Australia Mian gives secretariat firm foundation

By Arthur McCutchan

Australia signed a memorandum of understanding with the Suva-based South Pacific Forum Secretariat to provide SAUS9 million to the organisation over the next three years.

The MOU was signed last month by Australian High Commissioner to Fiji, Susan Body, and acting secretary general for the secretariat, losefo Maiava.

Australia is the largest member of the 16-nation secretariat and is also the largest donor.

But it was the first time it, or any other donor, had offered a three-year undertaking of support for the secretariat.

In the past, the secretariat would meet annually with donors to discuss

the following year’s finances.

“Under this new system of funding, it will be up to the secretariat to decide how the funds are managed. We won’t be looking over its shoulder at every little detail,” Boyd said.

Just over a third of the SAUS3 million put aside for the year 2000, ($AU51,027,327), will go to the secretariat’s regular budget to help cover operating expenses.

The remaining $AU51,972,603 will be used to meet the costs of a number of contract staff and fund other projects and activities.

“We do live in a climate of

decreasing overseas development

assistance, but this MOU will give us a greater sense of security because we know we will have funding for the next three years,” Maiava said.

He said the secretariat would try to convince other donors to follow Australia’s lead since it would allow it to plan programmes three years ahead.

John Davidson, an AusAID representative from Canberra, Australia, said the Australian government was moving to a similar arrangement with the other regional

bodies it helps support like the Samoa based SPREP programme.

“In the past, we negotiated on an

annual basis but that wasn’t very productive,” Davidson said.

This will hopefully change that. ■