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Pacific EU SPIRIT Project

Free, Prosperous & Resilient Pacific Communities

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N E W S     A R C H I V E S

Launch of Phase 2 of Trade Data/Statistics Collection in the Pacific

for the Regional Trade Statistics Database

12 August 2024 - Watch this short video/reel by the PIFS-SPIRIT Project's Consultant and International Trade Policy and Data Expert, Dr. Evious Zgovu, on the importance of establishing the Regional Trade Statistics Database (RTSD)—a standalone Key Result Area (KRA) or project deliverable. Phase 1 of the trade data collection and transposition was completed in 2023. Phase 2 is currently active and will be completed by February 2025. The RTSD will be hosted by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Nasese, Suva, Fiji.

Ms Sogoing Denano, a Lecturer at PNG University of Technology, shared "I have been involved quite a long time, but the process of drafting the standards, and the words used, has been something new that I learned and I appreciate that.” Brian Fitzgerald, Technical Lead of Standards & Regulation at Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA), delivered a workshop on “The link between energy efficiency and international standards” to help align with international standards and allow for faster and more cost-effective solutions to improving energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and lower peak electricity use.

 

Ms Ethel Mapulo, Director of Environmental Health Department, Solomon Islands, reiterated the centrality of climate change to standards setting. “If there is anything that I take back home, its climate change and how do we sort of relate that to the work we do.

 

I know that climate change is a cross-cutting issues in many areas of our work. So in terms of health in the Solomon Islands, it’s a new area that probably I would be looking into.” PISW 2024 was developed, planned, and executed in partnership with Standards New Zealand (SNZ), the Pacific Islands Standards Committee (PISC), and the Pacific Quality Infrastructure (PQI) Initiative through the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS).

 

The event was hosted by Standards New Zealand as part of their Pacific programme, funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to enhance standardisation and conformance capacities in Forum Island Countries. The PISW 2024 follows the well-received Pacific Islands Laboratory Week in March in Nuku’alofa, Tonga.

 

The next regional event, the Pacific Islands Quality Policy workshop, is expected to take place in October or November this year. The PQI Unit of PIFS is responsible for leading and coordinating the implementation of the PQI Initiative.

 

This effort is supported through collaboration with the EU-ACP Business Friendly Programme - "Supporting business-friendly and inclusive national and regional policies and strengthening productive capabilities and value chains" implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and receives financial backing from the European Union through the SPIRIT Project.End

Pacific Islands Standards Week 2024 - A Resounding Capacity Building and Peer-to-Peer Learning Success

13 August 2024—The Pacific Islands Standards Week (PISW) 2024 wrapped up on Friday, 9 August, in Wellington, New Zealand. Forty regional participants were immersed in five days of training sessions, workshops, and stakeholder activities to enhance standardization and conformance in the Pacific.

 

A total of 44 delegates participated in PISW, half of the regional delegates being women. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s SPIRIT project funded 29 of the delegates' participation.

 

The Pacific Islands Standards Committee convened its 10th regional meeting, and the Technical Committees also met during this second PISW. The event presented a unique opportunity for networking with national standards bodies and peer-to-peer learning for regional focal points, with guest speakers from across New Zealand’s standards and conformance system, as well as Standards Australia.

 

Of the peer learning and networking opportunities during the week, Ms Leyanii Livu, a Standards Officer at the Vanuatu Bureau of Standards, said, “we have learned a lot from Standards New Zealand, Standards Australia, and other Pacific siblings, like the big island nations like Fiji and Papua New Guinea. We as small island nations rely and depend on them. [We] look at their experiences and learn from them.” 

 

Ms Kiri Ataera, Director of Implementation and Planning for the Ministry of Infrastructure in the Cook Islands, added, “the most important thing that’s been echoed throughout the week is making Pacific voices heard. So no one is left behind. Giving the Pacific people a voice in the standards forum. Allowing us to develop our own standards that are specific to our needs and our uses.”

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The workshop on writing requirements by contextualising drafting [of standards] principles gave participants the opportunity to practically apply the principles learned to their current standards projects.

