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FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

__________________________________________________________________________-___________ Report of the Sixth _____________________________________________________________ MEETING OF FAO SOUTH WEST PACIFIC MINISTERS FOR AGRICULTURE Rarotonga, Cook Islands, 1-3 June 2005 FAO Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands, Apia, Samoa

SIXTH MEETING OF THE FAO SOUTH WEST PACIFIC MINISTERS FOR AGRICULTURE, COOK ISLANDS, 1- 3 JUNE 2005 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

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SIXTH MEETING OF FAO SOUTH WEST PACIFIC MINISTERS FOR AGRICULTURE

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

1-3 June 2005

REPORT

FAO Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands, Apia, Samoa

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. OFFICIAL OPENING 2. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA AND WORKING ARRANGEMENTS 2.1. ELECTION OF THE CHAIR

2.2. ADOPTION OF THE THEME

2.3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

2.4. ADOPTION OF THE MEETING PROGRAMME AND WORKING PROCEDURES 3. OVERVIEW OF FAO ACTIVITIES IN THE PACIFIC 2003 – 2005 4. COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES FOR ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY AND

TRADE

4.1 REGIONAL PROGRAMME FOR FOOD SECURITY: IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS

4.2 POLICY ASSISTANCE: COMPARATIVE STRENGTHS, ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

4.3 PLANT PROTECTION AND BIOSECURITY IN THE PACIFIC REGION

4.4. MARKETING AND FARM MANAGEMENT SKILLS FOR IMPROVED ENTERPRISE PROFITABILITY

4.5. FOOD TRADE AND NUTRITION SECURITY IN THE PACIFIC

4.6. FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT IN THE REGION

4.7. RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND SOUND RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

4.8. ROUNDTABLE MEETING ON WTO AGREEMENT PROVISIONS 5. EXPANSION OF THE REGIONAL PROGRAMME FOR FOOD SECURITY IN

THE PACIFIC: DRAFT CONCEPT PROPOSAL 6. AVIAN INFLUENZA AND ITS IMPLICATION TO THE PACIFIC 7. OTHER BUSINESS 8. ADOPTION OF THE COMMUNIQUÉ 9. VENUE FOR NEXT MEETING 10. CLOSING OF THE MEETING ANNEX A: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

ANNEX B: KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF FAO, DR JACQUES DIOUF

ANNEX C: OPENING ADDRESS BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE COOK ISLANDS

ANNEX D: AGENDA

ANNEX E: COMMUNIQUÉ


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Rarotonga, Cook Islands 1 – 3 June 2005

REPORT

The Sixth Meeting of the FAO South West Pacific Ministers for Agriculture was convened at the National Auditorium in Rarotonga, Cook Islands from 1- 3 June 2005. The meeting was attended by Ministers from the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, and representatives from Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the FAO Sub-Regional Representative for the Pacific Islands also attended. Representatives from the Government of Italy, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the University of the South Pacific (USP), and the Sub-Regional Office for the South West Pacific of the World Meteorological Organization attended as observers. The full list of participants is attached as Annex A. AGENDA ITEM 1: OFFICIAL OPENING 2. A formal ceremony was held to mark the official opening of the Sixth Meeting of the FAO South West Pacific Ministers for Agriculture. Ministers and Representatives from the South West Pacific member countries as well as Government dignitaries were accorded the traditional welcome of “turou” on arrival at the ceremony. 3. Following the prayer of devotion, the Minister for Agriculture of the Cook Islands, Honourable Tupou Faireka formally welcomed all delegates and observers. He extended a special welcome to the Director-General of FAO and to all Ministers and country Representatives. He stated that the Government and the people of the Cook Islands were very pleased to host the Sixth Meeting, the first to be held in the Cook Islands. At the end of his welcome remarks, he presented a gift for the Director-General. 4. After reciprocating with a gift presented to the Government of the Cook Islands which was received by the Minister for Agriculture, the Director-General of FAO, Dr Jacques Diouf delivered the Keynote Address. He stated that he was greatly honoured to address the meeting which, since the inauguration of the FAO Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands in 1996, countries had decided to convene on a biennial basis with a view to strengthening the partnership between FAO and the Pacific. He added that the meeting also assisted FAO in recognizing the challenges faced by its island member countries in the South West Pacific that deserved special attention from FAO and its partners. 5. The Director-General stated that the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) countries were diverse in many respects, but shared common constraints that impede the achievement of a balanced economic growth and sustainable food security at both the national and household levels. He noted that agriculture was the dominant productive sector of most PIF countries, as the major food source and it accounted for 20 – 40 per cent of GDP, over 50 per cent of export and 40-80 per cent of employment. However, the export sector in most countries comprised a narrow range of primarily agricultural commodities, weak market systems and linkages, and was vulnerable to changes in international trading conditions. As such, there was a need for diversification away from the narrow base of traditional commodities.


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6. In regards to the Regional Programme for Food Security (RPFS) for the Pacific, the Director-General stated that it was designed in 2002 to enable the Pacific Island Countries to increase efficiency and sustainability of agriculture, to improve food security and health, to facilitate trade in agricultural products and decrease impact of natural disasters. Today, the overall goal was to expand its current scope to improve the security situation of the PIF countries by increasing the availability and access to adequate quantities of safe food products. He added that support from regional economic organizations had facilitated the smooth implementation of the project, which was also benefiting significantly from technical assistance provided by the People’s Republic of China and the Philippines under the South-South Cooperation framework, which was considered an integral part of the project. In addition, the programme provided for consultants to be recruited to provide assistance in the areas of food quality and safety in particular for adapting relevant legislations and regulations, strengthening the institutions, training their staff and supplying the scientific equipment for the tests and analyses. Further, it promoted complementarity with other initiatives such as the European Union (EU)-funded “Development of Sustainable Agriculture Programme” and the “Regional Trade Facilitation Programme” supported by Australia and New Zealand. 7. The Director-General pointed out that while a number of governments had implemented food security programmes and other remedial measures, it was clear that further interventions were required to help alleviate the problems faced by smallholder farm households and rural communities. He considered that food insecurity in the region remained a challenge and FAO with the experience and expertise of its member states could give advice for the creation of an adequate environment aimed at ensuring access to food for the poor. 8. The Director-General advised that FAO was convening a Roundtable on Food Security and Sustainable Development in Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) during the FAO Council in November this year. The Roundtable will review the progress made in implementing the decisions of the last Ministerial Meeting and the Mauritius Summit, and chart the path for mobilizing the international community for accelerating the programme and projects relevant to agriculture and food security. 9. He explained that FAO established the Trust Fund for Food Security and Food Safety with an initial target of US$500 million to finance projects and activities aimed at contributing to the achievement of the first Millennium Development Goal of food security and poverty alleviation. He further explained that it was within this context that FAO, with the Italian Government’s contribution to the Trust Fund, launched the RPFS for the Pacific, which was acting as a catalyst for the mobilization of further funding and donor support for the expansion phase of the programme from 2006-2010, estimated at some US$72 million. To this effect, and in order to envisage the mobilization of more resources, the Director-General recalled the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries in Maputo in June 2004 where participants adopted a declaration reaffirming agriculture as the priority sector on which to base economic and social development. 10. The Director-General concluded by saying that FAO will continue to recognize the SIDS including the Pacific countries, as a special case for sustainable development and food security, and will ensure that their special needs and priorities were addressed, within the limit of available resources. He then expressed his best wishes for a successful meeting adding that he was looking forward to learn of the outcome of the deliberations. A copy of the Director-General’s speech is attached as Annex B.


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11. The Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Honourable Jim Marurai delivered the opening address. He extended a warm welcome to Ministers and Delegates from overseas and acknowledged the presence of local dignitaries. He also extended a special welcome to the Director-General, the Sub-Regional Representative and staff of the FAO and thanked them for the assistance and support in the preparation and organization for the meeting. 12. The Prime Minister stated that FAO had been a very active and productive development partner and that through FAO’s initiatives and in collaboration with member countries, programmes had been implemented in fisheries, forestry, livestock, food processing, plant protection, policy and planning, marketing, atoll cultivation and many more. He added that Cook Islands had benefited immensely from those programmes over the past 23 years since it became a member of FAO in 1982. He pointed out that even now there were ongoing programmes funded by FAO in the Cook Islands, and no doubt, the same could be said for the other countries present. 13. The Prime Minister stated that the rural sector had been regarded by the present as well as the previous government as being critical to the sustainable development of the country’s economy in terms of crop and livestock production and fishing. He added that the watershed years of the country’s reform in the mid 1990s underpinned the importance of those sectors in formulating national priorities. Furthermore, with almost 70 per cent of all households in the Cook Islands still very much engaged in agriculture, livestock and fishing, the rural sector would continue to be an area of importance when it came to development planning and resource allocation. 14. Referring to the unprecedented event earlier in the year when five cyclones visited the Cook Islands within a period of one month, resulting in considerable damage to the land-based rural sector, the Prime Minister stated that farmers had already commenced the necessary rehabilitation work without waiting for outside assistance. This gave a clear indication of the importance of the rural sector as a source of livelihood for the people of the Cook Islands. He expressed appreciation for those who had so far provided assistance towards rehabilitation and added that the Cook Islands was looking forward to working closely with development partners on rural-based development programmes. 15. The Prime Minister concluded by wishing the meeting constructive and fruitful deliberations and all delegates a happy and enjoyable stay in the Cook Islands. He then declared the meeting officially open. A copy of the Prime Minister’s speech is attached as Annex C. AGENDA ITEM 2: ADOPTION OF AGENDA AND WORKING ARRANGEMENTS Item 2.1: Election of the Chair

16. The FAO Sub-Regional Representative for the Pacific, Dr Vili Fuavao on behalf of the meeting expressed his great appreciation to the Government of the Cook Islands for the kind words of welcome expressed during the official opening ceremony and for the fine arrangements and organization for the meeting. He then invited nominations for the Chair of the meeting. 17. Following the nomination by the Minister from Kiribati, Honourable Martin Tofinga and seconded by the Minister from Tuvalu, Honourable Samuelu Teo, the Minister from the Cook Islands was unanimously elected as Chair.


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18. In assuming the chair, the Minister from the Cook Islands expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the support and confidence placed on him as Chair of the meeting. He then suggested for the meeting to proceed with the consideration of the administrative issues as outlined in the Provisional Agenda. Item 2.2: Adoption of the Theme

19. Following an invitation from the Chair, the FAO Sub-Regional Representative introduced the proposed theme by recalling the Pacific Plan that had been approved by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders to be developed, with emphasis on regional cooperation and partnership. He added that since FAO was one of several players working on agriculture in the Pacific, it was considered important that FAO’s intervention and assistance in the Pacific should be based on what it could do best and by focusing on areas where it had the comparative advantage. As such, FAO in consultation with the host government had proposed “Building on FAO’s comparative advantage to strengthen partnerships for food security in the Pacific” as the theme for the meeting. 20. The Minister from the Marshall Islands, Honourable John Silk, after thanking the Sub-Regional Representative for the introductory comment, expressed support for the proposed theme and added that it was important for FAO to focus on where it had the comparative advantage in order to maximize benefits derived by member countries from its intervention. He then recommended the adoption of the proposed theme. 21. The Minister from Niue, Honourable Bill Motufoou supported the recommendation by the Minister from Marshall Islands. The meeting subsequently adopted the theme. Item 2.3: Approval of the Agenda

22. The Chair referred Ministers to the Provisional Agenda for the meeting as outlined in paper SWPM/CKI/2.3(Rev1) and invited FAO to provide further elaboration on this item. In response, the Sub-Regional Representative explained that in addition to providing information on the activities and achievements during the past two years, attempts had also been made to outline in the technical papers prepared for the meeting, the comparative advantage of FAO as well as opportunities for collaboration with other development partners, in line with the overall thrust of the theme. 23. He then referred the meeting to Agenda Item 6 and explained that it was a common practice at past meetings to identify an emerging issue of importance to the region and to invite an expert to provide a briefing on the issue after the substantive agenda items had all been addressed by the meeting. As such, an officer from the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok had been invited to talk on the Avian Influenza pandemic. He also pointed out that Agenda Item 7 (Other Business) provided countries with the opportunity to raise other issues not already covered on the agenda. 24. The meeting approved the Agenda as presented with the understanding, based on a request from FAO, that the Director-General would be welcome to address the meeting regarding the proposed expansion to the existing Regional Programme for Food Security, whenever he was available. The approved Agenda is provided as Annex D.


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Item 2.4: Adoption of Meeting Programme and Working Procedures 25. Following an invitation from the Chair, the Sub-Regional Representative referred Ministers to paper SWPM/CKI/2.4 which outlined the proposed timetable and working procedures for the meeting and explained that the working procedures had been proposed to facilitate the smooth and orderly conduct of the meeting. In regards to Agenda Item 8, he advised that as in past meetings, the Secretariat will prepare a draft Communiqué highlighting the main outcomes and decisions of the meeting and this would be circulated at the earliest opportunity to allow time for Ministers to peruse the draft and provide comment and input before it was finalized for signing before the closure of the meeting. He added that a full report of the meeting will also be prepared and will be circulated for comments before it was finalized for printing. 26. After further consideration, the meeting adopted the meeting programme and working procedures as outlined in meeting paper SPWM/CKI/2.4. AGENDA ITME 3: OVERVIEW OF FAO ACTIVITIES IN THE PACIFIC 2003 – 2005 27. At the invitation of the Chair, the Sub-Regional Representative referred Ministers to paper SWPM/CKI/3.0(Rev1), which provided an overview of the activities of FAO in the Pacific as well as achievements and challenges faced over the past years. He then highlighted some of the key activities and issues discussed in the paper through a brief PowerPoint presentation. 28. In his presentation, the Sub-Regional Representative stated that FAO was established in 1945 and was the largest specialized agency of the United Nations (UN). FAO underwent a process of decentralization beginning in 1994 in order to bring the Organization’s technical and operational expertise closer to the stakeholders; to reduce costs; and make the best use of national capacities. As a result of the decentralization, regional offices were further strengthened and five Sub-Regional Offices were established across the world during 1996 – 1998, including the Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific, more commonly known in FAO as SAPA. Opened in Apia, Samoa in 1996, SAPA was being headed by the Sub-Regional Representative for the Pacific and supported by a multidisciplinary team covering Agriculture Policy, Farming Systems Development & Marketing, Fisheries, Food & Nutrition, Forest Management, Plant Protection, as well as two Associate Professional Officers (APOs) in the areas of Fisheries Management and Trade Policy. The office was also being supported by an Administrative and Finance Unit. 29. In terms of the key role of SAPA, the Sub-Regional Representative stated that it was to ensure that FAO assistance was readily available to member countries in the Pacific region. He also pointed out that while member countries were able to raise issues of national concern at the FAO Conference, the ultimate decision making body of the organization, the biennial meetings of the South West Pacific Ministers for Agriculture provided an important additional avenue for countries of the region to raise issues of national and regional concern and for providing guidance on priority areas for FAO assistance. 30. Reflecting on the main accomplishments of FAO in the Pacific over the last 8 years, the Sub-Regional Representative stated that there had been an increase in FAO assistance to the region including TCP Projects, Trust Fund Projects, Telefood Projects, country missions, consultancies and capacity building activities. He drew the attention of the meeting to the fact that there had been a decision by FAO to withhold the funding of any new


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Telefood project during 2003 – 2004 until countries were able to catch up on reporting requirements. 31. In regards to capacity building, FAO had given emphasis to national level activities as opposed to regional meetings, wherever possible, to avoid drawing staff away from their work more than needed. In terms of partnership and collaboration, FAO SAPA had increased partnerships with regional organizations such as the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the University of the South Pacific (USP), as well as international organizations and other UN agencies including UNDP, WHO, IFAD and the Commonwealth Secretariat. 32. The Sub-Regional Representative stated that ongoing efforts were being made to assess the impact of FAO activities in the region. This included case studies, which had recently been conducted in Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu, and ex-post evaluation of projects being implemented. He added that SAPA had recently launched a “Pacific friendly” website (www.FAOPacific.ws) focusing on Pacific issues and activities, where all end-of-project evaluation reports and study reports could be accessed and encouraged countries to visit this information source. 33. In terms of the key challenges faced by the region, the Sub-Regional Representative stated that these included operational difficulties, limited capacity/human resources, lack of communication among interested parties, lack of capacity to absorb assistance provided, communication difficulties, lack of clear commitment to ensure sustainability of activities, over-commitment of limited resources, and lack of an agreed framework at national levels to identify country priorities. In order to overcome these constraints FAO had taken appropriate steps, including the appointment of FAO National Correspondents in all countries except in Tuvalu and Federated States of Micronesia. In addition, letters to Ministers were being sent out at the end of each year, which provided an update on FAO activities in their respective countries during the year. Also, a Country Programme Officer (CPO) had been out-posted from the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific to SAPA, in an effort to improve project deliveries and operations. Furthermore, FAO was considering the possibility of attachment of Government Officials to SAPA, particularly from new member countries to give them better insight into FAO’s operations. 34. The Sub-Regional Representative also advised that regular visits to member countries by the SRR/FAOR, the Administrative Officer and by technical officers were also designed to help overcome constraints and bring FAO closer to its member countries. He added that about 80 per cent of resources for staff were allocated to travel to countries to maintain close contact and to gain a better understanding of their priority needs. Also, attendance at regional and international meetings by the technical officers was only supported if they had been requested to act as resource persons or where it was considered to be of absolute necessity. 35. Emergency assistance was also being provided by FAO to meet a country's urgent and immediate needs arising from disasters which had adversely affected its food and agricultural situation. It was important for countries to note that requests for emergency assistance must be submitted within 3 months after the disaster had struck and that the duration of any emergency assistance project was limited to 12 months.


