Smaller Island States Attachment Programme Signed between Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and Pacific Tourism Organisation

Officials from Pacific Smaller Island States will continue to benefit from training attachments inside regional organisations under an agreement signed on Monday (6th July 2020).

To support the implementation and monitoring of the Smaller Islands States Regional Strategy, a training attachment programme agreement for officials from Pacific small islands states was signed between the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

The Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Dame Meg Taylor, and Chief Executive Officer of SPTO, Christopher Cocker led the signing formalities. The Pacific Tourism Organisation will begin its attachments later this year.

“Public sector officials gain practical, customised results from their attachments with regional counterparts – the benefits are clear,” says Dame Meg Taylor.

“The attachment program provides an innovative, island-led solution for smaller island nations to identify what is needed to lead implementation of regional agreements at the national level and be part of the monitoring and evaluation of results. We are very grateful to the donors whose contributions continue to support capacity building throughout our region. This SIS initiative has been made possible with the support of Taiwan/Republic of China.”

“The SIS are a very important part of SPTO’s membership. Aside from benefitting them, this programme reinforces SPTO’s commitment to innovative partnerships, cooperation, and sustainable tourism development,” added CEO of SPTO, Mr Christopher Cocker.

The programme is intended to strengthen capacity   in smaller island Forum members through practical learning inside regional organisations. The attachments also help Pacific regional organisations to collaborate on customised training needs for individual officials.

Today’s signing marks three years since Pacific regional organisations launched the initiative for short term training attachments for nationals of Smaller Island States to Pacific organisations.

Smaller Island State Leaders recognise capacity building for officials will help with implementation and monitoring of their Regional Strategy 2016-2020 and other initiatives at the national level.

Other participating regional agencies in the attachment programme include the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, and the Pacific Power Association.

Smaller Island States are eight Forum member countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.

Media contact:
Lisa Williams -Lahari
lisaw@forumsec.org
Mobile or WhatsApp: +64 210 642 704
Communications & Public Affairs
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat