The High-Level Political Talanoa (HLPT) with Forum Leaders have concluded as part of the ongoing third phase of the Review of the Regional Architecture.
The High-Level Persons Group (HLPG) last week met with the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Feleti Teo in Suva and also held valuable discussions with the Foreign Minister of Australia, Penny Wong, the Minister for International Development, Pacific Island Affairs and Defence Industry, Pat Conroy; and the Assistant Minister for Northern Australia, Tourism, and Pacific Island Affairs, Nita Green, together with Senior Officials from across the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
With all the insights gathered from the Talanoas with Forum Leaders, the HLPG now prepare their recommendations for consideration by the Leaders when they meet at their annual meeting in Solomon Islands.
The consolidated views of Leaders and Officials is expected to address the four key issues that have framed the consultations to date on:
– Political Leadership and Unity
– Membership
– Rationalisation of the Regional Architecture
– Strengthened and Deepened Regionalism
The report of the HLPG will first be considered by the Forum Membership at the upcoming Forum Officials’ Committee(FOC) and Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting(FFMM) scheduled for the second week of August, prior to consideration by Leaders in September.
The Review of the Regional Architecture comes at a pivotal time in the region’s history, recognising the increasing strategic interest in the Pacific region.
Meanwhile, the Governing Council Chairs of the Agencies of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) met with the High-Level Political Group (HLPG) last week as part of the High-Level Political Talanoa (HLPT) consultations on the Review of the Regional Architecture.
This historic meeting created space for direct dialogue between member chairs of each of the CROP Governing Councils and the HLPG, ensuring that the perspectives, challenges, and opportunities of the region’s technical agencies are formally recognised in the lead-up to Forum Leaders’ deliberations in September.
CROP agencies play a central role in regional governance and service delivery.
Their insights will help inform the HLPG’s shaping of the recommendations to strengthen the regional system to be more coherent, accountable, and aligned to the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