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36. In an effort to facilitate and enhance trade, FAO had organized seven Annual Roundtable Meetings for PICs on WTO Agreement Provisions since 1998, and had provided both technical and financial support for the establishment of an internationally accredited regional food control laboratory at the Institute of Applied Science of the USP in Suva, Fiji. Also, a regional study was conducted in 2003 on the Implications of WTO Membership for Pacific Island Countries on Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery sectors. 37. The New Zealand Associate Minister of Agriculture and Minister for Rural Affairs, Honourable Damien O'Connor commended FAO for the activities carried out and the achievements made. He expressed endorsement of the focus of its work particularly the ongoing evaluation of projects, trade facilitation and enhancement, promotion of partnerships and the focus on other areas such as fisheries and forestry. 38. The Minister from Niue thanked FAO for the presentation and expressed appreciation for the assistance provided after Cyclone Heta. He stated that some difficulties were experienced relating to procedures, especially the three quote system which proved difficult in small countries with a limited number of suppliers. He noted that the emergency assistance project had gone beyond 12 months and requested FAO for further extension to allow Niue to fully implement the project. He expressed full support to the National Correspondent system, although there had recently been a high turnover of staff holding the position. 39. The Representative from Papua New Guinea, Mr Matthew’wela Kanua, Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock acknowledged with appreciation the report of the Sub-Regional Representative which he found to be very informative. He stated that in general, support to agriculture in Papua New Guinea had increased, part of which had been from FAO and was greatly appreciated. He expressed disappointment, however, that the assistance to the potato industry did not eventuate. 40. The Minister from Kiribati also expressed appreciation for the presentation which he noted had focused largely on agriculture. He reiterated the importance of fisheries and its contribution to the livelihoods and the economies of small atoll countries like Kiribati, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands and others and requested that both agriculture and fisheries be accorded equal importance by FAO and its activities in the region, for food security purposes. 41. The Minister from Nauru, Honourable Frederick Pitcher also commended FAO for the informative report on its activities and achievements during the past years and expressed endorsement for the broad areas of focus of its work in the region particularly on regional collaboration, especially with the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) in relation to fisheries management. He advised that currently Nauru had only one small project on plant protection but was currently in the process of developing project proposals in other areas. 42. The Representative from Fiji, Mr Sakiusa Tubuna, Acting Chief Economist of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sugar and Land Resettlement also thanked the Sub-Regional Representative for his presentation which highlighted the achievements made over the past 2 years, and expressed thanks to FAO for all the assistance that had been made available to Fiji, in particular the emergency assistance following Cyclone Ami in 2003. Appreciation was further expressed for the partnership and collaboration with other regional partners to strengthen Fiji’s resolve to address food security and rural development issues in the region. He recommended that FAO further strengthen these types of partnership particularly with the funding mechanisms that were currently available at the multilateral level that could benefit


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the countries in the region. He highlighted the Global Environmental Facility, as an example, which had funding assistance programme under broad thematic areas such as land degradation, seawater salinity and other environmental problems affecting agricultural production. He further recommended that FAO seek and facilitate the process of accessing funds for member countries from other programmes and projects that were directly linked to agricultural production. 43. The Representative from Samoa, Seumanutafa Malaki Iakopo, Chief Executive Officer for Agriculture and Fisheries conveyed the apology of the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries for being unable to attend the meeting. He then expressed Samoa’s appreciation of the achievements made and endorsed the broad areas of focus particularly capacity building. He noted the need to optimize the benefits from complementary projects such as the EU-funded “Development of Sustainable Agriculture Programme (DSAP) currently being implemented by SPC and the RPFS. He stressed the need to carefully assess local situation and the available capacity and resources when designing projects to ensure their successful implementation. 44. The Minister from the Solomon Islands, Honourable Enele Kwanairara expressed appreciation for the report of the Sub-Regional Representative and stated that the areas of focus for FAO activities in the region were broadly endorsed. He thanked FAO for the assistance provided to the Solomon Islands which was most welcome particularly at a time when the country needed to get back on track after the ethnic tension. 45. The Minister from Tuvalu, after expressing appreciation for the report by FAO on its activities and achievements, requested FAO to speed up the process to have in place a National Correspondent at the earliest opportunity. He expressed support for the point raised by Kiribati for more emphasis on fisheries-related projects. 46. The Representative from Tonga, Mr Haniteli Fa’anunu, Director of Agriculture and Food conveyed the sincere apology of his Minister for being unable to attend the meeting. He acknowledged the work done and assistance provided by FAO but expressed concern over the increasing use by FAO of officers of the Ministry which had caused disruption to its work programme and overall performance. In reference to the recruitment of the technicians under the South-South Cooperation (SSC), the Representative from Tonga requested that priority attention be given to ensure the recruitment and dispatch of the remaining technician at the earliest opportunity. He stated that language barrier had been a major obstacle in regards to the fielded technicians and suggested that FAO consider providing intensive language training courses for the technicians in order to improve communications with local staff and farmers. 47. The Sub-Regional Representative, in response to some of the issues raised by countries, explained that while the presentation appeared to have focused on agriculture, it was by no means an indication that fisheries was being given low priority. He pointed out that within the organizational structure of the FAO, Fisheries was a separate department reflecting the importance attached to it by the organization. He added that most of the assistance provided to member countries were being channeled through national initiatives identified by the countries themselves and the assistance provided by FAO was in response to those priorities. He highlighted, as an example, the Italian-funded project in support of the RPFS which was designed to facilitate the implementation of priority needs of the participating countries. It was noted, however, that projects received so far from countries were mainly on agriculture and livestock production with very little request for the development of fisheries.


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48. In response to the issue raised by Tonga relating to the language barrier for SSC technicians, the Sub-Regional Representative advised that the point made was noted, however, it should also be noted that the technicians were chosen based on their technical expertise rather than their language skills. He also acknowledged the need for language training to facilitate communications with rural farmers, and reminded the countries that the technicians were meant to be working in the field rather than in an office. He stated that FAO will facilitate everything possible to ensure the SSC programme was operating successfully. He clarified that in terms of the procedures for the recruitment of the SSC experts and technicians, nominations received from the People’s Republic of China and the Philippines were subject to the assessment of FAO, which could request for further nominations if considered necessary. He assured the meeting that FAO will continue to collaborate with regional and international organizations. 49. Referring to the point raised by Tuvalu relating to the appointment of the National Correspondent, the Sub-Regional Representative drew the attention of the meeting to the procedural requirement for at least three candidates to be submitted to FAO before it could proceed with the selection of the most suitable candidate. 50. In summing up the discussions, the Chair reiterated the usefulness of the information provided relating to the activities and achievements of FAO in the region and noted in particular the increasing level of assistance to the region since the inauguration of the Sub-Regional Office in Apia in 1996. He also noted the endorsement of the broad areas of focus of FAO in the region which included trade facilitation and building of national capacities through technical assistance, advice and training. He underscored the need for increased assistance and involvement of FAO in the development of fisheries in the region in recognition of its importance as a source of food and livelihood for the Pacific island countries. AGENDA ITEM 4: COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES FOR ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY AND TRADE Item 4.1: Regional Programme for Food Security - Implementation Progress 51. At the invitation of the Chair, the Sub-Regional Representative introduced this agenda item by briefing the meeting on the Regional Programme for Food Security (RPFS) and stated that the project currently being implemented (GTFS/RAS/198/ITA) was part of the RPFS and was being funded from the contribution of the Italian Government to the FAO Trust Fund, with a total value of US$4.5 million. He then drew the attention to the fact that there were two papers - SWPM/CKI/4.1(Rev1) and SWPM/CKI/4.1(a) - being tabled before the meeting under this particular agenda item. He explained that the two documents respectively provided a brief report on the status of the implementation of the Italian-funded project and the SSC programme which was also an integral part of the RPFS. He then invited the Regional Project Coordinator to provide a brief presentation on the main issues raised in the first paper. 52. The Regional Project Coordinator, Mr Bismarck Crawley explained that the project comprised two major components and was designed to contribute to the stabilization of food security in the Forum Island Countries (FICs) at both national and household levels. Component 1 was focusing on national level interventions aimed at improving production and food security and enhancing the income generating activities and the nutrition status of the people while Component 2 focused on strengthening and building regional and national


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capacity on trade facilitation and on agricultural policies. He stated that since project inception in May 2004, activities under Component I had been primarily devoted to preparations and review of country proposals as well as facilitating and monitoring the progress of projects already approved for implementation. 53. He advised that the Regional Project Management Unit (RPMU) had undertaken missions to all the 14 participating countries and further follow-up visits were made to three countries either to facilitate project implementation or finalize project proposals. He advised that 14 projects had already been approved and were currently being implemented in 11 countries. Projects for the remaining three countries were being finalized and these were anticipated to be ready for implementation with the next few weeks. 54. The Regional Project Coordinator stated that a total of 28 projects had been received including those already under implementation, with a total value of approximately US$1.68 million. He added that while more than 60 per cent of the funds allocated for Component I of the project had already been committed for the funding of national projects, delivery was currently slow. However, it was anticipated that delivery would substantially improve by the end of the year since more than 50 per cent of the project costs were mainly for the procurement of equipment, materials and supplies. 55. In regards to Component 2, the Regional Project Coordinator advised that although some preparatory work had been undertaken, project activities were scheduled to commence around the third quarter of 2005. This would involve a number of studies including a commodity pathway study targeting 4 – 5 commodities of economic significance to the region, and a number of regional training courses. 56. The Regional Project Coordinator provided a schematic diagram showing the management set-up of the project and how it linked to other components such as the SSC programme and to the wider RPFS. He stated that national project steering committees had been set up and national project coordinators had been appointed in all the fourteen countries. As well, the Regional Project Steering Committee (RPSC) had been established and had met in June 2004. He added that the RPSC was not required to meet on a fixed interval but on a needs basis. 57. In reference to the achievements, challenges and constraints faced in the implementation of the project, the Regional Project Coordinator stated the fact that the design of the regional project was such that it involved the development of national projects for fourteen countries was in itself a major constraint and the fact that 14 national projects had commenced implementation in 11 countries was a major achievement. Other challenges and constraints encountered included operational issues; limited human resource capacity in many countries particularly in the area of project formulation and design; and the fact that some countries had or were currently undergoing reforms resulting in changes in financial and management procedures and practices. 58. The Regional Project Coordinator concluded by acknowledging the support and cooperation of the countries and the valuable assistance provided by members of the FAO Task Force Team assigned to provide technical guidance and advice on the project, as well and the technical input and advice of the technical officers of SAPA. 59. At the invitation of the Sub-Regional Representative, the Country Project Officer, Mr Daniele Salvini provided a brief presentation on paper SWPM/CKI/4.1(a) which outlined


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the status of the recruitment of the SSC technicians and experts. He explained that the SSC framework was one of the innovative tools adopted by FAO to facilitate the successful implementation of one of its global initiative known as the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS). The framework allowed developing countries to benefit from the experience and expertise of more advanced developing countries through the provision of experts for up to two years to work in the implementation of food security programmes in the recipient countries. Established under a tripartite agreement, the SSC arrangements involved a commitment by the collaborating country to make available experts and technicians to travel and work in the recipient country; a willingness on the part of the recipient country to commit funds to pay for the monthly allowance of each SSC member, their accommodation and internal travel costs; and FAO providing funds for the international travel costs as well as for subsistence and installation allowances of the SSC experts. 60. Currently, agreements had been signed with the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and with the Government of the Philippines to provide a total of 56 technicians and eight regional experts. Thus, there would be four technicians in each country and the 4 regional experts from each of the two collaborating countries would provide direct supervision of the work of their technicians and carry out backstopping missions where necessary. He added that the regional experts from the PRC were being stationed in Samoa, however, a decision had yet to be made as to where the regional experts from the Philippines will be located. Further, the regional experts would provide the management and coordination link between the SSC technicians and FAO and the Regional Project Management Unit. 61. The Country Project Officer stated that the decision to recruit SSC experts and technicians was based on the consideration that about 70 per cent of the $4.5 million contribution from the Government of Italy was directed at national-based projects and activities and the fact that some countries would be encountering difficulties in terms of its adsorptive and technical capacity to implement these projects and activities. He advised that to facilitate the fielding of the SSC experts and technicians, and to comply with the commitments made under the tripartite agreements, FAO had approved 14 national and one regional TCP projects with a total cost of more than US$2.8 million to cover its own commitment as well as the commitment of recipient countries relating to the monthly allowance for SSC officers. 62. The Country Project Officer advised that there had been some initial administrative difficulties encountered in relation to the recruitment of the SSC experts and technicians, however, some progress had been achieved. So far a total of 13 SSC officers had been fielded and approximately the same number was likely to be in post soon. Some of the difficulties experienced included the fact that it took some time for the tripartite agreements to be signed by all parties; the time involved in the recruitment process; and the time taken to get the necessary clearance for the SSC officers from recipient countries. He stressed that in order not to jeopardize the role and significance of this component, the remaining technicians and experts needed to be cleared by FAO and the recipient Governments within the month of June in order to ensure their fielding by July at the latest. He also reiterated that it was essential for the recipient countries to make the necessary efforts to facilitate the smooth and quick integration of the technicians into their structure and to ensure that they were assigned to field activities related to the implementation of the national-based projects linked to the food security programme.


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63. The Minister from Vanuatu thanked the two paper presenters and expressed appreciation to FAO for the support and assistance provided under project GTFS/RAS/198/ITA. He stated his endorsement of the recommendations outlined in paper SWPM/CKI/4.1(Rev1). The Minister also thanked the Government of Italy for the financial support provided for the RPFS programme. He then highlighted the difficulties faced in regard to the implementation of the project at the regional and country levels. He observed that given the diversity of the areas and sectors covered, and the number of countries involved, such challenges would seem inevitable. At the country level, the Minister particularly pointed to the inability of the technicians to speak and communicate in the English language, and suggested that this should be taken into consideration during the recruitment process. He stated that ensuring food security was a priority for Vanuatu and that considerable government resources and donor assistance were being tailored to this area. He added that Vanuatu currently needed assistance to review its national agriculture development policy and strategy to ensure that this priority objective was being addressed. The Minister supported the call for a more strategic approach to project implementation, adding that on its part, Vanuatu would work to improve cooperation between line agencies, provide additional resources and ensure that the RPMU was informed of implementation by the national project steering committee. 64. The Minister from Niue thanked the presenters and FAO for the progress report on the implementation of the regional project. He briefed the meeting on the status of agriculture development in Niue and some of the programmes currently being implemented aimed at achieving food security for the country. The Minister made special reference to the Niue Young Farmers project and acknowledged the assistance and support of the Government of New Zealand. He advised that the Young Farmers project focused on two key areas namely food production and livestock development and the projects being submitted for funding under the Italian-funded project were complementary to the activities of this country initiative. 65. The Minister also expressed support for the point raised earlier by other countries on the need to provide a structured induction and training programme for the SSC experts and technicians. He added that this was considered necessary in order to reduce the culture gap and language barrier. 66. The Minister from Kiribati after thanking FAO for the informative presentation recalled the decision made at the 5th Ministers’ meeting in 2003 in Fiji for the project to focus on production and stated that this was in line with the strategic priorities of Kiribati. He underlined the importance of improving production of local food in order to improve nutrition status of the population, reduce food import and improve incomes of the rural community. He urged FAO to take the necessary steps to improve the delivery of the regional project and the recruitment of the SSC technicians. 67. The Minister from Nauru expressed appreciation to FAO and to the Italian Government for the assistance provided under the regional programme for food security and reiterated the need for speedy implementation of the project activities in view of the fact that less than two years was remaining before its closure. He stated that Nauru had been working closely with the Regional Project Management Unit on its project proposal and was hopeful that implementation would commence soon. 68. The Representative from Tonga expressed gratitude to the Italian Government for the financial contributions to the regional project from which Tonga had benefited immensely.


