Permanent Secretary for Trade and Communications Shaheen Ali has called for the setting up of an International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) sub-regional office in the Pacific.
Speaking earlier this week at a capacity building workshop for cooperatives organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs(UNDESA) in Nadi, he urged participants to consider bidding for this.
“There needs to be an action matrix developed at the conclusion of the workshop with short term, medium term and long-term targets,” he said.
“I would also like to see suggestions as to how the Pacific can play a bigger role in the ICA and the international cooperatives movement and how ICA can be more involved in the Pacific.
“Can we bid for a sub-regional office that is closer to us than India?
“Can we start with a Pacific–specific division desk or an officer in the ICA, devoted fully to the Pacific?
“I would also like to use high-level representation gathered here from the governments and apex and secondary cooperatives bodies and cooperatives themselves, as potential basis for a regional or Pacific Network, which could subsequently develop into a regular forum.
“It is my hope that this forum will be a productive space for thought-provoking and forward-thinking discussions that will further enhance the potential of the cooperative movement in the Pacific region.”
The three-day workshop aimed to empower cooperative leaders, policymakers, cooperative regulators and key development stakeholders in the Pacific region to overcome challenges and leverage opportunities for sustainable development.
