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| PIF Leaders gathered in Majuro, Marshall Islands in 2014. Photo - Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. |
The proposals show the region is not short of ideas, vision or a broad agenda, with compelling submissions addressing issues from climate change to public health, human rights to local government.
However, rather than inviting public comment on their expert opinion of the region's most urgent priorities, PIFS Specialist Sub-Committee on Regionalism (SSCR) will instead pass the list on to the Forum Officials Committee (FOC) meeting in August, which in turn will decide what topics Pacific leaders will discuss at their meeting in Port Moresby the following month.
We asked, and PIFS responded, to three questions:
We asked, and PIFS responded, to three questions:
1. Will PIFS be identifying the shortlist of issues before the Forum Officials Committee receives them?
No. The issues to go to Leaders need to be first considered by the Forum Officials Committee. It is the Forum Officials Committee that sets the Leaders agenda and the Forum Secretariat must be careful not to preempt any decisions by our Member Governments in this regard.2. Who sits on the Forum Officials Committee meeting?
The Forum Officials Committee is made up of representatives of our 16 Member Governments. These are typically high level representatives from Foreign Ministries, as well as other relevant government Ministries. The meetings of the Committee are also attended by the Forum’s Associate Members and Country Observers, as well as representatives of the CROP organisations.3. Is the Forum Officials Committee meeting held in public? Does it publish formal minutes?
The meeting is for representatives of Member Governments only and those invited to attend, and is closed to the general public. The formal minutes of the meetings are not published.
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