Standing Pacific Island Cook Islands Committee To Education & Hold Workshop Consider New Training The Cook Islands held a Initiative seminar/workshop for the Framework For government's top officials on the of the "The resources ofHawaii practical application Development to can be to newly proposed approach The first of the tapped provide programs sustainable development. meeting that are revelant to the Standing Committee in 1994 region" The seminar at the Mitiaro in Honolulu at the East-West Community Center was The East-West Center, through PIDP's new education Center will discuss and opened by Prime Minister, Sir and initiative, has launched several new consider a on the training programs and featured presentation that link in Hawaii with needs in Geoffrey Henry, new framework on learning opportunities the Director the The initiative works with the and presentations by researched by region. public of the Pacific Islands development sectors, numbers of Pacific Develop- PIDP. This new framework private allowing larger ment Dr. Sitiveni islanders to in Hawaii that is relevant to Program, will the diverse gain experience and the Prime pull together in the Pacific. Halapua, elements of culture, development Minister's chief executive environment, population and Dr. Michel Oksenberg, president ofEast-West Center, officer, Temu Okotai. About economic growth. It provides created the stimulus for the new initiative whereby an sixty people attended the the mechanism for a building Continued on page 5 Continued on page 3 consensus between processes of government, market oriented policies and culture. Dr. Halapua discusses the challenge, implementation and background of this new framework in his review on page 3 of the Cook Island Workshop. Washington D.C. Hosts ]CC Meetings Preparatory meetings for the United States-Pacific : Island Nations Joint Commercial Commission session were 0CC) inaugural Pictured left to right: (back row) Nokise Simeona-Tuvalu; Dr. Gerard Finin, Resea:- held at East-West Center in and Coordinator ofPIDP Education Initiative; Michael Short-Cook Islands; Margaret Qoloni- Honolulu on October 4, Solomon Islands; Jeffrey Tokataake-Vanuatu; Phyllis Maike-Vanuatu; Temahafu Sinafati- 1993. The 13 Pacific Island Tuvalu; Batiri Thaman-Fiji; Eseta Mailata-Western Samoa. (front row) William Ganileo- countries, represented in JCC, Vanuatu (partly obscured); Seve Paeniu-Tuvalu; John Fugui-Solomon Islands; Dr. Sitiveni Halapua, Director PIDP; Henrickson Malsokle-Vanuatu. Continued on page 2 Of University Joint tee t of the UnIted States id JCC Meetings Continued from 1 Hawaii- the PC page Of the 0 were led by three Prime HHo Campus :: Ministers: former Prime Minister Honorable "Just Right" For A On October 8, 1993, morose atives of the Uited States Bikenibeu and the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Paeniu, of Tuvalu; Hon. Pacific Island Elf, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nis. Papua New Baron Vaea, of Tonga; and Students 3unea, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Western Samoa met in Hon. Sir Geoffrey Henry of ivash:ngtop DC. for too " ieetirg of t the Cook Islands. United States/Pacific island nations Joint Commercial A of PIDP's Other countries sending key objective Commission The in a o' education and iJOC). diaogue:oc place spirit Ministers of Finance, training fricodsbin end cooperation. initiative is to educate Pacific Ambassadors or Delegates: island youth to become life- A This meeting recalled the firs: United S:atss/°acific Federated States of Microne- Island nations long learners with a positive summit at the East-West Gamer in Hawaii sia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall sense of self-worth. The on October 27, 1993, and the decision to form a Joint Islands, Nauru, Niue, Papua Commercial Commission to the current group of eight Pacific promote development New Guinea, Solomon Islands, of mutually beneficial commercial and economic island undergraduate students Vanuatu and Western Samoa. eations between and among the Pacific Island nations at the University of Hawaii at DC was the and the united States. The meeting welcomed the Washington, Hilo (UHH) agree that the site of the session of s'ccessul conclusi by the two sides of a inaugural program gives participating n crandum c out the the JCC on October 8. Held at students more than a :rstanding setting just good Lnct.ons o(the Join: Co lmercial Commission, the U.S. Commerce Dept. classroom education- the was co- The saw the establishment of a building, meeting a broadened perspective about A lnagrrai meeting chaired Honorable forma and of views and by the U.S., Asia and the Pacific aiogue process exchange Bikenibeu Paeniu, who was at l,)- tio all JOG members aimed at is gained. among building the time Prime Minister of a co . sus on increased cooperation between the Tuvalu, on behalf of the They see the larger world Unite. States