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Source: https://pacific.asycuda.org/

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Consultations for Phase II of the Regional Trade Statistics Database Successfully Underway in the Region

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PIFS-SPIRIT Consultant Dr. Evious Zgovu and SPIRIT Project team members Philip Mercado and Anuragh Narayan conducted a national workshop in Kiribati with Kiribati trade and customs officials on data collection and transposition for the Regional Trade Statistics Database to be hosted by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

Consultations with data stakeholders in the region are currently underway for Phase II of the Collection and Transposition of PACPS Trade Statistics for the Regional Trade Statistics Database (RTSD). The consultations began with a sensitization workshop jointly organized by the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and Kiribati’s Ministry for Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives (MTCIC) on 6 August 2024 in Tarawa, Kiribati.

 

In her keynote address at the workshop, MTCIC Senior Assistant Secretary, Ms. Areau Henry, expressed her appreciation for the intervention, stating that “Kiribati is a small island developing state, facing unique challenges in terms of economic growth and development. Having reliable, accurate, and timely trade data is essential for understanding our economic performance, identifying opportunities, and informing effective policymaking. The RTSD will provide Kiribati with a valuable tool to analyze trade patterns, assess market access, and track the impact of trade policies. This information will be instrumental in supporting our efforts to diversify our economy, increase exports, and attract foreign investment.

 

Following the sensitization workshop, specific capacity-building training was provided by consultant Dr. Evious Zgovu, SPIRIT Database Officer Mr. Anuragh Narayan, and facilitated by PIFS Trade Adviser Mr. Philip Mercado. The training will inform Kiribati’s customs and trade officials of how to navigate and utilise the RTSD for their policymaking and trade data analysis and guidance to facilitate their data submissions toward RTSD. The PIFS RTSD team is also scheduled to conduct in-country consultations in Palau and Nauru.

 

Phase II of the Collection and Transposition of PACPS Trade Statistics for the RTSD is an activity under the European Union-funded SPIRIT project implemented by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS).

Ninth Meeting of the EU-Pacific interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA) Trade Committee Meeting 6-7 February 2024, Apia, Samoa

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Joint Conclusions and Communiqué

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Tonga's Mapping of Sustainable Trade and Economic Development Pathways Enhanced through the Development of a Project Fiche

8 August 2024, Nuku’alofa—Tonga has embarked on a Project Fiche initiative that focuses on developing various sectors critical to reforming Tonga's trade and economic landscape. The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) is providing technical assistance for the development of the Project Fiche, as requested by the Government of Tonga, through the SPIRIT project.

 

The in-country consultations will take place from August 4th to 9th, 2024.Facilitated by PIFS SPIRIT Trade Adviser for Polynesia, Stephen Musubire, the national consultations will be led by Tonga's Ministry of Trade and Economic Development and experts from KVA Consult Ltd and will include Tonga's public and private sector stakeholders.

 

Key areas of potential support identified include agricultural production, export facilitation, and private sector capacity building. Mrs. Poinisetia Paongo, Acting CEO of the Ministry of Trade and External Development (MTED), said that she was "proud to announce that our Project Fiche initiative aligns seamlessly with the regional 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, laying a strong foundation for sustainable economic growth and regional integration."

 

"By leveraging opportunities within the EU market, we are not only enhancing Tonga's trade capabilities but also ensuring our policies contribute to a thriving, interconnected region. The Ministry of Trade and Economic Development is dedicated to leading this initiative with a strategic vision and a focus on delivering long-term benefits for our nation and the wider Pacific community."A detailed and comprehensive Project Fiche report is expected to be finalised by October 2024.

 

This report will also include a systematic approach to Tonga's engagement with development partners to minimise duplication and promote Tonga's trade and sustainable development objectives.The development of a Project Fiche for the provision of medium—to long-term support projects aims to increase the private sector's export readiness and competitiveness for the EU market.

 

This activity is supported by the European Union-funded SPIRIT Project at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS).

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EU PRISE Programme Launches Scoping Study on developing the Kava-Based Pharmaceutical/Nutraceutical Industry and Digitising the Kava Value Chain to Support Smallholder Kava Farmers in the Pacific

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Chief Guest, Fiji's Permanent Secretary for Trade, Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises, Mr. Shaheen Ali.