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He advised that one of the projects proposed by Tonga was on sheep farming and although it had been approved for some time, implementation was delayed due to difficulties relating to shipping and quarantine requirements and as a result the importation of the prescribed breed from Fiji had fallen behind schedule. He also expressed the view that the processes used to access project funds and for purchase of equipment and materials were too long and time consuming and had caused delays in project implementation. 69. The Representative stated that although there had been delays in the recruitment of the SSC technicians from the PRC, he was pleased to advise that three had now arrived safely and were already involved in implementation activities. He added however that although one of the technicians already on board was in the area of water management, Tonga’s proposal for water harvesting and irrigation had yet to be approved. He requested for the recruitment of the fourth technician to be expedited to assist with the implementation of fisheries development activities. 70. The Minister from Marshall Islands expressed support for the provision of training and an orientation programme for the SSC technicians as a way of improving communication. He suggested that a programme similar to that provided for the US Peace Corps Volunteers should be developed for the SSC technicians, which should focus on language and culture of their respective country of assignment. 71. The Representative from Australia, Mr David Ingham, Manager FAO and Rest of the World of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry requested further clarification on the timing and type of training proposed under Component 2 of the regional project. In response, it was advised that a training focusing on food regulation and international trade was being proposed to be held in the third quarter of the year. In addition, other training workshops were being proposed to be conducted but only after the supply chain studies had been completed. 72. The Sub-Regional Representative, in response to issues raised by countries, stated that FAO had taken note of the difficulties with regards to the recruitment of the SSC technicians and that efforts will be made to improve the situation. He added that the delay in the recruitment of SSC experts and technicians was due to a host of factors including some practical difficulties encountered within FAO, the collaborating countries and even by the countries themselves. 73. On the issue of three quotes from suppliers, the Sub-Regional Representative pointed out that FAO was an international organization and therefore had rules and processes that were applied to all its member countries indiscriminately. He clarified that the three-quote requirement was a standard procedure of FAO. However, where it was not possible to obtain three quotations due to the fact that there were not that many suppliers, this needed to be communicated to FAO to justify the derogation of the rules 74. The Chair acknowledged the presence of the Representative of the Government of Italy, and invited her to address the meeting. 75. The Representative of the Government of Italy, HE Dr Liana Marolla, Ambassador to the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu after conveying the well wishes of her government to the Chair, the Director-General and to the meeting, stated that Italy was looking with increasing interest to the Pacific region with a special attention to the problems related to the food security of the island countries. She


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advised that she had the opportunity to personally visit some of the projects funded by Italy in support of the RPFS and had noted the strong commitment of the participating countries. She then informed the meeting that Italy was open to consider a possible expansion of the existing programme and to this end it was very important that political contacts were maintained on a more regular basis. 76. She referred to the Pacific Islands Forum Meeting scheduled to be held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea later in the year, and advised that Italy was looking at the possibility of attending this meeting as observer. She stressed the link between the Regional Programme for Food Security and the broader objective of sustainable development that would bring harmony to all the people and the attainment of democracy and peace in the world. 77. The Ambassador concluded by stating that Italy will closely monitor and evaluate the results of the RPFS with the objective of verifying the possibility of further assistance to expanding and diversifying the programme. She reaffirmed the commitment of Italy at the international and multilateral levels, including the WTO and UNO, and for a reform that would ensure a broader participation of all the countries in the different agencies, committees and in the Security Council of the UN. 78. After further discussion, the Ministers noted with gratitude the generous contribution of the Government of Italy and expressed appreciation for its acceptance of the invitation to attend the meeting. In view of its increasing interest in the region, the ongoing implementation of the regional project and the likelihood of its further contributions for an expansion of the existing programme, Ministers welcomed the continued participation of Italy in future meetings. They also noted with appreciation the valuable collaboration provided by the Governments of the PRC and the Philippines, and expressed their gratitude to FAO for the financial assistance provided to facilitate the fulfilment of obligations of the countries to the SSC Agreement. Furthermore, in reaffirming commitment to enhancing food security in the region, Ministers: (i) agreed to ensure their respective National Project Steering Committees continue to

work closely with the Regional Project Management Unit in supporting and facilitating the implementation of all the activities under the Italian-funded regional project.

(ii) made a commitment to take full advantage of the technical support provided under the

SSC arrangement to implement planned activities of the regional project, and to assist with national development efforts.

(iii) noted that considerable limitations had been met in language barriers particularly with

the technicians under the SSC from the People’s Republic of China and also in cultural differences and strongly recommended to FAO the need for cultural and language training and orientation prior to their placement in countries.

(iv) recognized that food security was multi-dimensional in nature and agreed to encourage

the active participation and involvement of other relevant ministries in the efforts to improve food security at both the national and household levels.

(v) emphasized the need for the urgent mobilization of the remaining technicians and

experts under the SSC arrangement.


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(vi) agreed to take the necessary measures to ensure the full integration of the SSC technicians into the structure and operational set-up of their respective ministries responsible for agriculture.

Item 4.2: Policy Assistance: Comparative Strengths, Issues and Challenges 79. In response to an invitation from the Chair, the Sub-Regional Representative drew the attention of the meeting to document SWPM/CKI/4.2 and explained that it had been prepared with the objective of highlighting some of the major policy assistance activities undertaken in the past two years, the challenges and constraints faced as well as priority areas for the future. He then invited the SAPA Policy Officer to briefly present the paper. 80. The Policy Officer, Mr Manase Felemi, after providing an account of the work undertaken by the SAPA Policy Assistance Unit over the past years, highlighted some of the issues, challenges and constraints encountered. He stated that a major challenge was the need to ensure assistance was in line with countries’ priorities particularly in view of the apparent lack of a clear and agreed framework for identifying country priorities. He also stated that although FAO had assisted countries in reviewing their National Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in 2002/03, there was still a need to further review these national strategies to reflect national policies and strategies towards fulfilment of international commitments such as those under the Millennium Declaration, the World Food Summit and the World Food Summit: five years later. 81. One of the major constraints highlighted by the Policy Officer was the lack of national capacity in policy analysis, formulation and planning and the lack of analytical skills and experience in the area of policy analysis and planning. He added that in some countries, there was no dedicated unit for economic planning and policy analysis for agriculture while in other countries this was part of the functions of the central/economic planning office with very little involvement of Agriculture. 82. The Policy Officer also highlighted FAO's comparative strengths in the area of Policy Assistance which included the ability to take a global view of problems and identify solutions; to work alongside national government and provide guidance on global issues; and building of national capacities through engagement of national consultants for implementation of projects. He concluded by discussing some of the potential areas for further policy work, based on identified comparative advantages of the organization. Apart from the ongoing provision of training in the area of project planning, formulation and analysis the Policy Officer recommended more analytical/diagnostic studies from which more specific policy recommendations could be developed to guide the development of agriculture in the region. He added that one important area for such a study was on the impact of climate variability on agriculture. 83. He also considered that there was a need for assessment of national capacities to implement international and regional agreements relating to agriculture, in order to identify constraints encountered and build up capacity of countries to critically assess the implications of international and/or regional agreements before decisions were made. Finally, he advised that in view of the apparent lack of a clear process/framework for identifying country priorities, SAPA was currently working on developing such a framework, which would help guide FAO in ensuring that its interventions and assistance were more focused and in line with countries’ priority needs. He then recommended for the meeting to consider and endorse the development of such a framework.


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84. The Minister from Nauru thanked the Policy Officer for the presentation and confirmed that Nauru had benefited from the work provided by the SAPA Policy Assistance Unit. This was in the form of formulating of a new organizational structure for a strengthened Division within the Department of Island Development and Industry, to be responsible for the development of agriculture. He advised that the structure proposed by the Policy Officer had been endorsed by Cabinet, and was currently being implemented through the appointment of the Head of Division and the reshuffling of staff in line with the new functions and responsibilities of the Division. 85. The Representative from Tonga also expressed his appreciation to the Policy Officer for the presentation and to FAO for the continued support and assistance to the development of the agriculture sector in Tonga. He stated that Tonga was in need of assistance for the formulation of its National Agriculture Policy. 86. The Minister from Solomon Islands also acknowledged the assistance provided by FAO in the area of agriculture policy. He highlighted the assistance provided in developing a proposal targeted at reviewing current policies and the formulation of a National Agriculture Development Plan. 87. The Minister from New Zealand thanked the Policy Officer for the presentation and reported that the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat was planning to do a major work on land tenure in the Pacific region, to assess its impact on agriculture development. He then suggested for close coordination and collaboration in this area given the significance of land and land tenure issues and their effect and impact on agriculture production and development in the Pacific region. 88. The Representative from the Cook Islands thanked the Policy Officer for the presentation and also for FAO’s support to policy assistance work in the region. The Representative highlighted the need for pooling of resources by international and regional organizations when working with countries and when undertaking work and activities in the same area, in order to maximize best use of limited resources and to enhance coordination, collaboration and cooperation amongst donor organizations. He then sought further advice on the kinds of collaboration arrangements and activities that FAO had with the Secretariat for the Pacific Community (SPC). In response, it was advised that FAO and SPC had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in which both agencies had agreed to cooperate and collaborate in a number of areas relating to development of agriculture in the region. In line with this MOU, collaborative initiatives and activities had been implemented in the area of biosecurity and plant protection, trade facilitation, rural development and marketing. 89. The Representative from Papua New Guinea thanked FAO for its support to the development of the agriculture sector in PNG, and called for stronger work programme partnership between FAO and member countries, particularly in the area of policy development. He noted that while there were ongoing collaborative programmes in the area of biosecurity particularly in the development of appropriate legislation to support biosecurity measures taken at the national level, PNG was of the view that policies regarding biosecurity should be first formulated and clearly articulated before appropriate legislation were developed. In this way, policies on biosecurity would help direct and guide the drafting of legislation. 90. The Representative from Fiji thanked the Policy Officer for his presentation and expressed appreciation for FAO assistance to Fiji in the area of Policy Support. He stated that


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the lack of capacity in policy analysis and planning had been highlighted in the past and more emphasis should be placed on this critical area. He stated that Fiji supported the recommendation for future work to include assessment of capacities of PICs to implement International and Regional Agreements relating to agriculture but added that priority should be accorded to countries that were already members of the WTO as they were currently experiencing implementation problems with regards to their international commitments under WTO. 91. The Chair drew the attention to some of the key issues and recommendations outlined in the discussion paper provided, and invited the Ministers to consider and make a decision on the recommendations outlined therein. After further discussion, the Meeting approved the following recommendations: (i) That FAO continue to assist Pacific island member countries in building national

capacities through the provision of training in policy analysis and planning; (ii) That more analytical studies be conducted within the agricultural sub-sectors to

facilitate the development of more specific policy recommendations, and that priority attention be given to the following specific issues:

• Impact of climate variability on agriculture and food security in the Pacific; and

• Assessment of capacities of Pacific island member countries to implement international and regional agreements relating to agriculture;

(iii) That the need to develop a framework for the identification of national priorities to

guide the development of field programmes and ensuring that FAO assistance is targeted at the priority needs of member countries be endorsed; and

(iv) That FAO assist member countries in reviewing their national strategies for sustainable

agriculture and food security to reflect commitments to fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Item 4.3: Plant Protection and Biosecurity in the Pacific Region 92. At the invitation of the Chair, the Sub-Regional Representative drew the attention of the meeting to document SWPM/CKI/4.3, which looked at some of the issues and challenges to biosecurity as a result of development and changes at the global level and how such changes had affected the region. He then invited the Plant Protection Officer to provide a brief presentation on the key issues raised in the paper. 93. The Plant Protection Officer, Dr Matairangi Purea provided a brief outline of the recent development at the international front and their implications on the role of biosecurity and plant protection in the region. He stated that developments in the area of transport and communications had enabled the peoples of the world to move around more freely, widely and more regularly. In addition, there had been a significant increase in the proportion of the travelling population originating from the developing world, particularly from countries that had prospered significantly over the past two decades. Furthermore, there had been an increase in the trafficking of plants and animals between countries in efforts to identify high yielding varieties/breeds in order to improve production and productivity to meet the ever growing demand for food brought about by rising population growth. These developments


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had brought new challenges to biosecurity work around the world including the Pacific. He added that the rules established under the various WTO agreements relating to trade in agriculture had also added new dimensions to biosecurity work in terms of mechanisms and processes for certification of traded commodities to ensure that they do not impose any biosecurity threats on importing countries. 94. The Plant Protection Officer also provided a brief account of some of the key initiatives and activities being undertaken by FAO in response to global and regional challenges in the area of biosecurity. This included the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) which had been established since 1951 that provided phytosanitary standards on how to prevent the spread and introduction of pests of plants and plant products. Another important initiative of FAO was that on Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which aimed at assisting member countries to control the introduction and use of pesticides based on accepted pesticide management practices. He advised that under this initiative, substantial technical assistance had been provided to member countries in establishing control mechanisms to regulate the range, quality and suitability of pesticide products; in addressing their safe handling and use; and in encouraging responsible and generally acceptable pesticides trade practices. 95. He stated that, in response to the challenges faced by the Pacific, FAO had assisted some of the member countries in reviewing and harmonizing their quarantine regulations to meet IPPC requirements, which was a pre-requisite for membership in the Convention. Assistance had been provided in building national capacities through training in the area of pest identification to facilitate their work in development of pest lists, which was necessary for agricultural export purposes. In terms of promoting effective pesticide management practices, FAO had conducted regional training aimed at enhancing the understanding and appreciation of countries on the need for effective management and safe use of pesticides. 96. The Plant Protection Officer concluded by acknowledging the presence and involvement of other players in the region and their contribution to the development of effective biosecurity and plant protection services. He added that in view of this, and after assessing the areas where it had the comparative advantage, FAO should focus on capacity building through technical training and advice; information exchange and dissemination; and the provision of technical assistance. 97. The Representative from the Cook Islands expressed his endorsement of the paper and the importance of biosecurity to the overall development of agriculture in the region. He endorsed the need for closer cooperation and collaboration between FAO and other partners present in the region, particularly SPC, to avoid duplication and promote complementarity. He also highlighted the importance of the PestNet programme to the region in terms of information exchange and requested FAO to assist in expanding the coverage and services provided by PestNet so that it could benefit the rural areas. In response, it was clarified that although FAO was involved in facilitating its establishment, PestNet was currently operated and managed as a private sector initiative and FAO’s involvement was now limited to providing response to queries from countries and individuals, and the provision of technical advice. 98. The Minister from Vanuatu reiterated the point raised by Cook Islands on the need for closer collaboration between FAO and other players in the region in the area of plant protection and biosecurity. He noted that strong partnership was essential to achieve a satisfactory level of coordination to address the threats posed to the productive sectors. The


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Minister added that Vanuatu would seek to continue its engagement of FAO technical and financial assistance in areas such as market access and fruit fly management, and in post-quarantine. 99. The need for closer collaboration was further supported by the Representative from Papua New Guinea, who also highlighted with concern the risk faced by his country and possibly by the rest of the countries of the region, due to the fact that it was sharing common boarders with Indonesia and of its proximity to some of the Asian countries. 100. The Minister from Tuvalu also expressed his endorsement of the biosecurity paper and requested FAO technical assistance in the management and control of coconut scale-insect outbreaks in two villages on the island of Vaitupu. He advised that food crops such as breadfruit, papaya and bananas had all been severely damaged by the scale insect. 101. After further discussion and having taken note of the critical role of biosecurity and plant protection in maintaining food security in the region, and the challenges faced by the region as a result of global and regional developments, the meeting approved the following recommendations: (i) That the critical role of biosecurity and plant protection in maintaining food security in

the region be noted; (ii) That the challenges and the context in which biosecurity and plant protection operates

in the region as a result of changes at the global environment, particularly the liberalization of trade and rules set under the WTO agreements, be noted;

(iii) That FAO take a more strategic approach to biosecurity and plant protection in the

region by building strong partnerships with regional organizations and the donor community, and by focusing its assistance and interventions on areas where it has the comparative strengths, including:

• human resource capacity building through training and technical advice;

• generation and dissemination of information; and

• provision of technical assistance. Item 4.4: Marketing and Farm Management Skills for Improved Enterprise Profitability 102. The Sub-Regional Representative drew the attention of the meeting to document SWPM/CKI/4.4 and explained that farming systems development and marketing was one of the focal areas of SAPA and activities undertaken were aimed at improving farming efficiency and profitability thus contributing to improving incomes and consequently the livelihoods of the rural population. He then invited the SAPA Farming Systems Development and Marketing Officer to give a brief presentation to introduce this paper. 103. The Farming Systems Development and Marketing Officer, Mr Heiko Bammann advised that the paper had focused on a particular aspect for improved livelihoods, the farm enterprise profitability. He stated that farm enterprise profitability and economic sustainability of innovative livelihood approaches were preconditions for increased market production, food security and poverty reduction. Through better farm management and marketing skills, farmers would be in a better position to take advantage of market


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opportunities and to generate profits. He then provided a brief outline of the changing environment under which farming in the Pacific Island Countries was taking place. Changes were increasingly fast due to the adjustments in global trade and other influences which might be attributed to the ‘globalisation’ trend. He indicated that a major focus of his work program was in the area of supporting the move towards more market oriented and commercial farming and outlined the requirements for doing so. 104. He also provided a brief outline of some of the projects and activities that were implemented over the past years as well as the experiences made and areas for further improvement. Apart from assistance and support provided under approved Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) projects, FAO was also able to provide continued assistance to member countries through Regular Program activities, particularly under the Agriculture Support Systems Program. 105. The Farming Systems Development and Marketing Officer concluded by stating that the challenges in building the skills and attitudes for farming as a business remained substantial and that the transformation from subsistence to commercially oriented farming was something that was ongoing worldwide. In most places compared to the Pacific, however, communities were less isolated; transport and communication infrastructures were more advanced and efficient; and marketing and processing systems were more developed. Thus, the remoteness of the farming communities in the region was a major constraint with respect to extension and advisory work in agriculture and agri-business and as such innovative ways of communicating with farmers were required. 106. The Minister from Nauru commended the Farming Systems Development and Marketing Officer for the paper and the presentation which he considered were quite succinct, informative and had presented some very innovative approaches and ideas. He expressed his endorsement and support to the work being done in the area of farming systems development and marketing and encouraged others to support and adopt the innovative approach being espoused. He added however that Nauru needed to re-train and encourage its people on how to grow food crops first in order to get food production going before taking the next step of capacity building in farm management and marketing, for farmers. 107. The Minister from Vanuatu endorsed the paper and supported the proposed program focus for the next 2 years, adding that farm-market linkages were very important for Vanuatu. He considered that the paper was well presented and reflected the wealth of experience of FAO on smallholder agriculture in the countries of the region. He added that he was pleased that deliberation was being made on this topic, one that covered many facets of agriculture familiar to the majority of Vanuatu small farmers. He stated that support to small farmers was still of high priority to Vanuatu and added that only through better farm management and marketing skills that farmers would be able to improve their profits and also become better farmers. 108. The Minister advised of the generous funding assistance received from the People’s Republic of China for the construction of the Vanuatu Agriculture College, and thanked FAO for assisting in planning the use of the facility. He added that the College was planning to launch as capacity building programme in farm management and marketing for extension officers who would then assist the College graduates in their market-oriented pursuits. He further added that FAO would be requested to assist in this capacity building exercise.


