- The Third Engaging with the Pacific Leaders Meeting 2012 ("Meeting") was held at the Westin International Hotel, Denarau, Nadi, Fiji, with the theme “Strengthening Partnerships Amongst Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS)” towards the vision “A United and Distinctive PSIDS Voice”.
- The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister of Fiji, Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama; the President of Nauru, H.E. Sprent Dabwido; the President of the Republic of Marshall Islands, H.E. Christopher Loeak; Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Hon Willy Telavi; Deputy Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Hon Ham Lini Vanuaroroa; Deputy Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Hon Manasseh Maelanga; Minister for Marine Resources, Tourism and Education of Cook Islands, Hon Teina Bishop; Minister for Foreign Affairs of Timor Leste, Hon Dr. Jose Luis Guterres; Minister for Economic and Foreign Trade of New Caledonia, Hon Anthony Lecren; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tonga, Mr. Mahe Tupouniua,; Senator Richard Tuheiava of French Polynesia; Mrs. Makurita Baro, Special Envoy of Kiribati; H.E. Peter Eafeare, High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea to Fiji; and H.E. Gerson Jackson, Ambassador of Federated States of Micronesia to Fiji.
- In his welcoming address, the Prime Minister of Fiji, Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama welcomed the Leaders and delegations of PSIDS, development partners, regional and international organisations to the Meeting. He emphasised the importance of regional unity, the need to speak with a united voice and cooperation in advancing areas that are of high priority to PSIDS;
- The meeting discussed issues of common interest to the region encompassing trade, security, sustainable development, good governance, commerce, environmental pollution, climate change, labour mobility and Fiji’s Strategic Framework for Change;
- The Pacific Leaders and representatives at the Meeting :
- Fiji’s Roadmap to Democracy
- Noted the progress on the implementation of the Peoples Charter for Change, Peace and Progress and the Roadmap for Democracy and the Sustainable Socio-Economic Development ("Roadmap"), including the constitution consultation process in Fiji and recognized the notable progress that has been achieved in the implementation of these credible homegrown solutions;
- Noted further the support by the international community for the constitution making process and Fiji’s Roadmap and affirmed their support for this process and as a potential model for other Pacific Island states;
- Reaffirmed their support towards Fiji’s Roadmap and Government’s efforts to build a better Fiji and the need for further substantive engagements between Fiji and other PSIDS;
- Rethinking Oceania
- Noted the progress achieved in the continued reflection by the Pacific Conference of Churches on the Rethinking Oceania concept;
- Recognized the validity and legitimacy in PSIDS of other diverse visions, models and approaches to development, governance, environmental sustainability, security and social cohesion that would ensure inclusiveness and sufficiency;
- Emphasized the essential and critical roles of spirituality and culture in the region’s continued reflection on appropriate economic and development models to be researched at national and regional level;
- Reaffirming PSIDS Solidarity
- Noted the challenges facing PSIDS in effectively addressing their common interests through existing regional and international groupings due to competing interests and differing levels of developmental needs of the members;
- Acknowledged the important role played by PSIDS in effectively advancing the interests of the Pacific region at the United Nations and in the wider international community;
- Encouraged the strengthening of partnerships amongst PSIDS through closer cooperation in areas of common interests;
- Emphasized the importance for PSIDS to take a united position on issues of priority to its members at the United Nations;
- Recognized the need for PSIDS to consider being a voting block to strategically advance its interests effectively in its relations with bilateral and multilateral partners, including development partners;
- Rio+20 Outcomes
- Noted the presentation by UNESCAP and acknowledged the effort that is being undertaken by PSIDS in the areas of sustainable development in the international fora including the United Nations;
- Noted further the role PSIDS is playing at the UN in advancing the issues of sustainable development of Oceans and Fisheries and the outcomes of the various international discussions, including the Yeosu Declaration on the Living Ocean and Coast that was adopted on 12 August 2012;
- Acknowledged the offer by New Caledonia to host a meeting on sustainable development in November 2012;
- Welcomed the efforts by the Melanesian Spearhead Group, CROP agencies and the United Nations to implement the Rio+20 outcomes including through joint efforts that maximize synergies between the various Pacific regional as well as global processes;
- Recognised the need to prioritise the acceleration of MDGs implementation to 2015 and realization of the Rio+20 outcomes including the adoption of the post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals, the application of the green economy and other sustainable development initiatives with innovative means and modalities of implementation;
- Agreed to jointly support the PSIDS' initiatives that seek to influence the post 2015 UN Development Agenda;
- Reaffirmed the position for the Pacific to host the next SIDS Global Conference on Sustainable Development in 2014;
- Greening the Economy
- Noted the presentation by IUCN and expressed their support towards the Greening the Economy concept;
- Recognised the need to develop national and subregional innovative financing strategies that emphasizes development partnerships between the financial contributors such as the private sector or multilateral funding agencies and with the local communities that tie infrastructure and other development priorities with community commitments towards environment conservation measures that would achieve sustainable development consolidate social governance structures;
- Supported the call for PSIDS to further examine the shift in emphasis from the present focus on the vulnerability of our region, towards the promotion of the global value of maintaining a pristine and healthy Pacific ocean ecosystem;
- Endorsed the convening of the Pacific Islands Development Forum for the purpose of engaging leaders from key sectors in implementing green economic policies in PSIDS, and for Fiji to host this Forum in 2013 as part of the Engaging With the Pacific Leaders meeting;
- Growing Pacific Economies
- Noted the presentation by the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organization (PIPSO) and acknowledged the importance of the private sector as the engine of growth and the role of PIPSO in enhancing partnerships between PSIDS private and public sectors;
- Agreed to collaboratively support the work of PIPSO in strengthening the capacity of the private sector as the engine of growth in PSIDS economies;
- Accelerating MDG Achievements in PSIDS
- Noted the presentation by UNDP and agreed to emphasise the need to accelerate achievements in PSIDS towards the MDG targets in these few remaining years of the MDGs before 2015;
- Agreed that PSIDS increased partnerships with each other under the concept of SOUTH-SOUTH dialogue with triangular cooperation from their development partners;
- Reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate to build human resources and institutional capacity in PSIDS;
- Fiji’s Role in Enhancing Human Resource Capabilities in PSIDS
- Noted the significant progress made by Fiji on the Fiji Volunteer Scheme (FVS) since the Second Engaging with the Pacific Meeting in 2011;
- Acknowledged the Fiji Third Country Training Programme (FTCTP) initiative under the South-South Cooperation concept that is to be implemented in the region through triangular partnership with Japan under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA);
- Agreed to encourage their respective agencies to liaise with Fiji to maximize opportunities under the Fiji Volunteer Scheme;
- Reaffirmed interest in modeling their own volunteer services after the FVS model with potential triangular partnerships with PSIDS development partners;
- Next Meeting
- The Leaders thanked Fiji for offering to host the next Engaging with the Pacific Meeting and the Pacific Islands Development Forum in 2013 and expressed their gratitude to the Government and people of Fiji for their warm hospitality during this meeting.
WESTIN INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
DENARAU, NADI, FIJI
23 - 24 AUGUST 2012
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