Kava

A scoping study on the development of a kava-based pharmaceutical/nutraceutical industry in the Pacific was launched during an initial meeting on 28 September at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji.

The chief guest, Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Trade, Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises, Mr. Shaheen Ali shared deep and useful insights on Fiji’s policies and future direction on developing the kava value chain, the importance of protecting its intellectual property rights as a product unique to the Pacific region and how value-adding raw kava to processed or semi-processed products in the Pacific region before exporting them to international markets increases its commercial value, provides employment and income generation opportunities for our people, lifting people out of poverty, among other benefits.

The study will provide updated data and information on whether this is a pathway that’s feasible for the Pacific region in developing its kava sector and serving the commercial needs and priorities of kava farmers.

The prospects of digitising kava value chains in the Pacific integrating mobile technologies for widespread accessibility in rural areas, both offline and online, and by capturing individual farmer data, locations, farmer income inflows and outflows which can be linked to commercial and development banks can lower risks for smallholder kava farmers when applying for loans due to better predictability of farmers’ income flows.

For smallholder farmers, access to finance is the most important challenge they seek support from government and the financial institutions. Digitising the kava value chains using advanced technologies that have proven successful in developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America is worth exploring on how this can be leveraged to benefit our farmers in the Pacific. The six countries in the Pacific involved in the study include Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. Experts from SourceTrace were also in Suva to deliver initial information sessions to participants on the next steps of the feasibility study. It’s organised by the Pacific Islands Forum’s SPIRIT and the Pacific Community’s SAFE Pacific projects which are funded by the European Union.

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Register via this link: https://shorturl.at/tCDN4

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Mr. Maurizio Cian is the new Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation for the Pacific

The PRISE-PEUMP Technical Coordination Group meet for the first time the new @EUPasifika Head of Cooperation Mr. Maurizio Cian. The PRISE-PEUMP Technical Coordination Group serves to improve collaboration dynamics among the partners in serving the trade and development needs of the 15 Pacific member countries. The different project scopes cover trade, customs, agriculture, biosecurity, and fisheries. The SPIRIT project focuses on facilitating the implementation of the Pacific EU Economic Partnership Agreement by the parties of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands and supports the accession processes of its observers (Niue, Tonga, Timor Leste, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) and other members.

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Tuvalu Takes Bold Steps to Access Lucrative EU Fish Market

In a significant development for Tuvalu’s fishing industry, the country has taken critical steps to secure a spot on the European Union (EU) market. Two key initiatives have been launched recently, marking a substantial leap forward for the nation’s aspirations to boost its economic prospects.

From August 7th to 18th, 2023, the Institute of Applied Science within the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, hosted the “Regional Sampling Training for Competent Authority for Health Certification.” This comprehensive training program aimed to strengthen the capabilities and competencies of Pacific Island Countries’ (PIC) Competent Authorities (CAs), which serve as focal points in accessing the EU market. The training was funded through the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and was facilitated by the FFA market access team.
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Kiribati explores EU-Pacific IEPA Accession through PIF SPIRIT Project

Kiribati held national consultations on the feasibility of joining the EU-Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) from 9 - 10 August 2023. Acting Head of Mission, EU Delegation for the Pacific, Dr. Erja Askola officiated virtually at the event. Kiribati's Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Industry & Cooperatives led the consultations with representatives from the public and private sectors. Pacific parties to the EPA comprise of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and the Solomon Islands. Niue, Tonga, Timor Leste, Tuvalu and Vanuatu have formally triggered accession protocols and procedures with the EU. The number of parties and observers from the Pacific increased to nine, from six in 2021, with NIue, Tuvalu and Vanuatu joining as observers during the period 2022/2023. The workshop was jointly organised by Kiribati's Ministry of Tourism, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat through the EU-funded SPIRIT project. SPIRIT Trade Adviser for Micronesia, Mr. Philip Mercado was in Kiribati to deliver this technical assistance.

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Thursday, 31 August 2023
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