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109. The Minister also advised that Vanuatu was currently implementing a producer organisations project under EU and French funding aimed at encouraging small farmers to work in groups in the production and marketing of their produce such as cocoa and coffee. Also, future work plans were currently being developed for the livestock sector. He then requested further cooperation on improving supply and market linkages for smallholder cattle farmers, development of extension materials and genetic improvement. 110. The Minister from Niue also thanked FAO for the paper and the further elaboration and clarification provided during the presentation. He made special reference to Niue’s Young Farmers programme which was aimed at attracting young people to take up a career in agriculture and equipping them with the relevant technical knowledge and skills. The programme was being supported by NZAID (New Zealand Agency for International Development) and technical assistance from FAO would be welcome. 111. The Minister from Tuvalu expressed appreciation for the paper which he considered to have given an accurate portrayal and account of the challenges and constraints encountered by the rural farmers and people of Tuvalu. He stated that there were no agricultural export from Tuvalu at all and there was no local produce market which could be used by farmers as an outlet for their surplus production. Also, the trend was that more and more people were relying on imported staple root crops such as taro, and rice, rather than growing their own food crops. Given this situation, Tuvalu would need every assistance and support to reverse the trend. 112. The Representative from Tonga stated that he was pleased with the paper and was supportive of the need to recognize farming as a business. He added that the commercialization of farming in Tonga was growing at a very fast pace. He made reference to the Future Farmers project funded by FAO for Tonga which was due for closure, and provided a brief account of the rationale and objectives of the project. He stated that there was a growing population of unemployed youths with a corresponding high level of social crimes being committed, particularly in the main town areas. As such, the project was developed in an attempt to reduce the problems associated with youth unemployment and in order to attract more youths to become farmers. 113. He stated that despite the ‘ups and downs’ of the project, some of the participating youths had actually taken up farming as a profession, and pledged to continue the programme even after the FAO-funded project had ended since a lot more young people still needed to be reached. He also pointed out that in regards to market-oriented production, improvement to physical marketing infrastructure was also important and was a priority for Tonga. 114. The Minister from the Marshall Islands clarified that the Marshallese people had traditionally been subsistence fisherfolks rather than subsistence farmers, however, FAO assistance to farmers remained important. He advised that vegetables could be grown on some of the islands and were potentially important for possible import substitution, and added that a total of 40 farmers in the capital, Majuro were currently growing vegetables. 115. The Minister made reference to the need to consider the implication of global warming and climate change on food security in small low-lying islands and advised that the issue was highlighted by the President of the Marshall Islands during the World Food Summit: five years later (WFS-fyl) as well as at the Mauritius Small Island Developing States (SIDS) meeting earlier this year.


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116. After further discussion, Ministers considered and approved the following recommendations: (i) That the work of FAO in the region, in terms of building skills and attitudes for

farming as a business to assist in the transformation of subsistence farming into commercially oriented farming; in enhancing the integration of farm management training into the more general and recurrent aspects of the decision support systems for farmers; and in providing advisory support and training materials to member countries on farm management and agricultural marketing, be noted;

(ii) That government be urged to ensure the provision of adequate organizational and physical resources for farmer extension and training activities, and that such resources must be commensurate with the technical complexities faced in the effective application of farm management methods;

(iii) That a more inclusive approach to support farmers’ decisions, such as ensuring that

training programmes achieve a broad coverage of farmers across the spectrum; the use of modern communication tools for advisory services and disseminating farm management and marketing advice and the adoption of a multidisciplinary approach to critical issues, be endorsed;

(iv) That the continued involvement and work of FAO in developing and promoting

innovative approaches to improving enterprise profitability and higher incomes for rural people, be endorsed.

Item 4.5: Food Trade and Nutrition Security in the Pacific: Navigating the Winds of Change 117. In introducing this agenda item, the Sub-Regional Representative drew the attention of the meeting to document SWPM/CKI/4.5 which provided a brief outline of the activities undertaken in the past two years as well as some of the issues affecting the region in relation to food trade and nutrition security. He then invited the SAPA Food and Nutrition Officer to provide a brief presentation elaborating the main issues discussed in the paper. 118. The Food and Nutrition Officer, Mr Dirk Schulz outlined some of the major issues affecting the Pacific region in relation to food trade and nutrition security as a result of globalisation that had spread into the Pacific. He pointed out that international food systems were changing at a rapid rate based on more intensive agriculture and livestock production, new food processing and storage technologies, more efficient global distribution systems, the emergence of new food retailers and changing diets among consumers. While this had generally resulted in greater availability and diversity of food, its safety and quality as well as access by all population groups was not always guaranteed. He added that at the same time, in their quest to generate revenue through value adding and trade, Pacific Island agro-based industries were being faced with increasingly stringent international regulatory systems. On the consumer side, Pacific Islanders were leading less active lives and coupled with environments that facilitated “nutritionally risky” choices, the changes were having a significant negative impact on the health and nutritional status of people in the Pacific as evidenced by the rising incidence of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. 119. He emphasized that FAO had a unique capacity to assist its member countries in responding to these challenges through its mandate on food and agriculture, which enabled it


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to strengthen and better focus food safety & quality efforts throughout the entire food chain from “farm to fork” and to apply food-based solutions to nutritional problems. Through its involvement in the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which was a neutral international forum for conducting independent scientific assessment of food safety risks as well as other issues relevant to food and nutrition, and through its field programme, FAO’s Food and Nutrition Division had been at the forefront of food safety, quality and nutrition for more than 40 years. Thus the Organization could avail technical assistance based on internationally recognized best practice and transform it to meet the specific needs of each member country. 120. The Food and Nutrition Officer concluded by recommending that FAO continue to draw on its unique comparative advantages by assisting member countries in the Pacific region to strengthen their food control systems to become compatible with international requirements, with the dual aim to facilitate access of their products to international food markets and protect consumers from food-borne illness. Furthermore, he highlighted the need to enhance countries’ ability to participate in and contribute to the work of the CAC, and to harmonise their food legislation and regulations. As well, there was a need to assist countries in quality assurance throughout the food chain, particularly with regards to small scale enterprises involved in food product development. Finally, he recommended creating sustainable improvements in nutrition, especially among nutritionally vulnerable households and population groups. 121. The Representative from Tonga endorsed the general thrust and recommendations of the paper. He thanked FAO for the assistance provided towards the establishment of the Codex Committee in Tonga and support to the national Codex system and Codex Contact Point. He informed the meeting that Food was a new addition to the portfolio of his Minister. He reminded FAO of Tonga’s request for technical support to review its food legislation and formulate a comprehensive Food Act and appropriate regulations, and urged for its rapid approval. With reference to the strengthening of the food analytical capabilities in the region, he informed the meeting that food analytical equipment had been supplied to Tonga, but were still in boxes as Tonga currently did not have a laboratory to house the equipment, and was still looking for financial assistance to build one. He added that a national food laboratory was seen as important to improve food quality and safety in support of national agricultural development. 122. The Minister from Kiribati after endorsing the paper stated that Kiribati was currently trying to encourage farmers to grow more local food and some advance had been achieved with support of the DSAP project. He noted the importance of ensuring nutrition security and added that dietary related illnesses particularly Vitamin A deficiency had been recognised as a growing problem. Future work plans included proposals for processing baby food and juice from local crops, such as breadfruit, banana and pandanus were being looked at, and a request for technical assistance in this area had been submitted to FAO. He explained that what was required was an appropriate consultant to conduct a feasibility study to identify the adequate size of a food processing plant, provide specifications and training in appropriate food processing technologies, and some advice on the types of products to be developed based on market demand and requirements. 123. The Representative from Papua New Guinea commented on the technical and scientific content of the paper and the complexity of the issues addressed therein. The accreditation of food laboratories was seen as very important, however, he commented that for countries in Melanesia and the northern Pacific it was expensive and difficult to send


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samples to the regional laboratory established at the USP in Fiji. He advised that Papua New Guinea currently had three laboratories and pledged for support to have at least one of these accredited to cater for the needs of the region. He highlighted the difficulty PNG was experiencing in applying and enforcing food regulation and standards, and the need for ongoing capacity building assistance in this area. He noted that work in the region in this important area was also being carried out by other regional organizations such as SPC and the PIFS and reiterated the need for consolidation of efforts. 124. In response to comments and queries from countries, the Food and Nutrition Officer advised that, in respect to the point made by the Representative from Tonga, the issue of the national laboratories was well recognized and was a common problem particularly in smaller countries. He added that the establishment and maintenance of a national laboratory was not an easy thing due to high initial investment costs and limited throughput making it hard to sustain such a facility financially. Regarding the pending request from Kiribati, he informed the meeting that FAO was in the process of contracting a suitable consultant. 125. In response to the points raised by Papua New Guinea, the Food and Nutrition Officer clarified that FAO had assisted the establishment of the food laboratory at the USP based on the need to ensure that there was an internationally accredited facility available at the regional level to cater for the needs of the region but individual countries were free to decide whether to make use of such a facility or not. The commitment by PNG to get at least one of its laboratories fully accredited was welcome and should further help cater for the needs of the region for such services, which was anticipated to grow in the future. 126. The Sub-Regional Representative, in response to the query from Tonga on its request for assistance in food legislation review and drafting, advised that SAPA had only recently been directed by the Director-General to link the request from Tonga to the RPFS, noting that provisions were made under the regional TCP project in support of the RPFS for the recruitment of regional consultants to provide support in a number of areas including food legislation. In regards to the request from Kiribati, he noted that this had been pending for some time, however, it was expected that an appropriate expert would be fielded in due course. 127. Regarding the accreditation of additional laboratories, the Sub-Regional Representative indicated that the support provided by FAO to the USP laboratory was aimed at achieving international accreditation but the running and operational costs had to be met through a user-pay system. This meant that USP would be required to recover the costs for running the laboratory through charges imposed on the services provided. He added that while countries were free to set up their own individual laboratories, the question remained whether such a facility would be economically viable. He reiterated that the Codex Secretariat was housed in FAO and therefore FAO would always be actively supporting countries in the Pacific on food standards while at the same time trying to avoid duplication of efforts in the region. 128. At the end of the discussion, Ministers considered and approved the following recommendations: (i) That the ongoing changes in global food systems and their impact on the agriculture

and fishery sectors, as well as the populations and economies of Pacific Island Countries at large, be noted;


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(ii) That FAO continue to assist member countries to:

• strengthen their food control systems to become compatible with international requirements, with the dual aim to facilitate access of their products to international food markets and protect consumers from food borne illness;

• enhance their ability to participate in and contribute to the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and harmonise their food standards and regulations with those set by the Commission;

• strengthen capacity in quality assurance throughout the food chain, particularly with regards to small scale enterprises involved in food product development; and

• create sustainable improvements in nutrition, especially among nutritionally vulnerable households and population groups.

Item 4.6: Forestry Development in the Region 129. The Chair referred the meeting to document SWPM/CKI/4.6(Rev.1) and invited FAO to introduce the paper. In response, the Sub-Regional Representative explained that forestry was one of the focal areas of the work programme of SAPA and the paper had been prepared to brief the meeting on the global and regional trend in forestry development, on forestry work being conducted in the region as well as some of the key issues and challenges. He then invited the SAPA Forestry Officer to further elaborate on the paper. 130. The Forestry Officer, Mr Aru Mathias introduced the paper by first discussing the background to FAO activities in the forestry sector and the links between the global forest initiatives and their implementation at the national level. The paper also provided a brief summary of current forestry developments in the Pacific region and the issues faced. 131. He stressed that forests and tree resources had immense value, were a source of natural capital and if managed well and given appropriate development, they could provide many different benefits and opportunities for the forestry stakeholders particularly in supporting their sustainable livelihoods. A prerequisite to achieving sustainable management of forest and tree resources, however, was for the countries to have essential and up-to-date data and information on their resources. This would provide the baseline information needed for use in decision-making processes and for policy and planning purposes. 132. The Forestry Officer highlighted two global forestry initiatives of importance to the Pacific. One was the National Forest Programme under which support to national forestry development activities were being provided. The other was the Forest Resource Assessment Programme, which allowed FAO to monitor and report on the world’s forest resource. He then provided a briefing on activities currently being undertaken at the regional and national level with support from these two initiatives. He concluded by proposing a number of actions to be taken as a way forward for the next two years. 133. The Minister from Kiribati thanked FAO for the presentation and stated that Kiribati wanted to maximise benefits derived from its very limited forest resource which comprised mainly of coconut and pandanus trees. He stated that assistance was required to set up a portable saw milling operation for the purpose of utilizing coconut logs for timber.


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134. The Representative from the Cook Islands, after thanking the Forestry Officer for the presentation, sought further clarification and advice on the relationship between forestry and food security, in particular, the contributing role and the link between forestry and food security. 135. The Representative from Tonga acknowledged the assistance provided by FAO to overcome the effects of recent cyclones which included the provision of a mobile sawmill and related training on proper milling of fallen coconut palms and trees. He advised that forestry had been separated from agriculture and was now a separate Ministry following a recent decision of government. Thus, it was likely that a representative from Forestry would become part of Tonga’s delegation to future meetings. He reminded FAO of Tonga’s request for assistance in the review and formulation of its forestry policy. 136. The Minister from the Solomon Islands commented that forestry in the Solomon Islands was increasingly looked at as an important part of agriculture although the two sectors were still being administered as two separate Departments each having its own Minister. He reported that key developments in the Solomon Islands in regards to forestry were in the areas of community forestry and tree planting with teak planting becoming most popular amongst resource owners and that about 2,000 ha of teak had been planted in 2003. This was undertaken through their own initiative and without much assistance from Government. He further informed that Solomon Islands was currently facing difficulties in getting a new forestry legislation endorsed by Cabinet first before preparation for passage in parliament. The legislation had been drafted with the assistance of AusAID but due to conflicting interest of logging companies, land owners and the Government it had not yet been approved. This was therefore an urgent matter for Government to solve. He added that more than 1 million cubic metres of round logs had been exported and that logging was the second highest income earner for the country in 2004. Furthermore, it provided employment for more than 1,000 people. 137. The Representative from Australia acknowledged the paper provided by FAO and stressed the importance of identifying priorities before replacing national forestry legislation. He briefed the meeting on the support provided by Australia to countries relating to forestry development and encouraged the small countries to voice and articulate their concerns through FAO. He added that Australia was of the view that there was a need to strengthen the regional forestry commissions and harmonize reporting requirements, and highlighted as an example, the reporting for the global forest resource assessment. He encouraged countries to actively participate in the global forest resource assessment programme and to streamline regulations for the sustainable use and certification of forests. He added that Australia had assisted countries with their reporting to the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and would like to encourage countries to actively participate in the UNFF process. 138. The Minister from Vanuatu expressed support for the recommendations made and noted the importance of pursuing the proposal on coherent policy development. He pointed out that sound policy decisions and sustainable forest management were difficult without reliable data. He added that Vanuatu had been confronted with the difficulty of quantifying its forest and tree resources due to absence of up-to-date information, and that FAO assistance would be welcome in conducting an inventory of existing resources. 139. The Minister thanked FAO and its collaborating partners for the National Forest Program being implemented and added that the priority now was the development of a National Forest Sector Plan. He advised that the Plan was important in the implementation of


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the Forestry Act and programmes, and requested FAO to provide technical assistance for the drafting of the document. The Minister further stressed the need for collaboration between FAO and other actors. In this regard, he suggested that governments take stock of programs with similar goals within the countries. He added that it was important to ensure the interlinking of programs, especially where they addressed sector-wide or cross-cutting issues such as biosecurity and plant protection for forestry and agriculture, and food security. The Minister commended FAO for its collaboration with governments through the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission in addressing the threats posed by invasive species. 140. The Representative from Samoa expressed his appreciation for the paper presented and for the considerable achievements made. He stated that Samoa had benefited from FAO forestry projects at the national as well as global level. He informed the meeting of Samoa’s intention to develop more non-wood forest products, and highlighted the work that was currently being undertaken to develop bamboo as a potential industry. He further informed the meeting that following a recent government restructure Forestry was no longer with the Ministry of Agriculture but was now part of the responsibilities of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Lands and Environment. With reference to the global forestry initiatives of FAO, the Representative requested more information on the National Forest Programme and how Samoa could access and actively participate in the programme. 141. The Minister from New Zealand expressed his endorsement of the paper and acknowledged the effort made by FAO to assist countries with the development of their forestry sector. He informed the meeting that New Zealand had implemented sustainable logging practices in its privately-owned natural forests, and was happy to share with countries the lessons learned from this. He indicated that as a result of applying sustainable logging practices the value of wood removed from the same resource had gone from NZ$15 to $300 and now $1,200 per cubic meter for rimu. He stated that illegal harvesting undermined the real value of forests in each country and gave the example that the development of sustainable use and sale of beech forests in NZ was severely hampered by imported wood which may have been illegally logged. As such, New Zealand fully endorsed FAO’s effort to combat illegal harvesting and its support to promote and certify exports of wood from sustainable forestry. 142. The Representative from Papua New Guinea made reference to the Kyoto Protocol and stated that Papua New Guinea would like to see the prospects of carbon trading being explored further and applied in the region. He added that Papua New Guinea was a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol and would need to map out its forest resources and register carbon sinks for carbon trading possibilities. Incomes derived from this trade could then be used to help develop the forestry sector. He then enquired whether FAO had any program currently in place to assist countries with larger forest resources to assess and register carbon resources to be later used for trading. 143. The SAPA Forestry Officer in responding to some of the issues raised by countries advised that FAO had the capacity and technical expertise to assist member countries acquire and operate sawmills. FAO could also provide training on milling and on the maintenance and operation of sawmills. On development and support to community forestry work, he suggested that initiatives should be linked to the ongoing work by the South Pacific Regional Initiative on Forest Genetic Resources (SPRIG) to ensure that the landowners had the right planting material and benefited from the experiences gained. In reference to the comment by Kiribati, he recommended the establishment of field gene banks for priority tree species as well as training for the establishment and maintenance of tree nurseries, including utilisation


