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The [Forum] Secretariat is the secretariat of the South Pacific Forum. Based in Suva, Fiji, it receives its directives from the South Pacific Forum - its supreme policymaking body.
The secretariat was established in 1972, initally as a "Trade Bureau" following a decision by the second Forum earlier that year that such a bureau be established to co-ordinate and facilitate consultation or trade and economic matters so that the Forum Leaders could make a collective response on regional issues of common concern and interest. The Bureau would also prepare proposals in particular areas of economic concern to Pacific Island Countries. Later that year it became the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation (SPEC) with its headquarters in Suva, Fiji.
At the 19th South Pacific Forum held in 1988 in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, a decision was taken to rename the organisation - hence the adoption of its current legal title, the South Pacific Forum Secretariat - so that it truly reflected the secretariat's increasing mandate. The Ratification of the Agreement formalising the name change was completed by Member Governments on 23 April 1993.
The Chief Executive of the Secretariat is the Secretary General, who is chosen by Heads of Governments (the Forum) for a three-year term. The Secretary General has two Deputies - one is responsible for Policy and Services and the other takes charge of the Secretariat's mult-million dollar Programmes.
A function of the Secretariat is to facilitate, develop and maintain consultation so that it complements national government efforts on economic development, trade, energy, telecommunications, legal, political, security and such other matters as the Forum may direct.
An executive committee known as the Forum Officials Committee, comprising one representative from each of the member countries gives general policy directions to the Secretary General, and makes reports and recommendations to the Forum.
The Secretariat is mandated to tackle the practical problems of development facing Forum Island Countries with strong emphasis on trade and economic development, maritime and civil aviation, telecommunications and energy as well as environmental and political and security issues. Its role is summarised in the following statement
The mission of the Forum Secretariat is to:
Enhance the economic and social well-being of the people of the South Pacific, in support of the efforts of the national governments.
The Secretariat has particular responsibility to facilitate, develop and maintain cooperation and consultation between member governments.
It pursues its mission in accordance with the directives of the Forum and within its mandated areas of operation. It undertakes political and economic activities, regional in nature and complementary to the activities of the member governments. Its role requires it to act as the secretariat to the Forum and to disseminate the Forum's views, to coordinate activities with other regional institutions in particular through the South Pacific Organisations Coordinating Committee (SPOCC) process, and to represent the Forum's interests internationally, as required.
A critical responsibility of the Secretariat is servicing the South Pacific Forum the Leaders' annual summit - so that the meeting is run in an efficient and effective manner. Also, it provides advice to Heads of Governments in a number of specialist areas.
The Secretariat is financed through a Regular Budget to which Member Governments make annual assessed contributions. In 1994 this budget was F$2.78 million. It also has an extra budget for its regional programmes and activities, with Australia and New Zealand being among the major contributors.
The level and sources of extra budget assistance to the Secretariat have expanded in recent years with the participation of the European Community (EC), the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC), the Government of Canada and UNDP/ESCAP; and more recently, Japan, Germany and France. The extra budgetary support to the Secretariat has increased from F$1 .9 million in 1987 to F$9.3 million in 1994.
As more countries join the Forum, the demands on the Secretariat's services have increased, necessitating expansion. As a result, the Secretariat was re-structured in 1988 and its mandate widened to encompass new activities.
This has led to a greater focus on the organisation's secretariat role and its alternate functions as an aid intermediary. As of August 1993, the Secretariat's workforce stood at 77.
The objectives of the Economic Development Division are:
A key element in its work programme is to maintain a sound understanding of regional development needs and a thorough knowledge of how to access international development systems.
The Division provides assistance to planning offices and technical assistance to member countries through the Short Term Advisory Services, Fellowships and Small Island States Development Fund. It develops and maintains relations with other donors, provides advice in area of economic analysis and development planning, develops economic data bases and resources inventory for the region, and strengthens FIC capability to produce and analyse economic data.
Improving aid consultative mechanisms in the region is a key element in maximising resource utilisation. Between 1991 and 1993, Pacific Island Countries and their major development partners met annually to discuss development issues and to find ways and means of improving aid consultation and delivery to the region. It was decided in 1993 that this meeting be held biannually.
