Issn: 0377-452X
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ISSN: 0377-452X REPORT OF MEETING SECOND REGIONAL MEETING OF MINISTERS FOR MARITIME TRANSPORT Nuku’alofa, Tonga, 14 May 2009 Secretariat of the Pacific Community Suva, Fiji 2009 SECOND REGIONAL MEETING OF MINISTERS FOR MARITIME TRANSPORT Report compiled by the Regional Maritime Programme of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Secretariat of the Pacific Community Suva, Fiji 2009 ii © Copyright Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), 2009 All rights for commercial / for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, reserved. SPC authorizes the partial reproduction or translation of this material for scientific, educational or research purposes, provided that SPC and the source document are properly acknowledged. Permission to reproduce the document and/or translate in whole, in any form, whether for commercial / for profit or non‐profit purposes, must be requested in writing. Original SPC artwork may not be altered or separately published without permission. Original text: English Secretariat of the Pacific Community Cataloguing‐in‐publication data Regional meeting of ministers for maritime transport (2nd : 14 May 2009 : Nuku’alofa, Tonga) / compiled by the Regional Maritime Programme of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (Report of Meeting (Technical) / Secretariat of the Pacific Community) ISSN: 0377‐452X 1. Shipping — Oceania — Congresses. 2. Shipping — Economic aspects — Oceania — Congresses. 3. Maritime law — Oceania — Congresses. I. Title II. Secretariat of the Pacific Community III. Series 387.50995 AACR2 ISBN: 978‐982‐00‐0349‐1 iii Table of Contents Provisional agenda ............................................................................................................................. v Summary of proceedings ................................................................................................................... 1 Prayer and welcome ........................................................................................................................... 1 Opening address ................................................................................................................................. 1 Status of progress against Ministerial Communiqué 2007 ................................................................ 1 Agenda item 1: regional maritime issues ........................................................................................... 1 Agenda item 2: trade issues ............................................................................................................... 2 Agenda item 3: seafarer employment ................................................................................................ 2 Agenda item 4: shipping issues .......................................................................................................... 3 Agenda item 5: maritime legal issues ................................................................................................ 3 Agenda item 6: maritime administration issues ................................................................................. 4 Agenda item 7: maritime training issues............................................................................................ 4 Agenda item 8: port issues ................................................................................................................. 4 Agenda item 9: women in maritime ................................................................................................... 5 Agenda item 10: SPC’s Transport Directorate .................................................................................. 5 Agenda item 11: TARDIS seafarer certificate printing ..................................................................... 5 Ministerial Communiqué 2009 .......................................................................................................... 6 Annex 1 List of participants…………………………………………………………………..7 Annex 2 Opening speech by Lord Tuita ……………………………………………………..11 Annex 3 Welcome remarks by SPC ………………………………………………………… 13 Annex 4 Status of progress against Ministerial Communiqué 2007………………………… 16 Annex 5 Paper on regional issues……………………………………………………………. 20 Annex 6 Paper on trade issues……………………………………………………………….. 25 Annex 7 Paper on seafarer employment …………………………………………………….. 27 Annex 8 Paper on shipping issues…………………………………………………………… 29 Annex 9 Paper on maritime legal issues……………………………………………………... 31 Annex 10 Paper on maritime administration issues……………………………………………36 Annex 11 Paper on maritime training issues…………………………………………………...39 Annex 12 Paper on port issues ………………………………………………………………...42 Annex 13 Paper on women in maritime ……………………………………………………….47 Annex 14 Paper on SPC’s Transport Directorate …………………………………………….. 