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and marketing of forest products. He advised that FAO had provided assistance to Vanuatu through the National Forest Programme facility for the development of its national forestry strategy and would continue to assist as appropriate in the future. 144. In response to the request by Samoa for further information on the National Forest Programme, the Forestry Officer advised that detailed information had been sent to countries through the FAO focal points. He added that discussion had been held with the Samoa Forestry authorities and it was understood that work had been initiated on drafting the country’s concept note, the first step to securing assistance under the National Forest Programme Facility. 145. The Forestry Officer supported the suggestion by Australia for strengthening of the regional forestry commissions, particularly the Asia Pacific Forestry Commission and its role in minimizing the damages and impacts of invasive species. In addition, he provided further clarification on the role and contribution of forestry in improving food security by referring to the use of forest products such as nuts, fruits, fuelwood, as well as animals from the forest as source of food and the marketing of forest products as a means of generating income by the rural people. 146. In response to the comment made by Papua New Guinea relating to the Kyoto Protocol and carbon trading, the Forestry Officer indicated that the link to environment was not covered in detail given the limits and scope of the paper. However knowledge on the resources available in the country was important and this was covered under the Forest Resource Assessment Programme activities. He added that during his last mission to Port Moresby, he and another FAO colleague had been working closely with counterparts in Papua New Guinea to establish information on available forestry data and, more importantly, on how to improve data collection and the quality of the data for now and in the future. 147. The Sub-Regional Representative in response to the request from Kiribati clarified that FAO’s earlier assistance to Niue and Tonga and the supply of portable sawmills was a response to an emergency assistance request following damage to their respective forestry resources by cyclones. He highlighted that the focus of FAO was on technical assistance and not on provision of large capital items. He added that in some instances additional equipment had been provided but only after it was considered essential and formed part of the overall package for supporting capacity building activities and training. 148. With respect to the role and contribution of forests to food security the Sub-Regional Representative added that forests had to be looked at as part of a wider ecosystem for food production. He reminded the meeting that the concept of food security included not only the ability to produce one’s own food but also the ability to acquire by purchasing from other countries. 149. After further discussion and clarification, the meeting approved the following recommendations: (i) That FAO, in collaboration with regional organizations and the donor community, be

urged to give priority attention to assisting member countries in reviewing and drafting appropriate forestry policies and legislation to enhance sustainable management of forests;


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(ii) That countries be urged to institutionalise forest and tree resources assessment, in recognition of the absence of essential data and information for effective policy, planning and resource development and management purposes;

(iii) That countries be encouraged to institutionalise planning requirements and frameworks, in view of the apparent lack of forest management plans and planning framework in countries to guide forestry development,

(iv) That multi-sector discussions and active stakeholder participation in forestry processes be encouraged given that issues affecting forests and trees are complex and cross-sectoral in nature; and

(v) That countries be encouraged to enhance knowledge and understanding of forestry stakeholders on the potential benefits of Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFP), realizing that forests and trees are natural capital.

Item 4.7: Responsible Fisheries - Sustainable Development and Sound Resources Management 150. Following invitation from the Sub-Regional Representative, the SAPA Fishery Officer, Mr Masanami Izumi drew the attention of the meeting to document SWPM/CKI/4.6(Rev1) and advised that the paper had focused on providing an update on the status of world fisheries and aquaculture, and the implications of developments at the global level on the Pacific fisheries. He advised that in accordance with the latest report of FAO, about 75 per cent of the world’s main fish stocks were fully exploited, over exploited or significantly depleted. By contrast, aquaculture had continued to grow rapidly at an average of about 9 per cent since 1970. 151. He stated that FAO had been able to monitor and analyse global fisheries performance and trends over the past years based on information collected from annual fishery statistics questionnaires and other statistical information provided by countries and regional organizations. He emphasized the importance of FAO’s annual fishery statistic questionnaires, as a means of getting up-to-date information on the status of the world’s fishery resource and encouraged countries to complete and submit the questionnaires on time. 152. The Fishery Officer stated that given the current trend, it was important to ensure that effective resource management measures and regimes were being adopted by countries to ensure the sustainability of the fisheries resources. He then provided a brief account of regional activities currently being undertaken to address the issue of effective and sustainable resources management, which included the preparatory conferences leading up to the establishment of the Fisheries Commission for the Central and Western Pacific. He pointed out that national, regional and international obligations had placed significant responsibilities on the countries’ fisheries management authorities, with significant resource implications. 153. He advised that FAO had been supporting global and regional efforts to establish effective resource management regimes, through a number of initiatives including the development and implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the associated International Plans of Action on fishing capacity, sharks and IUU fishing. In addition, FAO had provided support and assistance in the area of community-based fisheries management and national capacity development; strengthening data collection/fishery statistics; and coastal fisheries legislation through regional projects.


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154. With reference to fisheries marketing and trade, the Fishery Officer reiterated the importance of marketing information and quality and safety requirements in order to access international markets. In recognition of this, FAO had been implementing projects to assist national authorities in improving the effectiveness of their seafood quality assurance systems through provision of training in modern seafood inspection and quality assurance activities; establishment of national competent authorities for seafood inspection and enhancement of organization and planning skills. 155. He advised that fisheries subsidies had been given increasing attention at the international level and in the WTO negotiations. Specifically, there had been concerns over the fact that many countries were currently subsidizing their fishing industries, which contributed to the continuing problem of IUU fishing and undermined efforts to manage fishing capacity. He stated that fisheries subsidies were considered by FAO as a stimulus to over-capacity and over-fishing. 156. In terms of potential for development, the Fishery Officer stated that aquaculture of many marine species held great potentials, targeting the Asian markets for such products as grouper, sea cucumber and giant clam. Interest in inland freshwater aquaculture was also growing particularly in the larger Melanesian countries such as Fiji and Papua New Guinea. In view of this, FAO was planning to implement a regional aquaculture development project in order to improve technical, environmental and economic viability of existing small-scale aquaculture farming activities. 157. The Minister from Tuvalu acknowledged the usefulness of the information provided by the Fishery Officer and expressed strong support for the need to address IUU fishing in the region. He stated that poaching and illegal fishing were common problems in most of the member countries, and was a main topic at the recent UN Fish Stocks meeting held in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada. He advised that the theme of that meeting was “Governance of High Seas Fisheries and the United Nations Fish Agreement - Moving from Words to Action” and suggested that countries should follow the same approach by taking appropriate actions to rectify the problem of IUU fishing in the region. He also expressed concern over the fact that poachers were still able to find markets where they legally trade their illegal catch. 158. The Representative from the Cook Islands expressed support for the issues raised by Tuvalu relating to IUU fishing. He also expressed appreciation to the governments of New Zealand and Australia for their assistance particularly in the area of surveillance in the region. He encouraged countries to work closely with their neighbours in the monitoring and surveillance of poachers. He informed the meeting that Cook Islands had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Samoa which allowed both countries to follow poachers into each other’s EEZs, and a similar agreement with French Polynesia was currently under preparation. 159. The Minister from the Marshal Islands expressed strong support for the point raised by Tuvalu on IUU fishing and advised that his country also had a tripartite agreement with the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau similar to bilateral agreement between the Cook Islands and Samoa. He then suggested that consideration should be given to establishing a regional agreement on IUU fishing. 160. The Minister from New Zealand stated that New Zealand was determined to eliminate IUU fishing in the Pacific and to assist further with surveillance and monitoring


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work. The Minister urged the countries to upgrade their legislation in order to allow for the prosecution and the imposition and enforcement of appropriate penalties for such offenders. 161. The Representative from Tonga stated that Tonga had received FAO technical assistance for seaweed cultivation and in the development of aquaculture in general. He added that FAO’s continued assistance was still very much needed in the area of aquaculture and coastal fisheries and, more specifically, in providing support to future fishermen of Tonga targeting women and youths as main beneficiaries. He considered that this could be a project for possible inclusion in the RPFS activities. He highlighted the importance of mangroves in protecting the coastal ecosystems and as been witnessed during the tsunami which hit parts of South East Asia in December 2004. 162. The Minister from the Solomon Islands expressed appreciation to FAO for the valuable information provided on the status of fisheries in the world and in the region. He acknowledged the importance of fisheries to the economic development of the Solomon Islands and highlighted areas for possible FAO assistance, which included community-based coastal fisheries, updating and reviewing of fisheries legislation, and processing of tuna and other marine resources. 163. The Chair advised the meeting of the increasing incidences of Ciguatera poisoning which had emerged as a major problem in the islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, resulting in the general public being reluctant to buy reef fish in general including parrot and surgeon fish which were known to have caused near fatal cases of Ciguatera poisoning in the recent past. He then requested the assistance of FAO in obtaining more information on the causes of this outbreak, and possible solution to the problem. 164. The Representative from Australia reiterated the importance of the fishery sector to the economic and social well-being of the Pacific islands and as such fish stocks needed to be maintained and closely monitored to ensure sustainability. He advised that Australia had developed a national plan of action to combat IUU fishing in consultation with stakeholders in early 2005, and will be supporting a regional workshop on IUU fishing to be conducted by FAO soon. He added that countries were welcome to consult Australia to learn from its experiences in the areas of fisheries resources management and combating IUU fishing. 165. In response to the issues raised by the countries, the Fishery Officer highlighted that assistance in the formulation of fisheries legislation, fish processing and coastal and community-based fisheries were all part of the FAO’s areas of focus and ongoing activities in the region. He stated that appropriate experts could be made available for technical assistance if requested. With reference to the need for assistance in processing of fish products in the Solomon Islands, the Fishery Officer suggested that a proposal should be provided outlining details relating to the products to be developed, target markets and the specific assistance required. 166. The Sub-Regional Representative acknowledged that fisheries was the most important resource for most of the Pacific Island Countries, and reiterated FAO’s comparative advantage stemming from its international network and pool of experts. He highlighted the fact that part of the responsibilities of SAPA was to ensure that FAO initiatives and assistance adequately addressed countries’ needs. He reinforced New Zealand position on the need to have a sound legislation in place and added that FAO would continue to make resources available to assist countries in this area. He acknowledged the assistance provided by Japan to FAO for some of the fisheries-related activities in the region, which included funding


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assistance for the recruitment of an Associate Professional Officer to assist the Fishery Officer in the work on aquaculture and fisheries information. 167. In response to the suggestion made by Marshall Islands, the Sub-Regional Representative stated that regional agreements were matters for regional organizations to address. As such, he considered that the suggestion for a regional agreement on IUU fishing should be referred to the Forum Fisheries Committee, the governing body for the Forum Fisheries Agency. 168. From the further discussion on this particular issue, there was an emerging consensus that while sustainable management and IUU fishing were important, the suggestion to develop a regional agreement should be taken up further at the Forum Fisheries Committee meeting to be held in Majuro, Marshall Islands later in the month. 169. After further deliberations on the issues raised in document SWPM/CKI/4.7(Rev.1), the meeting approved the following recommendations: (i) That FAO continue to assist countries in further strengthening fisheries management

by improving data collection/fishery statistics in cooperation with regional organizations as basis for effective policy-making and management of fisheries and aquaculture;

(ii) That FAO continue to cooperate with relevant regional organizations in support of the

management of highly migratory fish stocks in the region; (iii) That FAO continue to assist countries in the further implementation of the Code of

Conduct for Responsible Fisheries at the national and regional levels, and in the development of their national plans of action for the implementation of the provisions of the IPOAs, particularly for sharks and IUU fishing;

(iv) That FAO continue to assist countries in further improving the effectiveness of

seafood quality assurance systems in the region in order to strengthen national capacities in seafood inspection and to meet the requirements of major international trading partners,

(v) That FAO continue to provide updated information on international trade-related

issues, in particular on fisheries subsidies within the context of the WTO negotiations; and

(vi) That FAO continue to assist countries in developing small-scale aquaculture of

economically important species as a tool for coastal fisheries management. Item 4.8: Roundtable Meeting on WTO Agreement Provisions 170. The Sub-Regional Representative in introducing this agenda item advised the meeting that following the decision made at the Second Ministerial Meeting in Apia, Samoa in 1997 FAO with the assistance of collaborating partners had organized annual roundtable meetings since 1998, on the implications of the WTO multilateral trading system on agriculture and food trade in the region. Now that seven years had passed and given that the annual meeting was in response to a decision made by Ministers themselves, the item had been included in the agenda so that the meeting could be briefed on the outcomes, and to seek


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guidance on its future. He then called on the Policy Officer to briefly outline the major achievements and outcomes of the Roundtable Meeting (RTM) series. 171. The Policy Officer after providing further background information on the RTM stated that the overall objective for the series was to promote awareness and deepen understanding of Pacific Island Countries, of the implications of WTO multilateral trading system on agriculture and, in particular, on agricultural and food trade in the region. He highlighted the fact that it was a collaborative effort between FAO and a number of financial as well as technical partners. Financial partners included New Zealand, the Commonwealth Secretariat, IFAD and the Auckland-based Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commission of the PIFS. Technical partners were those that assisted as resource persons and with the presentation of technical papers during the RTM and included the PIFS, SPC, New Zealand, the Commonwealth Secretariat and IFAD. He then highlighted some of the major outcomes of the meeting as follows: • A total of seven annual sessions had been successfully organized since 1998 all of which

had been held in New Zealand;

• A total of 13 member countries had participated in some or all of the sessions;

• A total of 147 participants had attended the seven sessions with an average of 20 participants per session;

• 60 per cent of the total participants were from agriculture and fisheries authorities and the rest were from Trade and Foreign Affairs;

• at least 10 individuals that had participated in the RTM were now considered as regional experts on WTO issues and some had been employed by FAO as consultants on WTO-related studies or as resource persons to trade-related workshops and training courses;

• Recently, some countries had sent additional participants to attend the RTM at own cost;

• Two analytical studies had been conducted with funding assistance provided by FAO under two TCP projects, in support of the RTM; and

• There had been increase in the number of both financial and technical partners supporting the RTM reflecting their endorsement of the value of the meeting.

172. The Policy Officer highlighted the fact that evaluation had been conducted at the end of each session to ensure that the issues addressed during the RTM were in line with the priorities of the countries. As a result of those evaluations, there had been some major changes and revision to the overall focus and coverage of the RTM. The initial focus had been on awareness-raising on WTO rules and obligations, and was later expanded to include analytical work on implications of the provisions/obligations under the agreements relating to agriculture. This was further expanded to include assessment of regional trade initiatives and their linkage to the WTO agreements and compatibility with WTO rules. 173. He advised that the eighth session was being organized to be held in July in Wellington, New Zealand. Based on consultations with countries conducted towards the end of last year, the programme proposed for the next session had given increased focus on issues related to fisheries. He also advised of the decision by the Commonwealth Secretariat to end its assistance and involvement with the RTM. He then concluded by raising a number of issues that required some guidance and decision from the meeting.


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174. The Minister from New Zealand thanked FAO for the work in this particular area and for the report on the outcomes of the RTM. He reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of New Zealand to the Roundtable and added that New Zealand welcomed the opportunity to continue to host the meeting in Wellington and make available its pool of resource persons. 175. The Representative from Tonga expressed his appreciation to FAO and its collaborating partners for the successful organization and conduct of the annual meetings, and advised that he himself had attended some of the early sessions and had benefited from it. He stated that Tonga had benefited from the meetings and was able to utilize the knowledge and experience gained when negotiating its accession to WTO. He added that a number of participants from the Ministry of Agriculture had participated in the meetings and this had strengthened the knowledge and capacity of the Ministry in the area of trade. 176. The Representative from Papua New Guinea thanked FAO for the report and expressed the view that perhaps the Roundtable in its present format and approach had served its purpose and had achieved its objectives, and suggested that consideration be given to changing its focus. He then proposed that the RTM should now focus on practical orientated outcomes by focusing on assisting countries in developing positions for the ongoing WTO negotiations. This could be implemented through case studies in order to facilitate the sharing of experience that would help improve skills and knowledge for negotiations. 177. The Minister from Tuvalu commented that FAO should continue to brief and advise member countries on the benefits, advantages and disadvantages of joining WTO, which was particularly important to the smaller island countries. As well, advice should continue to be provided on the impact of trade liberalization and WTO rule on the development of agriculture. 178. The Minister from Niue stated that Niue had benefited from attendance at the RTM and added that he had attended some of the meetings and had found them to be very informative and relevant in strengthening the understanding and appreciation of the impact of WTO rules on agriculture and trade development in the region. He then expressed support for the continuation of the RTM on an annual basis. 179. The Representative from Fiji expressed Fiji’s support for the Roundtable Meeting and stated that Fiji would like to see the initiative continued. He reported that a number of participants from Fiji had attended past sessions and were now better informed on the WTO Agreements. He referred to the comment by Papua New Guinea and endorsed the suggestion for the RTM to focus on more practical outcomes. 180. The Sub-Regional Representative expressed appreciation for the positive comments and suggestions made by the countries. He reiterated the gratitude of FAO to its collaborative partners and to New Zealand in particular, for the assistance and support provided. He clarified that although the agenda might have appeared to be covering the same issues every year, the actual topics and the focus of the discussions had actually changed from year to year. He emphasized that the meeting had served to fill information gaps and provide updates on issues currently under WTO negotiations. He clarified that the role of FAO was to provide information and enhance understanding of WTO issues and their implications and it was up to countries to formulate their own views and positions on the issues under negotiation within WTO.


