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Fiji @50 Fiji @50

virus in the Pacific, PM Bainimarama said: “If we harness that quantum leap to make a difference. Pacific regionalism needs
spirit of regional collective action, we have good reason to to be more meaningful through the effective delivery of the
hold faith in our progress for the next 30 years.” expectations of its members, especially those of the PICs.
As host to next year’s Forum Leaders’ meeting, Fiji now For 49 years, PICs have remained vulnerable. Their inter-
plays a critical role in determining and advancing Pacific dependencies remain weak. Their economies’ dependence on
regionalism to the unprecedented heights to which we all aid still remains as one of the highest in the world, on a per
aspire. At the officials’ level, Fiji provides managerial and capita basis. This needs to be turned around.
critical inputs in the formulation of the 2050 Strategy. At the On top of that, their trade is weak. Industrialisation in
Leaders’ level, Fiji starts a three-year stint as a member of regional hubs or in clusters remains a dream. Transformative
the Troika. During one third of that period, Fiji will assume ideas like value adding products for specific high-value niche
the chair. markets have yet to take the world markets by storm. In
The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, to guide short, regional economic integration, after 49 years, is still
Fiji forward, is likely to be innovative and far-reaching, judg- rudimentary. Essentially, re-doing the basics of regionalism
ing from the evocative elements of the Tuvalu Communique, properly is a lesson that can be drawn from our 49 years of
and from the assessment and outcomes of planning to date. collective efforts.
The Communique speaks of course of the new 2050 vision, Climate change is an added threat. Post-COVID-19 measures
the particularisation rendered to the ‘vision of PICs only that will complicate matters and will require greater resilience,
recognized the Blue Pacific Continent’, the link to the SAMOA commitment and grit.
Pathway and the Boe Declaration. The above tasks await Fiji. Fiji has the wherewithal to
In the context of the experiences, fortunes and the unfold- excel. Regional solidarity is the key.
ing of events of Pacific regionalism since 1971, there are
likely to be critical lessons that could be incorporated into editor@islandsbusiness.com
the strategy. A number of lessons stand out prominently and
they, in my book, will need to be formulated with hindsight to The author is a former Fijian Ambassador and Foreign
enable curative measures to be transformative. But transfor- Minister and runs his own consultancy company in Suva, Fiji.
mative in a positive and realistic sense. PICs need to make a

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