Forum calls for submissions to improve business opportunities

23 November 2017, 12:00AM

The Pacific Islands Forum is committed to a regional policy agenda that is inclusive, transparent, and owned by its constituents.

Earlier this month the Forum Chair and Prime Minster of Samoa, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegoaoi, launched the Forum’s Regional Policy Consultations and called on the “people, communities, and organisations of the region to come forward and share their insights and ideas”.

“ We are open to all possibilities for collective action that can benefit the people of the Pacific.

One particular area of interest for these consultations is business mobility and harmonisation. 

Specifically, the Forum Secretariat would like to better understand what the major barriers are to business investment in the region and what mechanisms we might look at to improve business mobility. 

This work is also considering the utility of a Forum wide business travel card.

Another issue the Forum Secretariat is exploring is the efficacy of existing labour mobility schemes and ways of improving these into the future. 

If you have experience or opinions on this topic then we’d love to hear from you.

All the submissions we receive during our consultations will be consolidated by the Forum Secretariat in consultation with Forum members, relevant technical agencies from the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (C.R.O.P.), and where need be, with other partners of the Forum.

The key issues and themes that emerge will be used to inform regional policy development.

The case for Pacific Regionalism is as strong today as it has ever been.”

This was recognised by Pacific Islands Forum Leaders when they introduced The Framework for Pacific Regionalism in 2014. 

The Framework sees coordinated, collective action as a pathway towards a “region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity, so that all Pacific people can lead free, healthy, and productive lives.”

During their meeting in September 2017 in Samoa, Forum Leaders deepened this commitment by endorsing The Blue Pacific as a new narrative for joint political action that calls for working together as one Blue Continent. 

The Blue Pacific aims to harness our shared ocean identity, geography and resources to develop policies that will drive positive change in our socio-cultural, political and economic development.

The Pacific region is unique in offering this opportunity a chance for all people to contribute to the development of regional policies that will help shape our future. 

I encourage you to be involved by visiting the Forum Secretariat website for more information:http://bit.ly/PacificRegionalism”

23 November 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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