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181. The Sub-Regional Representative pointed out that the decision to hold the annual meetings in Wellington had significant advantages, one of which was the opportunity to tap into the pool of experts of New Zealand at no cost to FAO. He then explained that the resource persons provided by New Zealand as well as the other partners were being provided free of charge, which would have cost at least US$60,000 every year had they been hired as consultants. 182. After further discussion, the meeting expressed strong support for the continuation of the Roundtable Meeting on an annual basis considering that WTO negotiations were still ongoing, and acknowledged with appreciation the continuing commitment by New Zealand to support the annual meeting. It also urged FAO to continue to seek donor support to facilitate the continuing participation of countries at future meetings. AGENDA ITEM 5: EXPANSION OF THE REGIONAL PROGRAMME FOR FOOD SECURITY IN THE PACIFIC - DRAFT CONCEPT PROPOSAL 183. The Chair acknowledged the presence of the Director-General and invited him to address the meeting and to brief Ministers on the proposal to expand the current regional programme for food security. 184. The Director-General took the opportunity to express his gratitude and appreciation to the Government of the Cook Islands for hosting the meeting, for the fine arrangements and organization of the official opening ceremony and the impressive cultural performance. He also thanked the Chair for the invitation and the opportunity to address the meeting. The Director-General then briefed the meeting on the work of FAO in relation to enhancing food security and reducing poverty throughout the world. He stated that following the World Food Summit (WFS), FAO had assisted countries in preparing national strategies for sustainable agriculture and food security. These national strategies were currently being reviewed with the objective of updating them to be in line with the objectives of the “WFS-five years later” and the Millennium Development Goals, which would provide FAO with a clear vision on future interventions. 185. In reference to the RPFS, the Director-General stated that the current programme was considered to be a pilot phase, for which FAO was able to secure US$4.5 million from the Government of Italy, and US$2.8 million from its own resources. He considered that the programme was progressing satisfactorily despite difficulties experienced with the implementation of certain components/activities including the recruitment of SSC experts, which were mainly outside the control of FAO. Built on the experience of the current programme and to ensure sustainable food security, FAO was seeking to expand the current RPFS in order to address both physical and structural problems and constraints on the supply side as well as those hampering trade. He stated that one of the biggest constraints to increasing production throughout the developing countries was the lack of appropriate physical infrastructure for both production and trade. He then highlighted water harvesting and irrigation, transport and storage facilities as examples of types of support infrastructures that were most important to enhancing production but were still poorly developed in most developing countries. 186. In regards to water harvesting and irrigation, the Director-General outlined its importance in terms of its role in increasing levels of production and the inability of farmers to achieve optimum production levels due to their non-availability and accessibility. In regards to transport, the Director-General pointed out the importance of rural roads for access


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to farmers by extension officers and advisers, and also to allow farmers' produce to reach the markets. In addition to roads, the island countries also needed ports, jetties and regular ferry services and these needed to be upgraded, regularly maintained and in good condition before the private sector would be in a position to further invest in agriculture. 187. In terms of the importance of storage facilities, he stated that research results had shown that 60 – 70 per cent of produce losses in the fresh produce sector occurred at the post-harvest stage. He stressed that besides improvement to such infrastructure, quality maintenance was also very important, which required good technical knowledge regarding cold storage and appropriate treatment against pests and diseases prior to and during transport. He pointed out, as an example, that in the livestock sub-sector infrastructure such as slaughter houses and perhaps abattoirs were required, as well as port infrastructures for fisheries. He added that in both cases sophisticated cold chains were required to get the products to the consumers in good condition. In relation to treatment and handling, the Director-General stated that it had to be in accordance with international hygiene standards and as such any capacity building activity would have to be in line with the market requirements as well as Codex standards. 188. In view of its importance to enhancing productivity and facilitating trade, the Director-General advised that the next phase of the RPFS was going to focus on improvement to infrastructure as well as facilitating the access of quality products to markets. He emphasized that this would require the collaboration of development partners and their readiness to support. Besides donor support, FAO would require endorsement of the up-scaling proposal by governments at the highest level and their commitment to allocate appropriate funding to improve rural infrastructure. He advised that the FAO Investment Centre would be available and certainly had the capacity to formulate investment projects for the up-scaling. 189. The Director-General indicated that a two-year time frame for the preparation of the detailed project proposal for the up-scaling of the RPFS was seen as realistic. He also briefed the meeting on the plan of action that FAO would undertake to ensure widest possible support for the up-scaling phase of the RPFS, which included seeking the endorsement and support of the Presidents of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as well as the Commissioner of the EC. As well, the Heads of the ACP member countries would also need to be approached for further endorsement and support of this initiative. He advised the meeting of other international events which would provide opportunities to drive for further support of the planned up-scaling of the RPFS before the end of the year. This included the round table meeting of small island development states proposed to be held in Rome on 18 November 2005, which will be held immediately prior to the FAO Conference on 19 November. 190. He also advised that there would be a meeting of Heads of Government of Commonwealth States in Malta in late November and arrangements were being made to invite Heads of Government to stop over in Rome on their way to Malta, to attend the SIDS meeting and follow-up on specific issues raised at the SIDS meeting in Mauritius. This would provide an opportunity to table the detailed proposal on the up-scaling of the RPFS during the SIDS meeting for endorsement by Heads of Government. 191. In concluding his remarks, the Director-General stated his endorsement of the concept paper prepared by SAPA outlining the proposal for the up-scaling. He advised that the up-scaling was budgeted at US$72 million to be implemented over a period of five years.


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He then thanked the member countries, especially New Zealand, for the positive attitude towards the RPFS. He also thanked the Italian Government for its financial contribution and indicated his hope that other countries would join in the future in supporting the initiative. He added that FAO would actively approach the Ambassadors to the UN/FAO based in Rome for more support and assistance as well as the Ministers of Agriculture when in Rome for the FAO Conference in November. 192. The Sub-Regional Representative then made a brief presentation outlining the draft concept proposal for the expansion of the current RPFS. He referred the meeting to document SWPM/CKI/5.0 and stated that the purposes of the concept paper were to (i) provide a framework that will guide the development of the proposals for the expansion of the current RPFS; (ii) provide the justification and preliminary budgets relating to the expansion proposal at the country level; and (iii) present preliminary proposals for regional level activities. He explained that as alluded to by the Director-General, the expansion programme would focus on the following four main objectives: • To increase the value and quality of food products produced, traded and consumed

through strengthening the support services and policy environments to promote efficient, safe and access to adequate food systems;

• To increase farmers productivity through appropriate irrigation technologies and improve farm management techniques;

• To increase competitiveness of local production for both domestic and export markets with appropriate infrastructure facilities; and

• To improve access to food through food safety nets under emergency conditions for vulnerable groups.

193. The Sub-Regional Representative pointed out that the expansion programme would be broadly organized into sets of activities similar to the current programme whereby some activities would be targeted at making appropriate interventions at the country level (vertical interventions) while some would focus on regional level interventions (horizontal interventions). In regards to the vertical interventions, the Sub-Regional Representative stated that these would involve two major components with a total budget of US$54 million. One component would focus on up-scaling the current food production and income generating activities at the country level with a total budgeted estimate of $14 million, and the other component would focus on the rehabilitation and construction of rural infrastructure, with a budgeted estimate of $40 million. The horizontal interventions would broadly address supply-side limitations, with a total budget estimate of US$18 million. This would include interventions relating to food quality control, market access, marketing and trade, and disaster preparedness, management and mitigation. 194. In terms of financing the expansion proposal, the Sub-Regional Representative stated that finance for the up-scaling of current food production and income generating activities at the country level, as well as for the horizontal interventions would be sought from non- reimbursable resources such as national budgets, FAO Trust Funds, bilateral donors and other sources. The financing of the rehabilitation and the construction of rural infrastructure would be through government concessional loans from international finance institutions such as the ADB, the World Bank and IFAD, and from private sector investment.


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195. The Sub-Regional Representative emphasized that the concept paper was only an outline of the framework to be followed for the development of the full proposal for the expansion. He stated that subject to the endorsement of the concept proposal, FAO hoped to field a programming mission to develop the full proposal in time for the SIDS roundtable meeting to be held in Rome, as alluded to by the Director-General. He added that in addition to on-going lobbying by FAO for donor support, a meeting with donors would be organized with the view to gauging and coordinating their commitment and support to the expansion phase. 196. The Representative from the Cook Islands expressed strong support for the proposed expansion of the current RPFS and the approach outlined in the concept paper. He also expressed appreciation to the Director-General and FAO for having taken the initiative to develop the concept proposal for the proposed expansion. 197. The Minister from the Marshall Islands also expressed his government’s support to the proposed expansion programme and the framework to be adopted for the expansion as outlined in the concept paper. He noted the two-year timeframe indicated by the Director-General that would be required for the preparation of the full proposal for the expansion programme, and pointed out the timeframe was acceptable as it would coincide with the next meeting of the South West Pacific Ministers for Agriculture and thus provide an opportunity to review the full proposal before implementation. He then expressed the hope that the Director-General would be able to once again attend the next meeting, which the Government of the Marshall Islands was willing to host, subject to the endorsement of the other countries. 198. The Minister from the Solomon Islands stated that his government fully supported the expansion proposal. He also noted the advice by the Director-General relating to the SIDS roundtable meeting to be held immediately prior to the FAO Conference in November and advised that his Government would make every effort to attend the meeting. He also advised that his government was also willing to host the next meeting of Ministers. 199. The Representative from Tonga welcomed the proposal to expand the current RPFS and expressed the hope that the experience gained from the current phase in terms of the successes as well as the constraints would be taken into account in designing the activities and implementation arrangements for the expansion phase. He encouraged the meeting to support the proposed expansion programme and to attend the SIDS meeting in November. 200. The Ministers from Niue and Vanuatu and the Representative from Fiji also expressed their support for the proposal to expand the current RPFS and the approach outlined in the concept paper. The Minister from Niue added that one of the priority needs for Niue was in the area of statistics for policy and planning purposes. He indicated that it could be a priority activity to be considered under the expansion phase, for Niue. 201. After further discussion, the meeting formally endorsed the concept paper on the proposal to expand the current RPFS in the Pacific and expressed appreciation for the information provided by the Director-General on the approach to be adopted in the design of the expanded proposal. The meeting also endorsed the proposed Roundtable Meeting on Food Security and Sustainable Development in SIDS during the FAO Conference in November and made a commitment to attend the Roundtable. Noting the rationale and justification for the expanded programme, the meeting:


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• Endorsed the concept proposal as a framework for the development of the full proposal for the expansion of the current RPFS in the Pacific; and

• Agreed that FAO should organize a programming mission to develop the detailed

proposal for the expansion at the earliest possible considering the time it would take and the process involved before implementation would commence.

AGENDA ITEM 6: AVIAN INFLUENZA AND ITS IMPLICATION TO THE PACIFIC 202. At the invitation of the Chair, the Sub-Regional Representative explained that this particular item had been included so that countries could be briefed on the developments to date relating to the outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the Asian region and its possible implication to the Pacific. He acknowledged the presence of the Senior Animal Production and Health Officer from the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, who had been involved in monitoring the development of the disease outbreak in Asia. He then invited him to make a presentation on the topic. 203. The Senior Animal Production and Health Officer, Mr Hans Wagner stated that the outbreak of the avian flu began in late 2003 and had continued into 2005. The outbreak had been disastrous to the poultry industry in several Southeast Asian countries and had raised serious global public health concerns. Nearly 140 million domestic poultry birds had either died or been destroyed and over a hundred people had contracted the infection, of which 54 had died as at May 2005. Economic losses to the Asian poultry sector were estimated at around US$10 billion, but despite control measures the disease continued to spread causing further economic losses and threatening the livelihood of hundreds of millions of poor livestock farmers, jeopardizing smallholder entrepreneurship and commercial poultry production and seriously impeding regional and international trade and market opportunities. 204. He outlined the infection pathway of the disease, the different control measures adopted by the infected countries and the recent changes in the genetic make-up of the virus as found in some of the infected countries and the possibility of the disease becoming a pandemic. He stated that the response strategy of FAO was to minimize the global threat and risk of HPAI in humans and domestic poultry, through progressive control and eradication of HPAI, particularly those caused by the H5N1-strain of the virus. In analysing the risk of HPAI to the Pacific Island Countries, it was considered that the biggest risk area would be through infected wild birds crossing over to some of the countries particularly those lying within the West Pacific flyway and causing transmission of the disease to local birds. He highlighted the fact that since local poultry production was generally small-scale and scavenging with little or no bio-security control in place, this could create a problem in terms of control in the event that disease was introduced. 205. He stated that live poultry imports to the Pacific was very limited and the main suppliers were the United States and New Zealand, thus the risk of the disease being introduced through imports of live animals was minimal. He pointed out, however, that total poultry meat imports to the region had significantly increased over the last years to 40,000 tonnes and thus it was important to ensure that imports of live birds, poultry meat and products such as eggs were from HPAI-free countries. He concluded by emphasizing the need to take appropriate measures and precautions to avoid the introduction of the disease into the region. He also advised that in case higher mortalities in poultry were found in any of the


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countries of the region, tests for HPAI must be included as part of the diagnostic analysis being conducted to determine the possible cause. 206. The Minister of the Solomon Islands thanked FAO for the useful information on the HPAI and enquired whether any incident of the disease had been recorded in Australia and New Zealand. He added that such information was considered very important to the island countries of the region given that they were the most important gateways for Asia to the region. In response, the Senior Animal Production and Health Officer advised that the two countries had not recorded any case of the bird flu and efforts were being made by both countries to ensure that they remained HPAI-free through strengthened and more stringent biosecurity services being put in place. 207. The Minister from New Zealand also responded to the query raised by Solomon Islands saying that New Zealand had not encountered any specific HPAI case, however, strategies had been developed under the country’s biosecurity protocol to prevent and address outbreaks of such a disease in the event of it being introduced accidentally. 208. The Representative from the Cook Islands sought further information on whether the virus causing the HPAI was being transmitted through contact with live animals only or through contact with contaminated animal carcasses and meat products as well. He also enquired whether there had been a vaccine developed for the disease. 209. In response, the Senior Animal Production and Health Officer advised that the disease could also be contracted through contact with raw meat. In regards to the issue of vaccine, he advised that while some work was currently been carried out to develop an effective vaccine, there were issues that needed to be considered, which included the question of how much to be produced and held for future outbreaks, where to store them and the cost involved. 210. The Representative from Samoa expressed appreciation for the information provided and outlined the trends in the development of the poultry industry in Samoa. He said that over the last few years, poultry farms had grown bigger in size and number and were now much closer to human settlements. He added that the hygienic conditions of some of the farms were a real health concern. He then sought advice on how the situation currently experienced by Samoa could be managed to ensure it was safe to humans. In response, the Senior Animal Production and Health Officer advised that the best way was to apply good biosecurity management practices. 211. The Representative from Tonga noted with appreciation the information provided on bird flu disease and suggested that, in view of the high number of experts and technicians coming to work in the region under the SSC arrangement, consideration should be given to the possibility of having them vaccinated before they were dispatched to the region, to ensure they would not introduce the disease. Following discussions on this suggestion, it was accepted that given the current number of humans being infected with the disease, the risk of introduction through the SSC officers was very minimal and therefore the need for vaccination was not necessary. 212. The Representative from Papua New Guinea expressed appreciation for the information provided which was important to Papua New Guinea given that it was sharing a common border with an Asian country and thus the possibility of the disease being introduced to Papua New Guinea was quite high. He added that the control and management of HPAI


