The Pacific Islands Forum meeting was held in Nuku'alofa, Tonga 16 - 17 October 2007.
Leaders welcomed the undertaking by the Leader of the Fiji Interim Government that a parliamentary election will be held in the first quarter of 2009, and noted his undertaking to accept the outcome of the elections.
Leaders called on the Fiji Interim Government to work with the Forum-Joint Working Group to produce a credible roadmap to elections.
Leaders confirmed the continuing support of all Forum members as contributing countries to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) and commended RAMSI as an outstanding example of cooperative regionalism. Leaders endorsed the RAMSI Review Task Force recommendations and commended them for the support of the Solomon Islands Government.
Leaders reviewed the recommendations of a Taskforce, established by the Forum, to recommend a pathway towards quality of service from Pacific regionalism. Leaders agreed to:
- the inclusion of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency into a policy/political regional pillar along with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
- rationalise the functions of the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) into the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP)
- merge the South Pacific Bureau for Education Assessment (SPBEA) into SPC
- the University of the South Pacific (USP) and the Fiji School of Medicine forming an education regional pillar.
Leaders recognised that despite the considerable work undertaken to strengthen the region's management of fish stocks, urgent supplementary work is needed to foster a long-term strategic approach to ensuring fisheries are effectively managed.
Leaders adopted the Vava'u Declaration on Pacific Fisheries Resources 'Our Fish, Our Future' to address the need for sustainable management of the Pacific fisheries resources. Australia announced that it will provide $500,000 to strengthen the regional monitoring, control and surveillance of key Pacific fisheries.
Australia's assistance will support the development and implementation of the Regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Strategy. Australia will also discuss with individual Pacific island countries possible performance-based grants to recognise and reward national action to improve fisheries governance and enhance monitoring, control and surveillance.
Australia also announced the commitment of an extra $20 million to tackle chronic diseases in the Pacific - the leading cause of death and disability in the region.
November 2007