September 2011 : 42nd PIF Auckland NZ - COMMUNIQUE

FORUM COMMUNIQUE - 42nd PIF, Auckland, New Zealand

FORTY-SECOND PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
7 - 8 SEPTEMBER 2011

FORUM COMMUNIQUÉ

The Forty-Second Pacific Islands Forum was held in Auckland, New Zealand, from 7 to 8 September 2011 and was attended by Heads of State and Governments of Australia, the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu. The Republic of Vanuatu was represented by its Special Envoy. New Caledonia and French Polynesia attended the formal session as Associate Members. Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna, the Asian Development Bank, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the United Nations (UN), Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), and the World Bank attended as Observers. The Forum Retreat was held on Waiheke Island.

2. Leaders expressed their deep gratitude to the Prime Minister, the Government and people of New Zealand for the excellent arrangements made in hosting the 2011 Leaders’ meeting, and for the kind hospitality extended to them during their stay in Auckland. Leaders also expressed their sincere appreciation to the t?ngata whenua and citizens of Auckland for the warm reception received and goodwill extended during their participation in the 2011 Forum meeting. Leaders acknowledged the significance of this meeting being the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Forum, and the many achievements of the Pacific region during this period. Leaders noted the appropriateness of convening in New Zealand which hosted the inaugural meeting of Leaders in 1971.

SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

3. Leaders welcomed New Zealand’s theme for the 2011 Forum of “Converting Potential into Prosperity” aimed at highlighting the many assets and resources of the Pacific that can be enhanced and developed to deliver long-lasting benefits. Leaders endorsed the Waiheke Declaration on Sustainable Economic Development which is attached as Annex 1. Leaders recognised the importance of focussing regional efforts on productive sectors where the Pacific has a comparative advantage – in particular, tourism, fisheries and agriculture. They also highlighted the importance of education, energy and infrastructure in creating an enabling environment for sustainable economic development. Leaders recognised that this focus is aligned with the national development priorities and plans of a number of Members. They also acknowledged the importance of trade integration and labour mobility for Forum Island Countries.

4. Leaders affirmed that inclusive and sustainable economic development would lead to improved quality of life and enhanced opportunities for the peoples of the Pacific. They welcomed the opportunity provided by the Private Sector Dialogue to engage directly with Pacific business representatives on the role of the private sector in driving sustainable economic growth and creating employment opportunities. Leaders emphasised the need for governments to foster an environment that encourages entrepreneurship and allows business, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, to thrive.

FISHERIES

5. Leaders reaffirmed the importance of maintaining regional solidarity for the effective management and conservation of highly migratory fish stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean for the benefit of the region. They recognised significant developments in the fisheries sector, including: fisheries science, conservation and management measures under the WCPFC; re-negotiation of the Multilateral Fisheries Treaty with the United States to generate increased economic benefits; early ratification of the convention establishing the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation; and enhanced monitoring, control and surveillance activities, including negotiations towards the conclusion of a Niue Treaty subsidiary agreement. Leaders particularly emphasised the significance of the Multilateral Fisheries Treaty and urged an early conclusion of negotiations aimed at securing fair and maximum returns to the Pacific Islands Parties.

6. Leaders acknowledged the importance of the region maximising the economic benefits from fisheries to support sustainable economic development, including through the Regional Economic Integration project. They recognised the valuable contribution of coastal fisheries and aquaculture to food security and economic development. Noting the importance of ongoing assistance to provide financial support for national and regional fisheries programmes, Leaders undertook to discuss this matter with development partners, as appropriate.

7. Leaders expressed concern about the damaging effect of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing on the sustainability of fish stocks and economic returns to Forum members. Leaders requested the appropriate regional organisations and partner countries to continue efforts to strengthen and expand the effectiveness of monitoring, surveillance and enforcement capabilities across the region. They noted with appreciation the contribution by Australia and New Zealand to fisheries development and to strengthening monitoring, control and surveillance capabilities in Forum Island Countries.

TRANSPORT AND ENERGY

8. Leaders emphasised the importance of reliable transport links, secure access to energy, and other supporting infrastructure for the sustainable economic development of the region. They reaffirmed their commitment to renewable energy and the promotion of energy efficiency. Leaders also acknowledged the need to make significant progress in the diversification of sources of energy by developing domestic renewable energy to reduce their reliance on imported fuels.

9. Leaders agreed on the value of energy audits and of developing credible whole of sector plans such as “energy road maps” and structures to improve energy security, reduce dependency on fossil fuel for electricity generation and improve access to electricity. Leaders expressed support for the development of effective management of fuel supply risks, meeting energy efficiency targets including expanding the existing electrical appliance energy efficiency standards and labelling programme to help realise significant energy savings. They acknowledged the benefit of facilitating greater private sector participation in the Pacific energy sector by systematically reducing barriers to the uptake of distributed generation.
10. Leaders called on development partners to assist in the implementation of these activities, the implementation of national energy sector plans and targets and to strengthen coordination of their financing activities.