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and other livestock diseases was of critical importance to the sustainable development of the livestock sector in Papua New Guinea and as such technical assistance and training would be required to facilitate the regular surveying and monitoring of livestock diseases. 213. After further discussion and clarification, the meeting noted with appreciation the useful information provided on the avian flu pandemic and the potential threat to livestock and the lives of the peoples of the Pacific. It also endorsed the need to have in place effective biosecurity measures and good management practices to minimise the spread of the disease. AGENDA ITEM 7: OTHER BUSINESS 214. The Sub-Regional Representative drew the attention of the meeting to the presence of representatives from the USP and the SPC, and suggested that they be invited to make a brief statement. 215. Following endorsement by the meeting and at the invitation of the Chair, the Representative from the USP, Professor Alfred Ebenebe, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the School of Agriculture made a brief statement on the role of the University in terms of capacity building through the provision of formal training in agriculture. He advised that the University was currently reviewing the agricultural curriculum, to ensure that it continued to address the skills requirements of its member countries. He expressed appreciation to FAO for the invitation for USP to attend the meeting as an observer, and to the Chair for the opportunity to address the meeting. 216. The Representative from the SPC, Mr ‘Aleki Sisifa, Director of the Land Resources Division also made a brief intervention. He outlined the work currently being conducted by the Secretariat in relation to the development of agriculture in the region. He noted the emphasis on building national capacities, strengthening regional collaboration, enhancement of trade and their role in ensuring sustainable agriculture and food security in the region. He also highlighted the complementary nature of the work being carried out by FAO and SPC. He then advised the meeting of the decision made at the SPC Ministers for Agriculture at their meeting held in Fiji last year, for SPC to explore with FAO the possibility of combining the two Ministerial meetings, which should contribute to improved coordination and collaboration between the two organizations. 217. The meeting noted with appreciation the statements made by the Representatives from the USP ands the SPC. In regards to the point raised by the Representative from SPC pertaining to the recommendation to combine the Ministerial meeting of SPC with that of the South West Pacific, there was no discussion on this matter reflecting the fact that the recommendation was not supported. 218. The Minister from New Zealand referred to the fact that some limited commodities/products from the island countries of the region had managed to penetrate markets in developed countries and the need for coordinated efforts to ensure that the region was able to maintain its share of such markets. He highlighted the current success of the ‘noni’, some of which was being marketed as an organic product and which had potential for a sustainable economic opportunity for the Pacific region. He noted the need to address the hygiene status of the production process and to have in place appropriate standards to ensure compliance with international trading practices and requirements. He also highlighted the possibility that countries will try and compete with each other for the same market and thus there was a need for a regional approach to ensure that the industry was developed in a


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sustainable manner or run the risk of losing the market. He then stated that New Zealand was willing to assist where necessary. 219. The Representative from Samoa thanked New Zealand for raising the issue and advised that Samoa had already established a national council to look into such matters. He added that the council was fully operated by the private sector. 220. The Minister from Niue expressed his support for the establishment of a regional council or a similar body to facilitate the coordination and development of the noni industry and further suggested that it be private sector-based. 221. The Sub-Regional Representative advised that while FAO was willing to assist, a regional mechanism had already been established for other commodities such as the Regional Kava Council. He added that the PIFS had been instrumental in the establishment of the Regional Kava Council and as such, it would be appropriate that the matter be referred to it for further consideration and appropriate action. He pointed out that SAPA and the PIFS had the same island country membership and as such, no country would be disadvantaged if the matter were to be referred to and taken up by the PIFS. 222. The Minister from New Zealand supported the suggestion made by the Sub-Regional Representative but considered that it would be more effective if the meeting were to make a decision on the matter, which could then be taken up later with the PIFS. 223. After further discussions and comments from countries, the meeting noted with appreciation the point raised by New Zealand and agreed that FAO provide technical support to the noni industry where required. It also approved that recommendations be brought to the PIFS on the importance of developing a coordinated approach to ensure the industry was developed in a sustainable manner. 224. The Representative from Australia advised the meeting of the work Australia was currently doing in relation to the independent external evaluation (IEE) of FAO, as approved by the FAO Council. He also informed the meeting of Australia’s undertaking to keep countries informed through a proposed network of member countries. 225. The Minister from New Zealand endorsed the statement by Australia, and also the need for the IEE. AGENDA ITEM 8: ADOPTION OF THE COMMUNIQUÉ 226. The meeting, after making appropriate changes to the draft prepared by the Secretariat, adopted and signed the Communiqué, which is attached as Annex E. AGENDA ITEM 9: VENUE FOR NEXT MEETING 227. The Minister from the Marshall Islands reiterated the earlier offer of his government to host the next meeting. This was seconded by the Minister from Niue. Ministers subsequently accepted the offer by the Government of the Marshall Islands to host the next meeting in 2007.


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AGENDA ITEM 10: CLOSING OF THE MEETING 228. The Sub-Regional Representative expressed sincere appreciation to the Government of the Cook Islands for being an excellent host and for providing outstanding support in the preparation for and during the meeting, as well as for the invitation and hospitality extended to the Director-General of FAO. He also acknowledged with appreciation the efforts and contribution of the staff of his office and stated that he was privileged to have such commitment and dedication. He thanked the Ministers and Representatives from countries for their openness and positive comments. He also thanked the Chair for his able leadership and for being able to steer the meeting to a successful conclusion. 229. Words of thanks and appreciation were also expressed by the Ministers and Representatives from countries to the government of the Cook Islands and the Chair for the warm hospitality and the fine arrangements for the meeting. They also thanked the Sub-Regional Representative and the staff of FAO for the contributions and inputs to the meeting and acknowledged the quality of the papers and advice provided during the meeting, as well as the level of professionalism with which the meeting had been serviced. 230. The Representative of the Cook Islands conveyed the appreciation of the Government of the Cook Islands to all delegates for having accepted the invitation to attend the meeting and for the opportunity to be host to all. He also conveyed appreciation and gratitude to the Director-General, the Sub-Regional Representative and staff of FAO for the help and support provided in preparation for and during the meeting. He then presented a gift to all heads of delegation and observers, which he said was a small token of the appreciation of the Government and the people. He then wished everyone a safe and pleasant journey home. 231. The Chair thanked the Honourable Ministers and Delegates for their support and for their contributions during the meeting. He conveyed to the Sub-Regional Representative his appreciation and gratitude to the Director-General for taking time to visit the Cook Islands and to attend the meeting. He also expressed appreciation to the Sub-Regional Representative and FAO staff for the clear and informative presentation of the discussion papers, and their commitment and dedication to the meeting which had resulted in its successful conclusion. 232. The Chair stated that his government and the people were very pleased to have been able to host the meeting and to welcome all delegates to the Cook Islands. He expressed his sincere hope that everyone had enjoyed their stay and that each would take home sweet memories of their experience and stay in the Cook Islands. He then declared the meeting closed.


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Annex A

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS AUSTRALIA Mr David Ingham Manager FAO and Rest of the World Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry COOK ISLANDS Honourable Tupou Faireka Minister for Agriculture Mr Nga Mataio Director of Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture Mr Ngatoko Ngatoko Chief Quarantine Officer Ministry of Agriculture Mr John Akavi Senior Projects Officer Ministry of Agriculture Mr Noo Tokari Agricultural Liaison Officer Ministry of Agriculture FIJI ISLANDS Mr Sakiusa Tubuna Acting Chief Economist Ministry of Agriculture, Sugar and Land Resettlement Mrs Mere Salusalu Agricultural Officer (International Relations) Ministry of Agriculture, Sugar and Land Resettlement KIRIBATI Honourable Martin P Tofinga Minister of Environment, Land and Agricultural Development Betarim Rimon Senior Project Officer Ministry of Environment, Land and Agricultural Development


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Mr Tianeti I Beenna Senior Agricultural Officer Ministry of Environment, Land and Agricultural Development MARSHALL ISLANDS Honourable John Silk Minister for Resources and Development NAURU Honourable Frederick Pitcher Minister for Island Development and Industry NEW ZEALAND Honourable Damien O’Connor Associate Minister of Agriculture and Minister for Rural Affairs Mr Matthew Paterson Deputy High Commissioner to the Cook Islands Mr Neil Fraser Manager, International Liaison International Policy Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Ms Sophie van der Meeren Sustainable Livelihoods Advisor New Zealand Agency for International Development Mr Ivan Rowe Private Secretary Agriculture and Rural Affairs Parliament Building NIUE Honourable Bill Vakaafi Motufoou Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Mr Poimatagi Okesene Senior Livestock and Crops Research Officer Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries PAPUA NEW GUINEA Mr Matthew’wela Kanua Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Department of Agriculture and Livestock


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Mr Andrew Yamenea Managing Director National Agriculture Quarantine Authority SAMOA Seumanutafa Malaki Iakopo Chief Executive Officer Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries SOLOMON ISLANDS Honourable Enele D Kwanairara Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Mr Edward Kingmele (CBE) Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Mr John Harunari Under Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock TONGA Mr Haniteli Fa’anunu Director of Agriculture and Food Ministry of Agriculture and Food TUVALU Honourable Samuelu Teo Minister for Natural Resources, Energy and Lands Mr Uatea Vave Senior Agricultural Officer Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy, and Lands VANUATU Honourable Barak Sope Minister of Agriculture, Quarantine, Forestry and Fisheries Mr Ruben Markward Planning and Executive Officer Ministry of Agriculture, Quarantine, Forestry and Fisheries


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FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION (FAO) Dr Jacques Diouf Director-General FAO Headquarters, Rome Dr Vili Fuavao Sub-Regional Representative Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands, Apia Mr Manase Felemi Policy Officer Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands, Apia Dr Matairangi Purea Plant Protection Officer Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands, Apia Mr Heiko Bammann Farming Systems Development and Marketing Officer Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands, Apia Mr Dirk Schulz Food and Nutrition Officer Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands, Apia Mr Aru Mathias Forestry Officer Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands, Apia Mr Masanami Izumi Fishery Officer Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands, Apia Mr Daniele Salvini Country Project Officer Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands, Apia Mr Hans Wagner Senior Animal Production and Health Officer Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok Mr Bismarck Crawley Regional Project Coordinator (Project GTFS/RAS/198/ITA) Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands, Apia Ms Lynette Kumar Associate Professional Officer (Fisheries) Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands, Apia


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OBSERVERS ITALY HE Dr Liana Marolla

Ambassador to the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu

Italian Embassy, Wellington, New Zealand

SECRETARIAT OF THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY (SPC) Mr ‘Aleki Sisifa Director Land Resources Division, Suva, Fiji UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC (USP) Professor Alfred C Ebenebe Pro-Vice Chancellor School of Agriculture, Alafua Campus, Apia, Samoa WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (WMO) Mr Henry Taiki Programme Officer Sub-Regional Office for the South West Pacific, Apia, Samoa


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Annex B

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF FAO, DR JAQUES DIOUF

Excellencies, Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am greatly honoured to address this important meeting, which since the inauguration of the FAO Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific Islands in 1996, you have decided to convene on a biennial basis with a view to strengthening the partnership between FAO and the Pacific. These meetings assist FAO in recognizing the challenges that your countries face, and that deserve special attention from FAO and its partners. I am pleased that this year, you have chosen the theme "Building on FAO's Comparative Advantage to Strengthen Partnerships for Food Security in the Pacific". This theme provides an opportunity for FAO to take a more strategic approach in designing its assistance to you.

As we are aware, the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) countries are diverse in many respects, but share common constraints that impede the achievement of a balanced economic growth and sustainable food security at both national and household levels. Most people, more than 80% in some countries, live in rural areas and rely on agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Agriculture is the dominant productive sector of most PIF countries, as the major food source and it accounts for 20-40 percent of GDP, over 50 percent of exports and 40-80 percent of employment. The export sector in most Pacific Island countries comprise a narrow range of primarily agricultural commodities, weak market systems and linkages, and is vulnerable to changes in international trading conditions. The need for export diversification, away from the narrow base of traditional commodities, has been acknowledged by all, as has been the need to promote intra-regional trade.

Indeed, the Regional Programme for Food Security (RPFS) in the Pacific was designed in 2002 to enable the Pacific Island Countries to increase efficiency and sustainability of agriculture, to improve food security and health, to facilitate trade in agricultural products and decrease impact of natural disasters. And, today, the overall goal of the programme is to expand its current scope to improve the food security situation of the Pacific Island Forum countries by increasing the availability and access to adequate quantities of safe food products.

Support from some regional economic organizations has facilitated the smooth implementation of this project, which is also benefiting significantly from technical assistance provided by the People’s Republic of China and the Philippines under the South-South Cooperation framework (4 experts for each participating country), which is considered an integral part of the project. In addition, the programme provides for consultants to be recruited to provide assistance in the areas of food quality and safety in particular for adapting relevant legislations and regulations, strengthening the institutions, training their staff and supplying the scientific equipment for the tests and analyses. It promotes complementarity with other on-going initiatives such as the European Union-funded “Development of Sustainable Agriculture in the Pacific” and the “Regional Trade Facilitation Programme” supported by Australia and New Zealand. In other words, ownership, cooperation and partnerships are at the core of the project.


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While a number of governments have implemented food security programmes and other remedial measures, it is clear that further interventions are required to help alleviate the problems faced by smallholder farm households and rural communities. Food insecurity in the region remains a challenge, and FAO with the experience and expertise of its member states can give advice for the creation of an adequate environment aimed at ensuring access to food for the poor. It could promote sound policies for fostering income opportunities and mitigating further impacts of the changing international trade through increased agricultural productivity, competitivity and market access.

The integration of food security policies within national and regional development plans are perhaps the most challenging tasks ahead. FAO can provide the fora where countries can come together to address these issues. In fact, FAO is convening a Round Table on Food Security and Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) during the FAO Council in November this year. It will review the progress made in implementing the decisions of the last ministerial meeting and Mauritius Summit and chart the path for mobilizing the international community for accelerating the programmes and projects relevant to agriculture and food security. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The on-going RPFS for the Pacific was designed with an estimated cost of US$11.47 million of which $7.3 million already mobilized and it was targeted to complement national policies and programmes, address emerging issues related to trade and regional integration and take advantage of synergies and complementarities at the regional level. As you are aware, FAO established the Trust Fund for Food Security and Food Safety with an initial target of US$500 million to finance projects and activities aimed at contributing to the achievement of the first MDG on food security and poverty alleviation. It is within this context, and in particular thanks to the Italian government’s contribution to it that FAO launched the RPFS for the Pacific. With its objective of building on the national development and food security policies of the Pacific Island countries, the FAO/Italian funded project is acting as a catalyst for the mobilization of further funding and donor support for the expansion of the RPFS. This represents an additional challenge today. Potential funding for the expansion phase of the programme from 2006-2010, estimated at some US$72 million, could be sought from contributions from national budgets of the countries themselves, private sector investment, FAO Trust Funds, bilateral donors, and from credit lines or loans from international financing institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, and IFAD.

To this effect, and in order to envisage the mobilization of more resources, I would like to recall the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries in Maputo, in June 2004. On this occasion, the participants adopted a declaration reconfirming agriculture, on which 62 per cent of the ACP population depend for their livelihood and income, as the priority on which to base the economic and social development of their countries. They also took the decision to increase the portion of European Development Fund resources for agriculture, and resolved that agricultural irrigation should benefit from the Euro 1 billion ACP-EU Water Facility.

In addition, and to yet mobilize more resources, parallel to FAO Regional Conferences for Africa, Asia and the Pacific, the Near East, and Latin America and the Caribbean, the Organization organised meetings of Ministries of Finance and of Agriculture in Johannesburg


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with the African Development Bank, in Beijing with the Asian Development Bank, in Doha with the Islamic Development Bank, and in Guatemala City with the Inter-American Development Bank. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

FAO will continue to recognize the Small Island Developing States, including Pacific countries, as a special case for sustainable development and food security, and will ensure that their special needs and priorities are addressed, within the limits of available resources. FAO will thus look for information and guidance from you. I look forward to learn of the outcome of your deliberations over the next two days, and wish every success to your important meeting.

Thank you for your kind attention.


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Annex C

OPENING ADDRESS BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE COOK ISLANDS,

HONOURABLE JIM MARURAI Kia Orana and greetings to: • His Excellency Sir Frederick Goodwin, Queen’s Representative, and Mrs Goodwin • Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Sir Geoffrey Henry and Mrs Henry • My Ministerial colleagues in Cabinet and your good wives • Government and Opposition Members of Parliament • Invited guests I’d like to take this opportunity to extend a special Kia Orana to our friends from overseas: • His Excellency Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director General of the Food & Agriculture

Organisation of the United Nations • Ministers of Agriculture and your delegations from around the Pacific • FAO Representative in the Pacific, Dr. Vili Fuavao and your good staff • Representatives of various regional organisations, and Observers • Participants in the back-to-back DSAP workshop, which was completed yesterday • Officials and support workers of this conference • Ladies and Gentlemen I am delighted to welcome you all to the Cook Islands on this occasion of the 6th South-West Pacific Ministers for Agriculture Meeting, the first of its kind to be held in the Cook Islands. In fact, I am pleased to say to many of you: ‘Welcome back to the Cook Islands’. FAO has certainly been a very active and productive development partner in the region. Through FAO’s initiatives and in collaboration with the member countries, programmes have been implemented in fisheries, forestry, livestock, food processing, horticulture, plant protection, policy and planning, atoll cultivation, plant propagation, and many more. The Cook Islands has benefited immensely from a lot of these programmes over the past 23 years since it became an FAO member in 1982. Even now, there are on-going programmes funded by FAO in the Cook Islands. No doubt the same can be said by the individual countries represented here today. For what has been achieved over the years of close cooperation, we say thank you very much to FAO for the tremendous efforts targeted at ensuring sustainable food production systems for both current and future generations. My Government, and previous ones for that matter, have indeed regarded the rural sector in terms of crop and livestock production, and fishing, as being critical to the sustainable development of the country’s economy. The watershed years of our reforms in the mid-1990s underpinned the importance of these sectors in formulating national priorities.


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And with almost 70% of all households in the Cook Islands still very much engaged in agriculture, livestock and fishing, our rural sector will continue to be an area of emphasis when it comes to development planning and resource allocation. As a result of an unprecedented five cyclones earlier in the year, there was considerable damage to our land-based rural sector. However, farmers have already commenced the necessary rehabilitation work without waiting for outside assistance. We thank those who have so far came to the rescue, and look forward to working closely with our partners in the region on rural-based development programmes. Distinguished delegates, I sincerely hope that your deliberations over the next couple of days will be constructive and fruitful for the sake of our respective countries’ populations – most of whom still depend on the rural sector for their livelihood. I do hope that you will enjoy your short stay on Rarotonga. On this note, I am honoured and very pleased to declare the 6th South-West Pacific Ministers of Agriculture Meeting officially open. Thank you and Kia Manuia.


