The Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Peter Shanel Agovaka will lead the Solomon Islands delegation to the 2025 PACER Plus Ministerial Meeting, which will open on Thursday at the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) conference centre in Honiara.
This follows the conclusion of the Ninth PACER Plus Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on Tuesday, attended by representatives from Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Speaking during the opening of the JCM on Tuesday, Ambassador Collin Beck, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade and Chair of the meeting, highlighted the solidarity shown by PACER Plus Parties in navigating global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
He noted that the PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU), established in May 2021 and operational from 2022, was created to drive capacity-building efforts—particularly in digital trade—while combining trade liberalisation with targeted development assistance.
PS Beck said this approach is the strength of the PACER Plus arrangement, recognising the unique circumstances of small island developing states.
Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele will officially open the PACER Plus Ministerial Meeting on Thursday.
The gathering comes at a pivotal time as ministers assess the first phase of the Development and Economic Cooperation (DEC) Work Programme, jointly funded by Australia and New Zealand since 2020.
The programme has supported policy reforms, legislative updates, and institutional strengthening across the region, while also assisting countries with essential systems, tools, and equipment to meet trade obligations and expand business opportunities.
However, implementation has faced challenges, including the pandemic, staffing shortages, trade pressures, and shifts in global systems.
These lessons have underscored the need for more targeted assistance, stronger coordination, and investments that deliver visible economic gains.
Ministers will also deliberate on the next phase of development assistance, including the signing of a renewed five-year Implementing Arrangement for the DEC Work Programme.
PPIU Head, Mr. Roy Lagolago, said improvements in customs systems, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, simplified rules, and labour mobility arrangements are already delivering “real, practical benefits on the ground.”
