Fiji was represented at the recent 52nd meeting of the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA 52) and the 12th Conference of the Pacific Community (SPC), held in Port Vila, Vanuatu, from the 23rd to the 25th of November 2022.
The CRGA was chaired by Samoa, with the Solomon Islands as Vice-Chair. On the other hand, Vanuatu chaired the 12th Conference of the SPC with Niue as the Vice-Chair.
The Conference was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Honourable Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau, and a traditional welcoming ceremony was accorded for Government representatives. Representatives of the SPC member countries, heads of regional organisations in the Pacific and observers attended the CRGA.
Fiji’s delegation to the Conference was led by the Special Envoy (SE) of the Honourable Prime Minister to the Pacific and Fiji’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola and Deputy Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mr Esala Nayasi.
This was not only the first face-to-face meeting of the CRGA and Conference since 2019 in Noumea, New Caledonia but also outside of the SPC Headquarters since 2015, when it was hosted by Niue.
During his opening address, High Commissioner Kubuabola thanked the Government and people of Vanuatu for their gracious hospitality and extended his appreciation to the delegation present for their support.
He also conveyed Fiji’s sympathies to the Government and people of the Solomon Islands on the recent earthquake.
In reflecting on SPC’s 75-year journey, High Commissioner Kubuabola emphasised the need to ensure that SPC continues to be an organisation that is member-driven and responsive and accountable to its members.
At the CRGA meeting, the Director-General of SPC, Mr Staurt Minchin, provided an overview of the work undertaken by SPC over the past year, including SPC’s involvement in the implementation of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
