Work on preparation for Cairns Compact implementation
PRESS STATEMENT (72/09)
12th November 2009
WORK TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF CAIRNS COMPACT PROGRESSES WELL
Preparations for the implementation of the Cairns Compact on Strengthening Development Coordination in the Pacific are progressing well.
At the 40th Pacific Islands Forum held in Cairns, Australia 4 – 7 August, Leaders expressed their deep concern that the Pacific region remains off-track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. This is despite continued high levels of development assistance over many years.
Leaders agreed there was an urgent need to establish a new development compact for the Pacific given the need to improve development outcomes, address the impact of the global economic downturn, and strengthen long-term economic resilience.
The key objective of the Cairns Compact will be to drive more effective coordination of available development resources from both Forum Island countries and all development partners, centered on the aim of achieving real progress against the MDGs.
The Forum Leaders also called on the International Financial Institutions to assist the Pacific Islands countries in responding to the global economic crisis, including through supporting better coordination mechanisms.
“As the implementing agency for Forum Leaders’ decisions, the Forum Secretariat has started holding discussions with Forum member countries and other stakeholders including other CROP and United Nations agencies to have a common understanding of what the Cairns Compact is advocating before work starts on implementing what the Forum Leaders want under this Compact,” Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat said.
Mr Slade said: “A lot of work needs to be done and it is important to ‘socialise’ the Compact by consulting widely on the key objectives and drivers for the Compact to ensure the broadest support and cooperation. In this regard a communication strategy to promote and explain the Compact will be pursued and developed at earliest practical opportunity. There is a need for wider consultation to ensure a buy in by Forum members, CROP agencies and other stakeholders.”
He added: “Existing mechanisms and processes must be utilised in the implementation of the Compact and avoid the creation of new mechanisms and processes. The Compact should be perceived as not creating new tasks but introducing a new way of doing old tasks.
An explanatory script has been finalised outlining what the Compact says and how it is envisaged would be implemented and what are its key deliverables. This has become the basis for wider consultation with members and stakeholders.
The Secretariat is also working on an implementation schedule for the Compact setting out tentative dates to guide its implementation and develop a programme and budget to facilitate the implementation of the Compact.
The Forum Economic Ministers’ Meeting (FEMM) held in the Cook Islands in October was also briefed on the scope of the Compact and the expected roles of FEMM on some aspects of the Compact In its decisions, the FEMM agreed to include the Cairns Compact as a standard agenda item in its future meetings.
Already the Forum Secretariat has used several key regional meetings and national donor roundtables to inform both Forum members and aid donors of the objectives and deliverables expected of the Cairns Compact. This will culminate in a proposed Cairns Compact Regional Workshop at the end of November for Forum members and development partners to make some clear decisions around the implementation schedule, resource requirements and division of labour in the Compacts implementation.
ENDS.
For more information on the Cairns Compact, contact Mr Alfred Schuster, the Forum Secretariat’s Development Cooperation Adviser on phone 679 331 2600 or email: alfreds@forumsec.org.fj
12th November 2009
WORK TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF CAIRNS COMPACT PROGRESSES WELL
Preparations for the implementation of the Cairns Compact on Strengthening Development Coordination in the Pacific are progressing well.
At the 40th Pacific Islands Forum held in Cairns, Australia 4 – 7 August, Leaders expressed their deep concern that the Pacific region remains off-track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. This is despite continued high levels of development assistance over many years.
Leaders agreed there was an urgent need to establish a new development compact for the Pacific given the need to improve development outcomes, address the impact of the global economic downturn, and strengthen long-term economic resilience.
The key objective of the Cairns Compact will be to drive more effective coordination of available development resources from both Forum Island countries and all development partners, centered on the aim of achieving real progress against the MDGs.
The Forum Leaders also called on the International Financial Institutions to assist the Pacific Islands countries in responding to the global economic crisis, including through supporting better coordination mechanisms.
“As the implementing agency for Forum Leaders’ decisions, the Forum Secretariat has started holding discussions with Forum member countries and other stakeholders including other CROP and United Nations agencies to have a common understanding of what the Cairns Compact is advocating before work starts on implementing what the Forum Leaders want under this Compact,” Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat said.
Mr Slade said: “A lot of work needs to be done and it is important to ‘socialise’ the Compact by consulting widely on the key objectives and drivers for the Compact to ensure the broadest support and cooperation. In this regard a communication strategy to promote and explain the Compact will be pursued and developed at earliest practical opportunity. There is a need for wider consultation to ensure a buy in by Forum members, CROP agencies and other stakeholders.”
He added: “Existing mechanisms and processes must be utilised in the implementation of the Compact and avoid the creation of new mechanisms and processes. The Compact should be perceived as not creating new tasks but introducing a new way of doing old tasks.
An explanatory script has been finalised outlining what the Compact says and how it is envisaged would be implemented and what are its key deliverables. This has become the basis for wider consultation with members and stakeholders.
The Secretariat is also working on an implementation schedule for the Compact setting out tentative dates to guide its implementation and develop a programme and budget to facilitate the implementation of the Compact.
The Forum Economic Ministers’ Meeting (FEMM) held in the Cook Islands in October was also briefed on the scope of the Compact and the expected roles of FEMM on some aspects of the Compact In its decisions, the FEMM agreed to include the Cairns Compact as a standard agenda item in its future meetings.
Already the Forum Secretariat has used several key regional meetings and national donor roundtables to inform both Forum members and aid donors of the objectives and deliverables expected of the Cairns Compact. This will culminate in a proposed Cairns Compact Regional Workshop at the end of November for Forum members and development partners to make some clear decisions around the implementation schedule, resource requirements and division of labour in the Compacts implementation.
ENDS.
For more information on the Cairns Compact, contact Mr Alfred Schuster, the Forum Secretariat’s Development Cooperation Adviser on phone 679 331 2600 or email: alfreds@forumsec.org.fj