and the Pacific island nations. The JOC Pacific Island Nations and and come to better understand was recognized as an 'important commercial and by Hon. Peter Cashman, how they are a part of that economic component within the Pacific Community Acting Assistant world. Another important by- Initiative, and as a potentially important contributor to Deputy Secretary, product is that sense of self- the APSO program to promote regional cooperation. U.S. Department of Corn- reliance and that the merce, for the United States. maturity A The members agreed to the establishment of joint students from in a The Pacific Island gain living as needed, to further the of delegates working groups, objectives were welcomed the head of different country. For all eight the JOG. To the of the by complement efforts joint working the U.S. of students, this is their first time groups, one of the significant outcomes of the meeting Department in the United States. a project to develop Here are some comments implementinformation about commercial opportunities in the In remarks opening the islands. The Pacific Island moons in from the students in response participating this J CC Inaugural Session, will be able to wue: dissemination of to questions regarding their project achieve Winston Lord, who is in information about cusnass activities in their countries aims and goals and how they charge of East Asian and feel about their first semester through the U.S. Department of Commerce's electronic Pacific Affairs for the U.S. and automated date networks as well as its at UHH. publications State Department, said that he services for the U.S. Business community. was honored to "address such a " Maike, Vanuatu: Phyllis It the JOG of The is A was agreed that next meeting of would be distinguished group leaders University just big held either in one of the island nations or Hawaii from the South Pacific" I like lecturers during and enough. my the next one to remarked that, "The because are so nice and two years In the interim, close fact that they cooperation would be maintained between the U.S. of have make me feel confident many you traveled vast section of the commission and the Pacific Island nations distances to be here that I can them. today, approach section of the Pacific Island Development Program connotes the Also, the importance you teaching within the East-West Center on the work of the attach to this new used are in under- techniques good commission, He then talked about that make the students taking." they President Clinton's vision of a feel free to whatever For the United For the Pacific say New Pacific they have in mind. I am States of America Island Nations Community interested in Environ- J. Heuser Honorable Timothy shared shared mental Economics. It Bikenibeu Paeniu strength, Acting Under Secretary and a shared bothers me to see economic prosperity for International Trade Prime Minister commitment to democratic Continued on page 4 Continued on page 7 -2- Cook Islands Hold Workshop... Continued from page 1 seminar, including department heads, ad hoc agencies and members ofthe private sector. This seminar was an outgrowth of the paper that Dr. Halapua presented at the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders meeting in Tahiti last June. An important part ofhis paper on Sustainable Development was the recommendation for the formation of National Interdependent Development Councils (NIDC) in each country. In his paper, Dr. Halapua described NIDC: "to develop government policies toward a set of unifying strategies that integrate economic, environment, population and cultures in the process of development of Pacific island countries." Prime Minister, Sir Geoffrey Henry said the formation of NIDC is important because the Cook islands needs to prepare itself for the challenges of the 21st century and "we need to put remedial mea- sures in place immediately". He said the NIDC concept was based on control taking C Si; of It was ': development. enIoweve". - out at the seminar pointed sli. 'frenc. that the frame- p proposed e coun Coo/i Islc work NIDC L required by n er Pas count. Prime Minister was in with already place ccdeveloom iig to cons Sir Geoffrey Henry one exception-anOuter n inds in c ers. Usuc' Island Directorate. ' 0~ g11- count rld is s ye e rural sPacific , ruleit a quet ...i S ter io of' p 2 - A Regona Poky Trthg Wkhop b'd~T the mc 'e in seric s The sixth annual Pacific Islands Development Program is tsas we n are (PIDP) Policy Analysis Seminar was hosted by the 'an movements Government ofVanuatu and held at the Radisson Royal Palm o. islands : i which ten to Hotel in Port Vila, Vanuatu from November 15 to 26. As in slands ie the 'e'ructure on one or was funded the Australian pressu previous years the seminar by That res2tuneven disri:: International Assistance Bureau (AIDAB). Development of cc is and benefits 0, wfrastructure needed for Continued on page 8 oUae;opment.