each particular list to the team for discussion next week.”Moreover, Aitaro said that the representatives of the ministries and NGOs will have opportunities to participate in sector-specific consultation meetings with the SPC JCS team and will be able to present their individual priorities lists.“Representatives of the Ministry of Health, for example, will be accorded time to discuss their priorities list in seclusion with SPC JCS team,” Aitaro said, “As will other representatives.”The end results of the consultation meetings between the SPC JCS team, according to Aitaro, will be organized, compiled and incorporated into the final design of the 2009-2013 Palau-SPC JCS.The SPC (formerly known as the South Pacific Commission) is a regional intergovernmental organization that was founded in 1947, which aims to “develop the technical, professional, scientific, research, planning and management capability of Pacific Island people and directly provide information and advice, to enable them to make informed decisions about their future development and well-being.” Palau became a full member of SPC in 1983 and has since then, applied for and received funding and technical assistance towards the development of its infrastructure.Anyone interested to learn more about the Palau-SPC JCS consultation meetings next week can contact Aitaro at 767-3682.
