Strengthening Pacific Intra-Regional and International Trade project (SPIRIT)

The SPIRIT project is supporting intra-regional and international trade of Pacific ACP Countries 

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    Signing of PIFS MSGTongaHostAgreement
    Signing of Host Agreement between PIFS and the MSG and Government of the Kingdom of Tonga
    SPIRIT Peer to peer visit to Kaiming, Navua
    SPIRIT Peer to Peer program Trade Officials from the region visit Kaiming's Ginger processing premises in Navua during field visits in October 2023.
    SPIRIT Trade Advisor pays courtesy visit to Solomon Islands Trade Commissioner in August 2023
    SPIRIT sub-regional Trade Advisor Jill Juma pays a courtesy visit to Trade Commissioner Barrett Salato during Solomon Islands EPA Consulations in August 2023
    TuvaluMAOValidationFieldTrip
    Field visit to Tuvalu Maritime Training Institute by European Commission DG Trade Cristina Miranda Gozalvez and EU Delegation to the Pacific Trade Programme Manager Massimo Diomedi, accompanied by Tuvalu Trade Officials and SPIRIT project representatives
    Kava Validation Field Visit - Vanuatu
    Kava Strategy Validation Field Visit to Kava House, Port Vila, Vanuatu November 2023
    Kava Validation Field Visit 2 - Vanuatu
    Kava Strategy Validation Field Visit to Mount Kava Limited, Port Vila, Vanuatu November 2023

    To increase intra-regional and international trade of Pacific countries in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) grouping, the Pacific Islands Forum works closely with partners including the European Union (EU).

    The Strengthening Pacific Intra-Regional and International Trade project (SPIRIT) is managed and implemented by the Pacific Islands Forum with the implementation period 9 January 2021 to 9 January 2025.  Worth €5.75m, SPIRIT is funded by the European Union’s 11th ‘Pacific Regional Integration Support (PRISE) programme, signed on 23 January 2020.

    The Strengthening Pacific Intra-Regional and International Trade project [SPIRIT] aligns to the PRISE objectives, to the Framework for Pacific Regionalism and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

    The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders agreed in 2019 that the 2050 Strategy must ensure social, cultural, environmental and economic integrity, sovereignty and security in order to protect people, place and prospects of the Blue Pacific.

    SPIRIT Objective: To boost the intra-regional and international trade of Pacific-ACP countries.

    Specific Objective: To strengthen human and institutional capacity to boost intra-regional and international trade.

    Beneficiary countries are 15 Pacific-ACP (PACP) member states: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau. Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

    For more information please email: SPIRIT@forumsec.org

    I.    Strengthening Pacific countries’ trade and investment-related institutions and human resources
    SPIRIT supports and strengthens the Pacific countries’ capacity to implement their contractual obligations under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) through the provision of technical assistance.


    II.    Strengthening Pacific countries’ capacity to effectively implement the EU Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement
    SPIRIT supports and strengthens the Pacific countries’ capacity to implement their contractual obligations under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) through the provision of technical assistance.

    III.    Update and Implementation of the Pacific Aid-for-Trade Strategy 2020-2025
    The SPIRIT project supports capacity building initiatives for regional aid for trade implementation by strengthening the Pacific countries’ trade and investment-related institutions and human capacity development in the private sector. This includes:

    E-commerce implementation activities are progressing at the national level in at least four PACPS supporting the migration of Pacific businesses from the offline to the online platform (or hybrid mode) facilitating increased intra-regional and international trade for MSMEs and established businesses. PACPS have ease of access to information on the Pacific Quality Infrastructure (PQI) activities in the region and at the national level. Increased visibility for PQI project. Online presence and better coordination efficiencies for PQI government focal points in sharing updates directly onto the portal via member log-in platform.Peer to Peer programs where regional trade officials build their technical capacities in their respective specialised fields through exposure gained from the host institutions.

    IV.    Development of a Regional Trade Statistics Database
    SPIRIT has developed a trade statistical monitoring framework through a Regional Trade Statistics Database. Free public access benefits private sector operators to make informed business decisions, government officials to provide evidence-based policy decisions and assists university students, researchers, media and other non-state actors with access to updated PACPS trade statistics.
    The Regional Trade & Statistics Database

    SPIRIT is working towards the following Outcomes.

    I.    The enhanced capacity of PACP Countries’ Trade and Investment Policy Formulation, Implementation and mainstreaming.

    II.    PACP Countries full use of the benefits of EPA-related trading opportunities and implementation of EPA-related obligations.

    III.    Update and implementation of the Pacific’s Aid-for-Trade strategy 2020-2025 by PACP countries. 

    IV.    Development and integration of a statistical monitoring framework for Regional Economic Integration.
     

    I.     The enhanced capacity of PACP Countries’ Trade and Investment Policy Formulation, Implementation and mainstreaming.

    Reports which have undergone National Validation

    • Legislative Review for Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Accession in Tuvalu
    • Review of FSM's 2011 Trade Policy and Implementation Plan

    Capacity building events for Government officials and private sector held in partnership with National Trade Ministries/Departments, and successfully delivered through subject matter experts from the PRISE partner projects (SPIRIT, SAFE Pacific, IMPACT).

    • National EPA Implementation Plan consultations and workshops incorporating EPA awareness in Vanuatu, Tonga, Niue, Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia(FSM), Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea (PNG).
    • Workshop to assist MSMEs & women to promote and market products in Vanuatu.
    • Workshops on the MSME e-commerce toolkits in Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
    • Fact-finding mission to PNG, for Kiribati and FSM, led by the SPIRIT sub-regional trade adviser for Micronesia.

    II.    PACP Countries full use of the benefits of EPA-related trading opportunities and implementation of EPA-related obligations.

    Reports which have undergone National Validation    

    • Cost-Benefit Analysis on accession to the EPA in Timor Leste
    • Cost-Benefit Analysis on accession to the EPA in Tuvalu
    • Cost-Benefit Analysis on accession to the EPA in Vanuatu

    Countries seeking to join the EPA via formal request to accede to EU Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement, and submission of the Market Access Offer to the European Union.

    • In 2021 the EPA Members were Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands, and Samoa, and only Tonga had observer status.
    • As of February 2024 the number of EPA observers has increased to 6 and now includes and Tonga, Timor Leste, Niue, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and FSM.

    III.    Update and implementation of the Pacific’s Aid-for-Trade strategy 2020-2025 by PACP countries. 

    E-Commerce activities designed and implemented as part of the Pacific Aid-for-Trade Strategy supporting the migration of Pacific businesses from the offline to the online platform (or hybrid mode) facilitating increased intra-regional and international trade for MSMEs and established businesses.

    • Upgrade of Forum Secretariat E-commerce portal.
    • Forum Secretariat E-commerce Disciplines for Policy Makers course: 2023 cycle of the PIFS E-commerce Disciplines for Policy Makers course 
    • Forum Secretariat E-commerce Business Toolkits Plus Programme: Capacity building for Pacific MSMEs to acquire the basic skills, knowledge and support to set up and run online retail stores in Tuvalu, FSM, Samoa, and Vanuatu. 

    Pacific Quality Infrastructure (PQI) activities designed and implemented as part of the Pacific Aid-for-Trade Strategy supporting the strengthening of PQI governance, technical capacity, and ease of access to information on the Pacific Quality Infrastructure (PQI) activities in the region and at the national level.

    • Development of Forum Secretariat PQI website. 

    Peer to Peer Learning Exchanges where regional trade officials build their technical capacities in their respective specialised fields through exposure gained from the host institutions.  

    • Mauritius Peer-to-Peer Learning Mission in 2022 where 6 Private Sector representatives successfully applied for and participated in the peer-to-peer mission. Representatives were from the Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Samoa, and Fiji. SPIRIT was responsible for the concept and coordination of the mission and funded the 2 of the representatives.  
    • In September 2023 12 Trade Officials from PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Timor Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Niue, Cook Islands, Palau, FSM, Nauru, and Kiribati were part of the Peer to Peer attachment to PIF as part of preparation towards Forum Trade Ministers Meeting in October 2023. 
       

    IV.    Development and integration of a statistical monitoring framework for Regional Economic Integration.
     

    PRISE

    SPIRIT

    Forum Secretariat Trade Unit