For immediate release, Thursday, May 7 2009

Oxfam Calls For NZ Govt To Level The Playing Field For Pacific Trade Deal

Pacific trade ministers and officials have been invited to a meeting with their Australian and New Zealand counterparts in Auckland this weekend to discuss a new regional trade deal, dubbed PACER-Plus. Any such trade deal will have enormous implications for the Pacific Islands, as Australia and New Zealand are the region's most important trading partners.

Oxfam is calling on Trade Minister Tim Groser to make sure that negotiations are fair by allowing sufficient time, and providing the necessary resources, for the Islands to negotiate a truly development-friendly deal.

"Oxfam welcomes statements by New Zealand's Trade and Foreign Ministers that the primary aim of PACER Plus negotiations will be for the benefit of the Pacific's development. However, the process must be driven by the Pacific's own assessment of their development needs and their views on the role of a new trade treaty," said Barry Coates, Oxfam New Zealand Executive Director.

Last year Pacific Islands Forum Leaders agreed to work on a "roadmap" for negotiations, but the failure to agree on funding has meant little progress has been made. The Pacific has made proposals for an Office of Chief Trade Advisor that would enable them to coordinate amongst themselves regionally and negotiate effectively.

"The Pacific countries need to be able to start these negotiations on a level playing field. Australia and New Zealand have large teams of trade experts, but most Pacific countries have few if any staff who can spend dedicated time to prepare their negotiating positions. They need to be able to undertake research and consult with other government departments, MPs, NGOs, businesses and traditional leaders so that they are able to enter negotiations with a clear picture of what kind of deal will contribute to their long-term development. This needs to happen before negotiations start," explained Coates.

"So far, the preparation has consisted of a few informal meetings, studies undertaken by Australia and training of Pacific trade officials in Australia. These processes have not been driven by the Pacific countries themselves and have understandably been viewed with some suspicion in the Pacific. The Pacific island countries need the time and resources to be able to meet and formulate their positions as a region, according to their own analysis. Support from an independent regional trade office would also contribute to the Pacific's broader aims of well-informed trade policy-making and improved regional cooperation."

Fiji, recently suspended from the Pacific Islands Forum, is not invited to the meeting, but there will be discussion on its involvement in the negotiations.

"The Fijian economy is one of the two largest and most advanced economies in the Pacific, and Fiji is at the crossroads of trade routes and regional capacity in the Pacific," said Coates.

"The situation in Fiji is evolving rapidly and we would advise against any precipitous push for negotiations to start until it is clearer how the situation in Fiji is likely to eventuate."

ENDS

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