PM to attend his fourth Pacific Islands Leaders’ Forum

The Prime Minister, Hon. Jim Marurai, will travel to Port Vila in Vanuatu on Friday morning (30 July) to represent the Cook Islands at the 41st Pacific Islands Forum and Related meetings, 3-6 August 2010.
It will be the Prime Minister’s fourth appearance at the Forum Meeting, the region’s political grouping of Pacific Islands States plus Australia and New Zealand (Fiji is currently suspended from participating).
“The annual gathering of Leaders from the Pacific is very important in terms of allowing the opportunity to share ideas, views and experiences on matters of high priority to our region,” says the Prime Minister.
“The sustainability of our fisheries resource, trade links, renewable energy, and climate change present a number of challenges where we can collectively pursue appropriate policies for the benefit of the region.”
Historically, the Cook Islands has a special link of responsibility to the Forum and over the years, the Prime Minister has continued to maintain a high level of priority in working closely together on a wide range of issues of importance.
The Forum Leaders’ Retreat will commence on Thursday, 5 August. This meeting is where the Forum Leaders gather in a less formal setting, to discuss and address significant issues, including the situation in Fiji, a review of both the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), the progress and future direction of the Pacific Plan, regional challenges such as climate change, energy, ICT, transportation, fisheries and trade, and a number of other prominent regional issues including country initiatives.
Prior to the Retreat, on Tuesday 3rd August the Prime Minister will attended the 19th Smaller Islands States (SIS) Leaders Meeting in the morning, followed by the Pacific ACP (PACP) Leaders Meeting in the afternoon.
Key priority areas to be considered by the seven SIS Leaders will include support for improved regional transportation services in both shipping and air services, in particular sub-regional shipping; labour mobility; renewable energy and bulk fuel procurement; climate change; food security; and gender equality.
At the PACP Leaders Meeting, Leaders will receive an update on the implementation of the European Development Fund Regional Indicative Programme and Pacific ACP trade issues. Leaders will also be briefed on developments relating to the negotiation of a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU. Furthermore, the Meeting will also consider recent developments relating to the proposal for the establishment of a regional PACP Office in Brussels.
The final meeting will be with the region’s thirteen Dialogue Partners (Canada, People’s Republic of China, the European Union, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States). It is anticipated that an interactive dialogue will take place, focusing on how donor partners can assist Forum Island Countries to address high priority regional issues such as climate change, the global economic and financial crisis, maritime boundaries, trade, energy and transport.
Marurai will be accompanied by his Private Secretary Rosita Taikakara and Carl Hunter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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