Page 32 - IB July 2021

Opinion Opinion

Illustration: Albert Rolls
INCLUSIVITY IS EXPEDIENT FOR

PACER PLUS

By Ambassador Kaliopate Tavola istration in the US. Even the anti-globalism rhetoric of the
Australian government has cooled. Stephen Dziedzic of ABC
I wrote: ‘Re-Negotiated PACER Plus for Post-Covid-19 Pacific wrote last July: “The PM’s ‘negative globalism’ speech seems
Regionalism’ for the July 2020 issue. This was pitched par- to have rapidly receding into the distance in the era of
ticularly at strengthening Pacific regionalism (Pacific Islands COVID-19. Australian Ambassador to the UN Mitch Fifield says
Forum) as a means of a counterweight to what had appeared while the Organization is ‘far from perfect’ it is nonetheless
at the time as increasing threats to globalism. Moreover, ‘indispensable’”.
strong regionalism is an effective collective means to multi- Furthermore, PACER Plus itself has been ratified sufficiently
lateralism for PIF members, especially for the Forum Island to trigger the implementation phase. A PACER Plus Implemen-
Countries. tation Unit (PPIU) has been established and is operating out
I opted for re-negotiating PACER Plus for three reasons. of Samoa. The Head of the Unit also doubles as Trade and
Firstly, the trade agreement was not being implemented Development Adviser who reports to the PACER Plus Joint
at the time: its ratification target had not been reached. Committee (PPJC).
Secondly, Fiji was still engaged in its bilateral negotiations Moreover, Fiji’s bilateral negotiations with Australia and
with Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), in the margins, in the New Zealand seem to have run out of steam.
hope of improving certain provisions of the then-agreed texts. The above events, preceding my July 2020 article, may ap-
Thirdly, I was and still am convinced that the agreement pear to invalidate the argument for re-negotiating PACER Plus.
is likely to strengthen desired economic integration in the Such invalidation is only partial. The third reason I proffered
region. This would be so especially if it was to be extended to above: the need to strengthen regional economic integration,
include the two biggest Melanesian traders of Fiji and Papua is as critical as ever in Pacific regionalism, particularly as a
New Guinea. post-COVID-19 incentive. PICs still need strong, integrated and
I suggested then some ideas that could be considered for effective regionalism to aid their multilateral interventions.
re-negotiating some provisions of the agreement that could Anti-globalism may have faded. But its resurgence cannot be
convince the two Melanesian traders to sign onto the agree- just wished away.
ment. Strong Pacific regionalism is essentially the aspiration of
Twelve months on, the situation has changed somewhat. PIF’s ‘Blue Pacific’ approach and the raison d’étre of the pro-
COVID-19 still rages on. And the main threat to globalism posed 2050 Strategy.
seemed to have vanished together with the Trump admin- Regional economic integration therefore needs to be

32 Islands Business, July 2021