Today, as development challenges like climate change and ocean health intensify, as our resources get stretched following the COVID-19 pandemic, and as our regional partner landscape gets complex and crowded, the purpose and mandate of the CROP remains more important than ever.
This was the message conveyed by the Pacific Islands Forum Chair and Prime Minister, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama during the dialogue session with the heads of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) agencies based in Fiji.
The dialogue was organised at the margins of the 51st Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting held in Suva this week from Monday 11th to Thursday 14th July 2022.
In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Bainimarama said the dialogue is an opportunity to ensure all organisational efforts were coherent and united in working towards the Pacific Forum Leaders’ vision for our region.
“As Members states of the Blue Pacific, we rely on, and indeed expect sound technical advice for effective policy making at the national, regional and international level.
“For many of our regional priorities – including climate change, ocean health and fisheries management – multiple CROP agencies have a role to play. Such support is therefore most effective when delivered to Member states in a unified and coherent way. We must bring the science, coordination, political agreement and the international advocacy to bear to drive our collective interests,” PIF Chair said.
Looking forward, our 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and related Review of Regional Architecture provides the key platform for strengthened and cohesive delivery by our CROP agencies.
He highlighted the important role of CROP agencies in the realisation of the vision set in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
“Our 2050 Strategy provides a long-term vision for our Blue Pacific, back by seven thematic priorities to drive our regional ambition. Our CROP agencies have a critical role to play in delivering the Strategy, to shape our future and that is the focus of our dialogue today.
“Honourable Leaders, Heads of CROP agencies, we have heard from multilateral organisations on the political and economic state of our region and world. We have heard from non-state actors on their priorities and role in the delivery of the 2050 Strategy. Today, we turn to the role of our own CROP regional agencies in delivering on the 2050 Strategy,” the Prime Minister said.
At the dialogue session, the discussions focused on how CROP agencies can help achieve the objectives of 2050 Strategy and ways in which CROP agencies can work together to strengthen Pacific regionalism and deliver significant change for the Pacific people.
