This workshop was held subsequent to round table meeting on aid for trade for the Pacific held on Oc. 23-24, 2008 in Nadi, Fiji, during which Forum Islands Countries recognized their trade capacity-building needs and the necessity to mobilize aid for trade resources in an efficient and timely manner to address these needs.
A road map and time table for action was agreed to, calling the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to work with key stakeholders in member countries, to further refine and prioritize their trade-related project proposals that will be translated into donor-ready proposals for consideration in July 2009.
Attending the two-day meeting was Wenguo Cai, who is a consultant hired by the Forum to assist the FSM in identifying, prioritizing and designing projects and programs that aim to remove trade supply-side constraints for the consideration of donors for aid for trade funding.
The consultants will also be involved in preparing a regional aid for trade implementation plan that incorporates trade-related programs of relevant regional organizations and bilateral donors.