TOURISM

11. Leaders acknowledged the major contribution of tourism to economic growth across the Pacific region, including employment generation. They highlighted the opportunities for all countries to develop highly sophisticated tourism operations on the basis of the unique natural beauty and vibrant cultures of the region. Leaders emphasised the need for critical infrastructure to support growth in the tourism sector as well as the need to focus on enhanced local community participation and ownership. Leaders recognised the untapped potential of cruise ship tourism to the region and the need for appropriate infrastructure and assistance to capitalise on this, including through adequate resourcing of the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

EDUCATION

12. Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to raising educational standards, improving participation rates, and expanding market-relevant vocational and technical training. Leaders welcomed Australia and New Zealand’s announcement that they would work to ensure 500,000 more children in the Pacific are enrolled in school and that 75 percent of children can read by the age of 10 by 2021. Leaders also welcomed Australia’s ongoing support for the Australia Pacific Technical College.

TRADE

13. Leaders noted the high priority placed by the region on the successful conclusion to the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations in 2012. Leaders agreed that negotiations on the Pacific Islands Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA) Trade in Services and the Temporary Movement of Natural Persons and PACER Plus would also be progressed as matters of priority, and that they continue to be kept informed of progress. Leaders urged those countries yet to complete arrangements to trade under PICTA to do so forthwith.

LABOUR MOBILITY

14. Leaders acknowledged the mutual benefits derived from effective labour mobility schemes, highlighting the contribution they make to people’s livelihoods and private enterprise in sending and receiving countries. They recognised the important ongoing contribution to Pacific employment of New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme and welcomed Australia’s announcement to expand its Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme to include four more Forum members.

CLIMATE CHANGE

15. Leaders reaffirmed that climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and well-being of the peoples of the Pacific. They welcomed the historic visit of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the Pacific to see firsthand the degree of vulnerability of the people of the Pacific to the adverse impacts of climate change and sea level rise, as exemplified by the case of Kiribati. They also welcomed the presentation by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and support for regional efforts and strong international action to address the impacts of climate change.

16. Leaders stressed the critical and urgent need for adaptation finance to enable Forum Island Countries to respond to the adaptation needs of its people, in particular those already suffering, are displaced or are being displaced as a result of the detrimental impacts of climate change. They welcomed advice provided by Forum Economic Ministers on the options for accessing and managing climate change funding at their meeting in Apia in July 2011. To advance this process, Leaders tasked the Forum Secretariat to set out by the first quarter of 2012 the detail of how the national and regional options could work in practice for appropriate consideration at relevant regional meetings. In undertaking this work, the Forum Secretariat should assess the feasibility of the options and associated risks and benefits, taking into account as appropriate, the specific capacities and needs of respective countries and the potential in possible combinations of various national and regional options.

17. Leaders emphasised the need to secure appropriate governance arrangements, disbursement modalities and procedures which accommodate the particular constraints of Forum Island Countries in the development of the Green Climate Fund and in the operation of other financing opportunities. They recognised the unique capacity constraints facing Forum Island Countries, noting that capacity supplementation was critical to ensure they are able to effectively and sustainably respond to climate change. Leaders called on development partners, including global funds, to ensure that capacity funding for Forum Island Countries is flexible and ideally channelled through national systems to support capacity supplementation and institutional strengthening, in addition to traditional capacity building efforts.

PACIFIC PLAN

18. Leaders welcomed the Pacific Plan Annual Progress Report 2011 on implementing the priorities endorsed by them at the Cairns Forum in August 2009 and recognised a number of achievements over the course of the last twelve months, including:

  a. in the fisheries sector, a number of regional maritime surveillance activities were conducted to detect and deter illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing;
  b. in the area of climate change, the establishment of the CROP Executive Sub-Committee on Climate Change to coordinate the efforts of regional agencies;
  c. in response to a request from Leaders, completion of a major study on options to improve access to and management of climate change financing; and
  d. the completion of peer reviews in Vanuatu, Niue and Tuvalu as part of the implementation of the Cairns Compact on Strengthening Development Coordination in the Pacific (Forum Compact).

19. Leaders re-affirmed that the Pacific Plan remains the master strategy for regional integration and cooperation. Leaders acknowledged the value of the Forum Compact in supporting the implementation of Pacific Plan priorities, providing the principles and processes for coordinated delivery. Leaders noted the proposed development of the Pacific Plan performance framework and endorsed the approach of using existing regional processes to track implementation of Pacific Plan priorities for reporting.

CAIRNS COMPACT ON STRENGTHENING DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION IN THE PACIFIC (FORUM COMPACT)

20. Leaders commended the efforts of the Forum Secretariat in implementing the Forum Compact and endorsed the two reports presented – the 2011 Tracking the Effectiveness of Development Efforts in the Pacific Report, and the 2011 Pacific Regional Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Tracking Report. Leaders recognised the importance of continuing efforts by Forum Island Countries, with the support of development partners, in identifying concrete steps, taking necessary action and monitoring implementation to improve development coordination and outcomes.

21. Leaders welcomed progress made under the Forum Compact in 2011 and recognised the efforts of Forum Members, the Forum Secretariat, partner agencies and development partners in strengthening development coordination across the region. Leaders recognised the importance of increased effort across the region to strengthen public financial management through the use of diagnostic tools and processes such as Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability assessments. Leaders commended the positive experience of the 2011 peer reviews held in Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Niue. They welcomed progress made in implementing the outcomes of the 2010 peer reviews in Nauru and Kiribati, noting the benefits of sharing experiences and identifying good practices to improve development outcomes.

22. Leaders agreed to showcase evidence and experience gathered during implementation of the Forum Compact as part of a coordinated regional position at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF4) to be held in Busan, Republic of Korea from 29 November to 1 December 2011.

HEALTH