48 Annex 15 Paper on TARDIS Seafarer certificate printing …………………………………… 51 Annex 16 Ministerial Communiqué 2009 ……………………………………………………. 54 iv ORIGINAL: ENGLISH SECRETARIAT OF THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY SECOND REGIONAL MEETING OF MINISTERS FOR MARITIME TRANSPORT (Fa’onelua Convention Centre, Nuku’alofa, Tonga, 14 May 2009) PROVISIONAL AGENDA STEERING A SAFE COURSE THROUGH STORMY SEAS THURSDAY, 14 MAY 2009 0800 – 0845 Registration Secretariat All delegates are requested to be seated 0845 – 0850 Arrival of HRH Princess Salote Mafile’o Pilolevu Tuita (Princess Royal) 0850 – 0855 Tonga National Anthem Opening Prayer – Acting President/Royal Chaplain 0855 – 0905 Reverend Dr ‘Ahio (Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga) Hon Minister for Transport 0905 – 0915 Word of Welcome by the Chairman Paul Karalus Hon. Minister for Lands, Surveys, Environment 0915 – 0930 Official Opening Address & Natural Resources, Lord Tuita 0930 – 1000 Official Photo Session & Morning Tea 1000 – 1005 Adoption of agenda Status of Progress against Ministerial Communiqué 1005 – 1015 Secretariat 2007 AGENDA 1015 – 1030 Regional Maritime Issues Secretariat ITEM 1 AGEND 1030 – 1045 Trade Issues Secretariat ITEM 2 AGENDA 1045 – 1100 Seafarer Employment Secretariat ITEM 3 AGENDA 1100 – 1115 Shipping Issues Secretariat ITEM 4 AGENDA 1115 – 1130 Maritime Legal Issues PIMLA ITEM 5 AGENDA 1130 – 1145 Maritime Administration Issues PacMA ITEM 6 AGENDA 1145 – 1200 Maritime Training Issues PacMA ITEM 7 AGENDA 1200 – 1215 Port Issues PCPA ITEM 8 AGENDA 1215 – 1230 Women in Maritime Secretariat ITEM 9 AGENDA 1230 – 1245 SPC’s Transport Directorate Secretariat ITEM 10 AGENDA 1245 – 1300 TARDIS Seafarer Certificate Printing Secretariat ITEM 11 1300 – 1400 Lunch 1400 – 1430 Communiqué finalised and signed Honorable Ministers v SECRETARIAT OF THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY Second Meeting of Ministers for Maritime Transport (Nuku’alofa, Tonga, 14 May 2009) SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS The Second Regional Meeting of Ministers for Maritime Transport was held at the Fa’onelua Convention Centre in Nuku’alofa, Tonga on 14 May 2009 and was attended by Ministers responsible for Maritime Transport from Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu. The Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Vanuatu, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America were represented by their respective Government nominees. Also attending the formal session as observers were the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), the United States Coast Guard and members of the regional maritime associations. The meeting was organised by SPC’s Regional Maritime Programme (RMP) in conjunction with the Tonga Ministry of Transport. The list of participants is attached as Annex 1. PRAYER AND WELCOME HRH Princess Salote Mafile’o Pilolevu Tuita (Princess Royal) of Tonga attended the opening session of the meeting. The Chairperson for the meeting was Tonga’s Minister for Transport, Honourable Paul Karalus, who extended a warm welcome to the Transport Ministers and delegates. The opening prayer was led by Reverend Dr ‘Ahio, the acting President/Royal Chaplain of Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga. The opening ceremony concluded with the singing of the Tongan National Anthem. OPENING ADDRESS The opening address was delivered by Honourable Lord Tuita, Tonga’s Minister for Lands, Surveys, Environment and Natural Resources and the acting Prime Minister at that time. The full address is attached as Annex 2. Opening remarks from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community was delivered by Captain John Hogan (Manager of SPC RMP) on behalf of Dr Jimmie Rodgers, the Director General of SPC. The speech is attached as Annex 3. STATUS OF PROGRESS AGAINST MINISTERIAL COMMUNIQUÉ 2007 SPC RMP presented an overview of the work that been undertaken over the last two years to progress the recommendations of the 2007 Ministerial Communiqué that resulted from the First Regional Meeting of the Ministers for Maritime Transport that was held in Apia, Samoa in 2007. SPC was commended for being thorough in their delivery of implementation covering a wide breadth of maritime issues impacting the Pacific maritime sector. A matrix of achievements is attached as Annex 4. AGENDA ITEM 1: REGIONAL MARITIME ISSUES Under this agenda item, the Ministers of Maritime Transport were invited to: 1 a) Note the impacts of the current global economic climate on the region’s shipping industry; b) Endorse the current work being undertaken by SPC RMP on intra‐regional trade and commodity mapping within the Pacific Islands region; c) Consider that intra‐regional trade agreements need to be negotiated with regional transportation routes, licencing and frequency of ship calls at the forefront; d) Endorse