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Annex D

AGENDA

1. OFFICIAL OPENING - Welcome - Key Note Address by the Director-General of FAO - Opening Address by the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands 2. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA AND WORKING

ARRANGEMENTS 2.1 Election of the Chair 2.2 Adoption of the Theme 2.3 Approval of the Agenda SWPM/CKI/2.3(Rev1) 2.4 Adoption of Meeting Programme and Working Procedures SWPM/CKI/2.4

3. OVERVIEW OF FAO ACTIVITIES IN THE PACIFIC 2003-2005 SWPM/CKI/3.0(Rev1)

4. COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES FOR ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY AND TRADE

4.1 Regional Programme for Food Security: Implementation Progress

SWPM/CKI/4.1 SWPM/CKI/4.1(a)

4.2 Policy Assistance: Comparative Strengths, Issues and Challenges

SWPM/CKI/4.2

4.3 Plant Protection and Biosecurity in the Pacific Region SWPM/CKI/4.3 4.4. Marketing and Farm Management Skills for Improved

Enterprise Profitability SWPM/CKI/4.4

4.5. Food Trade and Nutrition Security in the Pacific SWPM/CKI/4.5 4.6. Forestry Development in the Region SWPM/CKI/4.6 4.7. Responsible Fisheries: Sustainable Development and Sound

Resources Management SWPM/CKI/4.7(Rev1)

4.8. Roundtable Meeting on WTO Agreement Provisions 5. EXPANSION OF THE REGIONAL PROGRAMME FOR FOOD

SECURITY IN THE PACIFIC: DRAFT CONCEPT PROPOSAL SWPM/CKI/5.0

6. AVIAN INFLUENZA AND ITS IMPLICATION TO THE

PACIFIC 7. OTHER BUSINESS 8. ADOPTION OF THE COMMUNIQUÉ 9. VENUE FOR NEXT MEETING 10. CLOSING OF THE MEETING


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Annex E


Rarotonga, Cook Islands 1 – 3 June 2005

COMMUNIQUÉ

The Sixth Meeting of the FAO South West Pacific Ministers for Agriculture was held in Rarotonga, Cook Islands from 1- 3 June 2005. The Meeting was attended by Ministers from the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu and representatives from Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga. Representatives from the Government of Italy, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the University of the South Pacific (USP), and the Apia-based Sub-Regional Office for the South West Pacific of the World Meteorological Organization also attended, as observers. 2. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Dr Jacques Diouf delivered the keynote address. The meeting was opened by the Honourable Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Honourable Jim Marurai. The Honourable Minister of Agriculture of the Cook Islands was unanimously elected as Chairperson. THE THEME 3. The Ministers of the FAO South West Pacific region adopted “Building on FAO’s Comparative Advantage to Strengthen Partnerships for Food Security in the Pacific” as the theme for their Sixth Meeting. They recognized the need for FAO to take a more strategic approach in designing its activities in the region focusing on areas where it has the comparative strengths and strengthening partnerships with other players in addressing the priorities of the Pacific Island Countries to facilitate the achievement of food security for all. OVERVIEW OF FAO ACTIVITIES 4. Ministers welcomed the information provided on the activities of FAO in the region and noted the many achievements and progress made in several areas. They noted with appreciation, in particular, the increasing level of FAO assistance to the region since the inauguration of the Sub-Regional Office for the Pacific in 1996 in Apia, Samoa. 5. Ministers endorsed the broad areas of focus of FAO in the region, particularly in the area of trade facilitation, and expressed strong support for continued assistance in strengthening national capacities through technical assistance, advice and training. Recognizing the importance of fisheries as a source of food and livelihood for the island countries of the region, the Ministers expressed the need for increased assistance and involvement of FAO in the development of the sector.


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ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY AND TRADE Regional Programme for Food Security 6. Ministers noted the progress in the implementation of the regional project GTFS/RAS/198/ITA “Support to the Regional Programme for Food Security (RPFS) in the Pacific”. They acknowledged with gratitude the generous contribution provided by the Government of Italy and expressed appreciation for accepting the invitation and participating in the meeting. Noting its increasing interest in the region, the ongoing implementation of the existing project and the likelihood of its further contributions to the expansion of the Regional Programme for Food Security, Ministers welcomed the continued participation of Italy in future meetings. 7. Ministers also noted the valuable collaboration provided by the Governments of the People’s Republic of China and the Philippines under the South-South Cooperation (SSC) framework. They also acknowledged the financial assistance provided by FAO, which will facilitate the fulfilment of their obligations under the SSC Agreement. The Ministers in reaffirming their commitment to enhancing food security in the region: (i) Agreed to ensure their respective National Project Steering Committees continue to work

closely with the Regional Project Management Unit in supporting and facilitating the implementation of all the activities under the Italian-funded regional project.

(ii) Made a commitment to take full advantage of the technical support provided under the

SSC arrangement to implement planned activities of the regional project, and to assist with national development efforts.

(iii) Noted that considerable limitations had been met in language barriers particularly with

the technicians under the SSC from the People’s Republic of China and also in cultural differences and strongly recommended to FAO the need for cultural and language training and orientation prior to their placement in countries.

(iv) Recognized that food security is multi-dimensional in nature and agreed to encourage the

active participation and involvement of other relevant ministries in the efforts to improve food security at both the national and household levels.

(v) Emphasized the need for the urgent mobilization of the remaining technicians and

experts under the SSC arrangement. (vi) Agreed to take the necessary measures to ensure the full integration of the SSC

technicians and experts into the structure and operational set-up of their respective ministries responsible for agriculture.

Policy Assistance

8. Ministers expressed support and appreciation to the work of FAO in the area of policy assistance and endorsed the need for continued support to strengthening national capacities in the areas of policy analysis and planning. Recognizing the need to ensure that the priority needs of the countries are addressed, Ministers endorsed the development of an agreed framework for the identification of national priorities, and to guide the development of FAO field programme activities.


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9. Ministers recognized the increasing need for prudent policies based on more in-depth analyses of the prevailing macroeconomic conditions and taking into account non-economic concerns. Ministers agreed that studies be carried out to assess the impact of climate variability on agriculture and food security in the region, and the capacities of countries to implement international and regional agreements relating to agriculture. 10. Ministers expressed strong support to the continuing need for making a case for agriculture to ensure that it is accorded the priority it deserves at the national, regional and the international levels. They expressed strong support to the proposal for FAO to assist countries in reviewing their national strategies for sustainable agriculture and food security to reflect commitments towards fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Furthermore, Ministers noted the importance of FAO working together with the other regional organization in this particular area. Biosecurity and Plant Protection 11. Ministers noted the critical role of biosecurity and plant protection in maintaining food security and facilitating trade in the region. They also noted the impact of the changing global environment on the context in which biosecurity and plant protection operates in the region and endorsed the need to strengthen efforts to raise awareness across the populations of the countries. 12. Ministers agreed that FAO take a more strategic approach to biosecurity and plant protection in the region by building and strengthening partnerships with relevant regional organizations and the donor community. Particular mention was given to the importance of close collaboration and harmonization with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), and by focusing FAO assistance and interventions on areas where it has the comparative strengths, including:

capacity building through training and technical advice;

generation and dissemination of information; and

provision for technical assistance Marketing and Farm Management 13. Ministers commended FAO on its work and efforts to improve farm enterprise profitability in the region and endorsed its continued involvement and work in developing and promoting innovative approaches to improving enterprise profitability and higher incomes for rural people. Furthermore, Ministers: (i) Recognized the need for integration of farm management and marketing training into the

decision support systems for farmers for better farm planning and in support of improved and sustainable small farm livelihoods.

(ii) Endorsed the value of providing advisory support and training materials on farm

management and agricultural marketing, particularly linking farmers to emerging markets such as tourism.


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(iii) Supported the need for a more inclusive approach to support farmers’ decisions, such as ensuring that training programmes achieve a broad coverage of farmers across the spectrum; the use of modern communication tools for advisory services and disseminating farm management and marketing advice; and the adoption of a multidisciplinary approach to addressing critical issues.

(iv) Recognized the need to ensure the provision of adequate organizational and physical

resources for farmer extension and training activities, and that such resources must be commensurate with the technical complexities faced in the effective application of farm management methods.

Food Trade and Nutrition Security 14. Ministers endorsed the continuing efforts of FAO in promoting nutrition security in the region and noted the ongoing changes in global food systems and their impacts on the agriculture and fishery sectors as well as the populations and economies of the Pacific. They expressed support for FAO to continue its assistance to member countries in: (i) Strengthening their food control systems to be come compatible with international

requirements, with the dual aim of facilitating access to international food markets and protecting consumers from food borne illnesses;

(ii) Enhancing their ability to participate in and contribute to the work of the Codex

Alimentarius Commission and harmonizing their food standards and regulations with those developed by the Commission.

(iii) Assisting in the area of quality assurance throughout the food chain, particularly with

regards to small scale enterprises involved in food product development. (iv) Creating sustainable improvements in nutrition, especially among nutritionally

vulnerable households and population groups. Forestry Development 15. Ministers noted the ongoing support of FAO to the development and conservation of forests and tree resources in the region. Recognizing the challenges faced by countries brought about by the ongoing process of forest degradation and deforestation, unsustainable forestry practices and the apparent lack of essential data and information for policy and planning purposes, Ministers:

(vi) Urged FAO to give priority attention to assisting member countries in reviewing and

drafting appropriate forestry policies and legislation to enhance sustainable forestry management, in collaboration with regional organizations and the donor community.

(vii) Agreed to institutionalize forest and tree resources assessment, in order to generate the relevant data and information for effective policy, planning and resource management purposes.

(viii) Supported the need to institutionalize planning requirements and frameworks, in view

of the apparent lack of forest management plans and planning framework in countries to guide forestry development.


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(ix) Encouraged multi-sector discussions and active stakeholder participations in forestry processes noting that issues affecting forests and trees are complex and cross-sectoral in nature.

(x) Agreed that countries should be encouraged to enhance knowledge and understanding

of forestry stakeholders on the potential benefits of non-wood forest products, realizing that forests and trees are natural capital.

(xi) Recognized the need for harmonization of reporting requirements on forests and the

forestry sector and agreed that countries actively participate in the FAO Global Forest Resource Assessment initiative.

(xii) Encouraged countries to actively participate in the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) processes.

Sustainable Fisheries Development and Resources Management 16. Ministers highlighted the importance of fisheries to the livelihoods and food security of the Pacific Island Countries and expressed appreciation to the ongoing work and support of FAO in addressing the challenges and constraints related to the sustainable development and management of fisheries resources. Ministers expressed their ongoing concern about the growing problem of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the region and the negative impacts of subsidies on efforts to control IUU fishing in the region. In recognition of this, Ministers agreed on the need for collaborative effort to develop a regional agreement on the management and conservation of fisheries resources of the region. 17. Ministers expressed strong support to the need for sound management and sustainable use of coastal fisheries resources, which has sustained the livelihoods of the peoples of the Pacific for centuries. They also recognized the growing importance of aquaculture as a viable and sustainable option to declining inshore fisheries and as a tool for coastal fisheries management. Ministers: (vi) Encouraged FAO to continue to assist countries in further strengthening fisheries

management by improving data collection/fishery statistics in cooperation with regional organizations as a basis for effective policy-making and management of fisheries and aquaculture.

(vii) Encouraged FAO to continue to cooperate with regional organizations in support of

the management of highly migratory fish stocks in the region; (viii) Urged FAO to continue to assist countries in the further implementation of the Code

of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries at the national and regional levels, and in the development of their national plans for the implementation of the provisions of the International Plans of Action particularly for sharks and IUU fishing.

(ix) Requested FAO to continue to assist countries in further improving the effectiveness

of seafood quality assurance systems in the region in order to strengthen national capacities in seafood inspection and to meet the requirements of major international trading partners.


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(x) Supported the continuing need for FAO to continue to provide updated information on international trade-related issues, in particular on fisheries subsidies within the context of the WTO negotiations.

(xi) Requested that FAO assist member countries with updating their fisheries legislation

to ensure effective processing and prosecution of illegal fishing activities. Roundtable Meeting on WTO 18. Ministers noted with appreciation the continuing efforts by FAO to promote awareness of Pacific Island Countries on World Trade Organization (WTO) issues and to enhance capacities in relation to the implementation of WTO agreement provisions relating to trade in agriculture. 19. Ministers acknowledged with appreciation the usefulness of the Roundtable Meeting (RTM) on WTO agreement provisions in building awareness and the capacities of countries to deal with issues currently under WTO negotiations, and expressed strong support for its continuation. They expressed appreciation to the generous financial and technical contributions of New Zealand to the RTM and noted with gratitude the reconfirmation of its ongoing commitment to the meeting series. They also acknowledged the financial and technical contribution of the other partners including the Commonwealth Secretariat, the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commission based in Auckland, New Zealand. 20. Ministers supported the continuation of the RTM process on an annual basis considering that WTO negotiations were still ongoing, and urged FAO to continue to seek donor support to facilitate the continuing participation of countries at future meetings. PROPOSAL FOR EXPANSION OF THE REGIONAL PROGRAMME FOR FOOD SECURITY IN THE PACIFIC 21. Ministers welcomed the proposal by FAO to expand the current Regional Programme for Food Security in the Pacific, and expressed appreciation for the information provided by the Director-General on the approach to be adopted in the design of the expanded programme. They noted the continuing challenges and constraints to the development of the rural sector and the need to address issues relating to irrigation and water management; rural transport and communication infrastructure; post-harvest processing and storage; and marketing and trade. 22. Ministers endorsed the proposed Round Table on Food Security and Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) during the FAO Council in November this year and made a commitment to attend the Roundtable. Noting the rationale and justification for the expanded programme, the main objectives and components of the proposal, Ministers: (i) Endorsed the concept proposal as a framework for the development of the full

proposal for the expansion of the current Regional Programme for Food Security in the Pacific.


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(ii) Agreed that FAO should organize a programming mission to develop the detailed proposal for the expansion at the earliest possible opportunity considering the time it will take and the process involved before implementation will commence.

AVIAN INFLUENZA AND ITS IMPLICATIONS TO THE PACIFIC 23. Ministers expressed appreciation for the useful information provided on the avian influenza pandemic and the potential threat to livestock and the lives of the people of the Pacific. They further noted the need to have in place effective biosecurity measures and for good management practices to minimize the potential spread of the disease into the region, as well as measures for mitigation in the event of its introduction. OTHER MATTERS 24. Ministers noted with appreciation the work of Australia and New Zealand in relation to the ongoing independent evaluation of the work of FAO and Australia’s undertaking to keep South West Pacific members informed of developments through a proposed network of FAO SWP regional group members. 25. Ministers noted with appreciation the suggestion by New Zealand that the “noni” industry has potential for the Pacific Islands noting that it is common to all countries. Ministers recommended that FAO provide technical support to the noni industry. They further requested that recommendations be brought to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat on the importance of developing a coordinated approach to ensure that the industry is developed in a sustainable manner. They further recognized the need to ensure a competitive advantage for the Pacific in this industry. 26. Ministers expressed their appreciation to the Director General of FAO for being able to attend the meeting and for the valuable information provided on the future work of FAO. Ministers and the Director-General expressed their gratitude and appreciation to the government and the people of the Cook Islands for hosting the meeting and for the hospitality extended to their delegations during their time in Rarotonga. 27. Ministers expressed their appreciation to the Chair for his able leadership leading to the successful conclusion of the meeting. They commended the Sub-Regional Representative (SRR) for the Pacific Islands and staff of FAO for the work and achievements over the past two years and for the efficient servicing of the meeting. VENUE FOR THE NEXT MEETING 28. Ministers accepted the offer by the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to host the next biennial meeting in 2007. (Signed in Rarotonga, Cook Islands on 3 June 2005)

HEADS OF DELEGATION AND THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF FAO AT THE SIXTH MEETING OF FAO SOUTH WEST PACIFIC MINISTERS FOR AGRICULTURE, RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS, 1- 3 JUNE 2005

Front Row (L – R): Mrs Marurai (Cook Islands), Hon Jim Marurai (Prime Minister, Cook Islands), HE Frederick Goodwin (Queen’s Representative, Cook Islands), Dr Jacques Diouf (Director-General, FAO), Hon Tuopu Faireka (Cook Islands), Mrs Faireka (Cook Islands)

Back Row (L - R): Mr David Ingham (Australia), Mr Matthew’wela Kanua (Papua New Guinea), Prof Alfred D Ebenebe (USP School of Agriculture, Samoa); Hon Barak Sope (Vanuatu), Seumanutafa Malaki Iakopo (Samoa), Hon John Silk (Marshall Islands), Hon Bill Vakaafi Motufoou (Niue), Mr Haniteli Fa’anunu (Tonga), Hon Enele D Kwanairara (Solomon Islands), Hon Frederick Pitcher (Nauru), Hon Martin P Tofinga (Kiribati), Hon Samuelu Teo (Tuvalu), Dr Vili Fuavao (FAO Sub-Regional Representative for the Pacific), Hon Damien O’Connor (New Zealand), Mr Sakiusa Tubuna (Fiji).

food and agriculture organization of the united … · pacific (acp) countries in maputo in june...

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