Pacific Consultations Underway to Shape Pacer Plus 2026-2030 Work Programme

2026-02-26 - 00:07

The PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU) has begun a series of in country consultations with its member Parties from 2 February to 20 March 2026. The consultations will inform the development of the 2026–2030 Development and Economic Cooperation (DEC) Work Programme, ensuring it aligns with national priorities and supports effective implementation of PACER Plus. The PPIU team is visiting all ten member Parties to PACER Plus, Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, to gather baseline data, identify priorities, and confirm areas where support is most needed. Consultations in Tonga and Kiribati have already been completed, with meetings underway this week in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. A key focus of the consultations is strengthening Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation (MELA) systems through the MELA Logical Framework. This framework enables member Parties to track delivery, measure results, and ensure activities under the Work Programme contribute directly to implementation of PACER Plus. To support this, the PPIU is working with each country’s National Focal Point and Component Contact Points to update the PACER Plus Implementation Tracker, a structured data collection tool that helps countries record progress, establish baselines, and set practical targets through to 2030. The baseline assessments will guide the identification of priority areas in the first Annual Plan for 2026–2027. Head of the PPIU, Roy Lagolago, said the consultations are grounded in setting the right foundations for the next four years: “While this might be a lot of work, getting the foundations right from the start is vital. The PPIU is a member driven organisation and the voice of all our members are important to us. These consultations allow us to sit down with each member to understand their priorities and agree on clear targets for the next four years. We want the 2026–2030 Work Programme to be practical, measurable, and genuinely useful to our members.” He added that strengthening monitoring and compliance systems will give members clearer evidence of progress and impact. “As we move into this new phase under the DEC Arrangement, our focus is on results not just activities but real outcomes that support trade, economic growth, and development across the Pacific,” said Mr. Lagolago. The PPIU will finalise baseline assessments following the consultations, with the draft 2026–2030 Work Programme to be presented to PACER Plus members at the next Joint Committee meeting to be held in Tonga in May 2026.