Forum Ministerial Standing Committee on RAMSI meets in Honiara
PRESS STATEMENT (61/08)
15th July 2008 FORUM MINISTERIAL STANDING COMMITTEE ON RAMSI MEETS IN HONIARA The Forum Ministerial Standing Committee (FMSC) on the Regional Assistance Mission in Solomon Islands (RAMSI) will hold its second meeting in Honiara, Solomon Islands on Thursday 17th July. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Australia, Hon. Stephen Smith, Solomon Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Hon. William Haomae, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tonga, Hon. Sonatane Tu’a Taumoepeau, the Associate Minister for Foreign Affairs of Niue, Hon. Billy Talagi and the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for Papua New Guinea, Hon. Sali Subam will attend the meeting. The establishment of the FMSC was one of the recommendations of the Forum RAMSI Review Taskforce which conducted two phased consultations in Solomon Islands in April and June of 2007. The Taskforce report was endorsed by Forum Leaders at their meeting in Tonga last October. The FMSC which comprises of the past, present and future Forum Chairs plus Solomon Islands and Australia provides oversight and governance to the RAMSI operation. The FMSC is supported by the Enhanced Consultation Mechanism (ECM) Meeting. The FMSC meeting in Honiara 17 July follows their first meeting in February of this year. As a lead up to the FMSC meeting, the ECM held a meeting in Honiara yesterday. (14th July). The FMSC meeting will discuss progress reports on the implementation of the RAMSI Review Task Force recommendations, an update by the Solomon Islands Government on progress toward a Select Review Committee of the RAMSI Review Task Force Report, the RAMSI annual Performance Report and the Government of Japan’s offer of assistance to RAMSI. One of the other major issues that the Ministers will discuss is the proposed Solomon Islands Government-RAMSI Partnership Framework. At the last FMSC meeting in February this year, the Ministers highlighted the importance of consultation at all levels between RAMSI and the Solomon Islands Government to develop jointly agreed development strategies. The Ministers endorsed the work being carried out to develop the Partnership Framework to provide formal direction and articulation of the Solomon Islands Government-RAMSI partnership and to put forward a clear statement of jointly agreed objectives. Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Hon. Dr Derek Sikua will open the one-day FMSC meeting on Thursday morning. ENDS. For more information, contact Johnson Honimae, Forum Media Officer at the Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel on 677 20071 or email: johnsonh@forumsec.org.fj or honimaejohnson@yahoo.com. |
2008