The opening of the two days meeting was presided by Tonga’s Lord Tu’ivakano.
The meeting, which was attended by trade ministers and head of delegations of the 16 Forum Countries, New Caledonia and the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, focused discussions on trade-related issues affecting the Forum members, including: the operations and funding arrangements for the Office of the Permanent Delegation of the Pacific Islands Forum World Trade Organization in Geneva, the progress on the development of the 10-year strategy for the Pacific Islands trade and invest offices, developments relating to traditional knowledge and intellectual property, the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat’s trade-related work program with a focus on the regional trade facilitation program and the review and stocktake of trade facilitation programs underway in Pacific Island Countries.
One important issue on the agenda of the 2011 Forum Trade Ministers Meeting was the discussion on the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations, or PACER, Plus related issues with an emphasis on the second and third PACER Plus officials meeting, the non-state actors dialogue on PACER Plus, the establishment and operation of the Office of the chief trade adviser for PACER Plus, and the way forward.
During the meeting, FSM sought further assistance from the PIFS to implement its trade policy, which was adopted by the FSM Congress in January 2011.
FSM and the two other Freely Associated States —the Marshall Islands and Palau — also sought the assistance to enhance trade promotion and marketing in the U.S. through the establishment of a Pacific Islands Trade and Investment office.
The three FAS worked to secure the necessary assistance to advance subregional integration and trade among themselves in the context of the Micronesia Trade Committee.
Attending the 2011 Forum Trade Ministers Meeting from the FSM Department of Resources and Development are Assistant Secretary for Trade and Investment Ernest Weirlangt, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Camille Movick, and Jean Bertrand Azapmo, trade policy analyst.
