A high-level group selected and endorsed to carry out next steps for the review of the regional architecture must deliver on Leader priorities for an efficient, streamlined regional public service, says Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown.
He has just returned to the Cooks from a short visit to Fiji, attending Pacific Islands Forum troika meetings in Suva this week to discuss regional priorities for the PIF 2025 workplan.
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele and Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr have also endorsed names of the high-level group who will soon be leading the next wave of work aimed at streamlining service delivery to Pacific nations by their own regional organisations.
Brown says once the Forum announces that list of names, the first task of optimising how regional agencies – including the Forum – work and deliver, is one he looks forward to.
He said he was pleased with the calibre of the nominations received, “they’re well aware of what they priority is that they have to undertake, to provide recommendations to the leaders- ‘status quo’ recommendations will not be acceptable, so we’re expecting some changes in those recommendations that come through,” he said. “At this stage, I would prefer to let our high-level persons group undertake their work, and report back to us”.
The review of regional architecture was endorsed several forum communiques ago, with updates provided to both the Cook Islands and Tonga Forum sessions.
With both internal and CROP level discussions on processes, budgets, and mandates, taking up closed sessions so far, the Honiara Forum is keen progress beyond updates and consider solid recommendations.
Brown expressed confidence in the selection list, of people who “bring experience and understanding of our CROP agencies into this discussion, but who also would be mindful of the need to have changes in light of our current circumstances that we are in right now,” he said.
“I’m confident that what they provide will be something that will give leaders an opportunity to make some really good decisions.”
“Things have been moving slowly, and we’ve been aware of that,” says Brown on the snails-pace optics of regional self-examination.
While Brown will step back from troika dynamics after the Honiara Forum this September, he views the progress for the Review of the Regional Architecture and the activation of the troika meetings lending impetus to Forum Leaders decisions, amongst the milestones of his three-year troika term.
