28 Oct 2005

Forum Secretary-general says Pacific Plan is under way

11:35 am on 28 October 2005

Officials of the Pacific Islands Forum are ready to start implementing the 22 so called low hanging fruit of the Pacific Plan.

As expected regional leaders have endorsed the Plan with little change and the secretary general of the Forum, Greg Urwin, says while he finds the job ahead a bit daunting, he's pleased at the degree of buy in from all 16 countries in the region.

Activities to be pressed into service immediately include an expansion of trade; an investigation into the possibilities presented by labour mobility; skills training; financing for sustainable development and providing assistance to help Special Island States implement the Plan.

Greg Urwin says talks have already been underway with development partners because the Forum has to get running on these issues..

"I think, as a matter of fact, the task is made a little easier by the fact that those items which are for immediate implementation tend to be the things that grow out of existing activities. So we've already got committments which cover a range of them, from a range of the partners."