As part of its aid coordinating role, the Division is closely involved in preparation and documentation of the Lome IV Pacific Regional Programme. It also plays an important role in facilitating consultations between the EC and the Pacific ACP countries . These consultations take the form of meeting of the Pacific ACP countries at Ministerial levels, back-to-back with a joint Meeting of Pacific Ministers and a high level EC delegation from Brussels.
The objectives of the Energy Division is to formulate, plan and implement programmes that maximise the ability of the Forum Island Countries to meet their energy sector needs. The Division has a threefold strategy:
The objective of the Civil Aviation Division is to provide technical assistance training, formulate regional plan and implement programmes that enable the development of a safe, economic and internationally acceptable civil aviation sector for the region.
The Legal and Political Division provides advice, services and programmes that further enhance the interests of the Forum countries in respect of international relations, security and legal matters.
Its main aims are to provide timely and useful advice on international political developments likely to impact on the region, to provide timely in-house legal advice and drafting assistance, to generate and maintain support for the interests of the Forum countries, and to facilitate the aims of the Declaration of Law Enforcement Cooperation.
It is estimated that island countries occupy nearly 30 million square kilometres of ocean or one sixth of the earth's surface. For Forum Island Governments, problems associated with providing a reliable regional and domestic shipping services in such a vast expanse of water are insurmountable.
In recognition of this problem, the Maritime Division was set up to analyse, formulate proposals and implement programmes that, not only meet the needs of the region, but enhance the development of a safe, cost-effective and efficient maritime sector.
While there is still plenty of room for improvement, good progress has been made at both the national and international levels to improve shipping and related services within and between countries and with the outside world.
This Division provides assistance to Forum Island Governments and telecommunications carriers in defining and implementing telecommunications policies and programmes which optimise regional co-opeartion and build national self-reliance in the telecommunications sector.
It also provides a major human resource development programme which not only delivers significant benefits to island countries, but emphasises regional cooperation, utilises world-wide telecommunications training expertise and knowledge either unavailable to or too expensive for individual countries.
Based on request, Island Member countries are provided with expert knowledge and assistance to developing administrative regulatory planning and technical systems and resources, consistent with national priorities and regional cooperation. Among other things, the Division promotes development of rural and remote networks and services as well a fostering co-operation with other global and regional telecommunications organisations.
The Trade and Investment Division offers technical assistance to Forum Island Countries by funding training opportunities, disseminating information and implementing programmes which facilitate export development, encourage cost-effective import procurement activities. It also promotes foreign and domestic investment in the Forum Island countries.
Its work programme emphasises activities aimed at stimulating private sector development and facilitating research and training activities. As well, the Division provides financial assistance to exporting firms and companies in Member States, and helps business with product development and marketing.
The Secretariat also has two other Divisions - Finance and Administration. Both are responsible primarily for the internal operations and efficient running of the organisation.
Having undergone a rapid period of expansion, the 1990s [are] seen as a time of consolidation within the Secretariat as well as a time to pursue the rationale of how best the Secretariat can support the efforts of national governments in their endeavours to improve the effectiveness of service delivery. The Secretariat's rationale for its efforts is to enhance the economic and social wellbeing of the people of the region.
It is working on how to plan in a more strategic way than perhaps it has done before in response to the Forum's directive that all regional organisations take a more strategic approach to their operations. This directive fits in very well with the Secretariat's own emphasis on taking stock of what it is doing and why, so that its budgets and work activities meet the goals set in its planning processes.
While the Secretariat is pursuing a more strategic approach, it is also undertaking a broader assessment of how all regional programmes can better meet priorities. This calls for a statement of priority programme needs for the region, culminating in the development of a regional strategy.
In defining a regional activity, the Secretariat is mindful of its role and the need that it should not in any way be seen to be taking over activities that are better pursued nationally.
Its role will always be to complement the work of national governments. In the further development of a regional strategy, the Secretariat will not only be working very closely with national governments but also with other regional institutions.
As the last decade of the century comes to an end, the greatest test for the Secretariat will be to ensure that the principles of regionalism - which have stood fast over the two decades of the Forum's existence - survive the uncertainties of the future.
Copyright © Forum Secretariat 1994