PRIME Minister Dr Derek Sikua has called on Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) currently meeting in the Republic of Palau to work towards stronger cooperation between them.
The Parties to the Nauru Agreement are Papua New Guinea, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands.
Dr Sikua says the decision to cooperate in a meaningful and binding manner is a genuine leadership issue that can only be decided at their level.
He added his believes that once there is cooperation and compromise, economic outcomes based on the fishery can grow to uprecedented levels, way beyond what could be achieved under a bi-lateral approach.
The PNA Summit is discussing a strategy that aims to develop an OPEC- style group to manage the tuna resources in the economic exclusive zones of member countries and to ensure they get maximum benefits from them.
Dr Sikua told the first Partners to the Nauru Agreement Presidential Summit yesterday that the success of the PNG Secretariat is almost entirely dependent on there being consensus among members on all important matters.
He said the fishery is regional, with members having varying entitlement to the regional stock, adding it’s highly unlikely current outcomes can be improved unless members agree to cooperate and compromise on significant issues.
Meanwhile Dr Sikua said cooperation will also underpin efforts to successfully run the newly established PNA Secretariat in Majuro, Marshall Island.
He said there have been lots of talks about regional cooperation, but the underlying truth is that bi-literalism has prevailed partly because it was somehow equated with sovereignty, partly because it enabled members to pursue individual initiatives and partly because sensible alternatives had never been discussed.
The net effect, he said, has been a prolonged period of sub-optimal economic outcomes coupled with an erratic development, impacting on the enormous potential of the fishery.
The PNA leaders are expected to adopt a declaration committing parties to the Nauru Agreement to join efforts to increase the economic value and derive greater benefits from the tuna resources.
Prime Minister Sikua concluded with a reiteration that in the endeavor to move many of the PNA initiatives forward, it must always consider the needs and interests of the member countries and their peoples.
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