The Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Dr Jimmie Rodgers, has described 2007 as a 'very busy and productive' year for SPC.
Dr Rodgers made the comment in his report at the opening of SPC's governing council meeting, the 37th meeting of the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA 37) - which is also the 60th anniversary meeting of SPC - in Apia, Samoa today.
'We have made good progress in implementing the major decisions taken by CRGA 36 last year,' he said.
This work includes five Joint Country Strategies (JCS), a youth mapping exercise and a small island states (SIS) shipping study. Good progress has also been made in work on statistics, fisheries, forestry, health, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
Dr Jimmie Rodgers speaking to the local media after presenting his report to the delegates of PICT members at the gymnasium of the National University of Samoa, in Apia
On the implementation of the Pacific Plan digital strategy, Dr Rodgers said, 'We have exceeded expectations.' The Secretariat has secured the resources needed to implement the Pacific rural interconnectivity system (RICS), which will provide Internet access to rural and remote areas of the region. Dr Rodgers said this project would open economic potential for small businesses in rural areas as well as bring education to rural areas via VSAT. The Australian Government has funded the low-cost Pacific RICS.
In addition, SPC and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) have facilitated consultations between 12 SPC member Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) and the private sector on a new submarine cable initiative, the South Pacific Information Network (SPIN), for which France announced its support at the recent Forum Leaders meeting in Tonga.
Dr Rodgers said these two major initiatives are new milestones for the region: they have financial backing; they spring from a platform that was agreed to by all leaders in the region, including the leaders of non-Forum members of SPC; and they have been achieved in a very short time.
These two projects and the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative have the potential to open new opportunities for development in the region. 'In order to realize this potential, we need to be bold and ask the right questions, such as "Where does the region need to be in 10 years' time?" and mobilize resources to achieve our goals. My plea is for us to be bold and move beyond our reach, ahead of incremental approaches,' Dr Rodgers said.
Papua New Guinea's High Commissioner based in Fiji, Peter Eafeare, acknowledged SPC's contribution to the region, saying the organization had made a difference in all spheres. He said that through its programmes SPC had brought changes to the livelihoods of people in the region.
The Kiribati High Commissioner to Fiji, Reteta Nikuata-Rimon, said her country was encouraged by SPC's greater focus on country priorities, given the increase in challenges faced by SIS such as Kiribati. Nikuata-Rimon said Kiribati values the contributions of SPC as they make a difference to the lives of its people.






 

 

 

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