1996, a year

to remember

...for more trade opportunities to a nudear-free Pacific

As we bid isa lei (farewell) to 1996, it is probably timely to review the events (or lack of them) in the past 12 months. There is no doubt that events in 1996 have affected all of us one way or the other either as indi viduals, communities or societies, at dif ferent levels. No doubt, these events have helped shape our focus and perceptions.

For many, 1996 has been a great year. It truly was a year to remember for a variety of reasons. Much has been achieved in the course of the 12 months from January this year. At the same time, much remains to be done. It is my sincere belief that the Pacific is where the action and the focus will be in the next century. Indeed, many quarters have acknowledged that the 21st century is, in fact, the Pacific Century.

Our resources remain largely untapped, excepting forestry in some countries, and for this reason, the international scramble is on to get a piece of our Paradise. In some sense, the race has already begun through foreign investment activities in many of our Pacific Island Countries. The question now is how the Pacific fares in the race. For this race is about creating and evenly distributing the wealth from the Pacific’s rich resources, such as fish, minerals, forestry, to all the inhabitants of the thousands of islands dotting the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. As well, the region’s most invaluable resource - its people - remains largely unused or under utilised. The Pacific, a region covered mostly by water, is very fortunate indeed.

Our being “slow” to get on the bandwag on of development has made us (I hope) wiser. Indeed, what others might consider as “indecisiveness” on the part of policy makers in the Pacific should now be seen for what it is - a blessing in disguise. For we can leant many valuable lessons from the mistakes of others - the mistakes of

rushing for development only to find that developments also bring with them many social ills. The six million or so inhabi tants of the Pacific who make up the eth nic mix - Melanesian, Micronesian and Polynesian - share one thing in common: they adapt better and learn faster by see ing. So, waiting is a blessing in disguise.

Blessing because while others appear to be running out of resources to feed and maintain a living standard, we have hard ly begun extracting our resources. Our resources remain intact. Our fish resource is rich, many of our countries are abun dantly endowed with forestry and mineral deposits, our population is young and vibrant and our environment remains a virgin. That means we, the people of the Pacific, can command premium prices for our products and commodities if we do it together as a region and not as individu als. Indeed, our resources alone make for a region that stands on the verge of mak ing a wave - a big wave - as it approach es the tarmac of the 21st century.

Increasing demands for our commodities should work for us. Not against us. There are, of course, commodities over whose prices we have little or no control. Metal prices are a case in point. But for others, the region has an upper hand. Trade liber alisation has opened unprecedented chal lenges for the Pacific. These challenges can be turned into windows of untold opportunities to enable the region to par ticipate fully and equally on the global market. I have little doubt that the pendu lum is swinging the Pacific region’s way.

So what have all these got to do with a review of 1996? Everything. We can achieve a whole lot of things if we are willing to work together as a region. 1996 was indeed a great year. As a region, the Pacific has made great strides in the past 12 months. Efforts are continuing to

ensure the momentum of co-operation seen in 1996 is maintained or even improved on. The South Pacific Forum has been the driving force behind these efforts.

Through its unwavering stand, nuclear testing in the region has ended. The flag ship of its longstanding anti-nuclear cam paign - the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty or the Treaty of Rarotonga has been signed by all but three of its members, along with the known nuclear powers: the United States, France, the United Kingdom, the People’s Republic of China and the former Soviet Union.

The PRC, the former Soviet Union and France have ratified the protocols to the treaty along with the majority of South Pacific Forum member countries.

A scientific team has begun work on the former test sites of Mururoa and Fangataufa gathering data which, among other things, is expected to determine the need or otherwise for long-term environ mental monitoring of the area and perhaps compensation for environmental damage.

The South Pacific Forum is represented on the independent scientific team whose investigation is being funded by the gov ernment of France. On the trade and eco nomic front, another milestone was reached when the government of Japan kindly agreed to finance the establishment of the Pacific Islands Centre in Tokyo.

Officially opened by the Chairman of the South Pacific Forum, President Amata Kabua of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the centre opened its doors for business on October 1.

Discussions are continuing with the government of the People’s Republic of China and the European Union for similar offices to be set up in both Beijing and Brussels. Talks are also continuing with Taiwan for another office in Taipei. Once

Alfred

Sasako

The Forum

established, these strategic market loca tions should be of tremendous help in exposing the region and what it has to offer in terms of tourism, and trade and investment. In Japan, the Pacific Islands Centre will be a clearing house of sorts for a variety of things. The centre will provide information on investment to potential Japanese businessmen interested in invest ing in any of the 14 Island member coun tries of the South Pacific Forum as well as information for the largely untapped tourism market in Japan. It will help seek out market outlets in the dynamic Japanese market for products from Forum Island Countries (FICs).

These efforts are expected to yield tan gible results for both sides. Many sides have indicated that the Japan-FIC market is one which has largely remained untapped. While only time will tell, it appears the opening of the Pacific Islands Centre in Tokyo has provided the missing link for developing a two-way dynamic market between Japan and its Pacific

Island neighbours. Adding Beijing,

Brussels and Taipei to the Pacific region’s trade and investment map will no doubt add new meaning and dimension to the time-forgotten lifestyle to which we have all been so accustomed. So, in a nutshell, 1996 has been a great year. Our co-opera tive approach has paid off. We now need to build on these successes. Global changes which continue to sweep the world no longer leave room for individual adventure. The world has been region alised, geographically and politically almost as well as on the trade front. It seems there is no hope for anyone trying to do it alone. It is true that we know more about the world today than ever before.

But that knowledge should make us a lot wiser in that teamwork pays handsome dividends. Those who try to do it alone always end up on the wayside. I have no doubt that the future for the Pacific region is bright. How much the region will claim and actually receive from the global eco nomic cake depends largely on our will

ingness to work together.

The future is truly here. How we live it depends on the effort we put into it at home, in our community and the regional level. Have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous 1997. ■