RELEASE: Development Partners Gather for E-commerce Development in the Pacific

Media Releases and News
18 October 2024

 

15 August, Suva - Development Partners Gather for E-commerce Development in the Pacific A new forum has united development partners to enhance collaboration and streamline efforts for e-commerce development in the Blue Pacific. The Pacific E-commerce Development Partners Sub-committee is one of three governance bodies established to coordinate the implementation of the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap (the Strategy), as envisioned by Forum member 
countries.

Zarak Khan, Director of Programmes, and Initiatives at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat opened the inaugural meeting by expressing gratitude to partners for their unwavering support of the Pacific E-commerce Initiative. He added, “Today marks a significant milestone in realising this vision as we establish a central coordinating forum for development partners supporting e-commerce acceleration in the region.”

The meeting gathered over 30 participants from 16 agencies among donor and implementing partners. They were introduced to a new monitoring system that tracks live progress on the Strategy, enabling them to better understand their contribution to the implementation of the Strategy. 
Participants reviewed the Strategy’s progress and acknowledged their vital role in providing accurate data and information.

A key purpose of this forum is to create awareness on the current and planned initiatives on the ground. Hence, the USAID Pacific Mission presented the Pacific Islands Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment, while the World Bank, UNESCAP, UNCTAD, and the Commonwealth Secretariat shared their ongoing activities and plans for 2024. Additionally, the results of a 2023 survey on the priorities of development partners and the private sector were presented to foster ongoing dialogue and alignment.

The meeting, led by Vashti Maharaj, Digital Trade Adviser for the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda and Deputy Chair of the Sub-committee, concluded with a call for continued partner coordination and engagement. Maharaj emphasized that “This collaborative effort will enable smooth coordination and effective monitoring of e-commerce initiatives across the region.” She also highlighted the importance of aligning with beneficiary needs, noting that “it will ensure that transparent and timely reporting is done to our Forum Trade Ministers on the decisions that they have taken for the region.”

Outcomes from the Sub-committee meetings will be reported to the Forum Trade Ministers through the Aid-for-Trade Working Group, consisting of Forum officials. The next Sub-committee meeting is anticipated to take place in the first half of 2025.