FSM Information
Services (November 9, 2012): The Federated States of Micronesia held its Development
Partners Forum on November 7 and 8 at the College of Micronesian-FSM Palikir
Campus under the theme Looking to the
Future.
Responding to invitations sent by the FSM National
Government, the following Development Partners, many of whom are based abroad, were
represented by delegations of varying sizes: the Asian Development Bank; the
Government of Australia; the People’s Republic of China; the European Union;
the Food Agricultural Organization; the Forum Fisheries Agency; Israel; the
International Monetary Fund; Japan; the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat; the
Pacific Development Bank; the Secretariat of the Pacific Community; Singapore;
the United Nations Joint Presence; the United States of America; the World
Bank; and the World Health Organization.
Representatives from the FSM Private Sector, various
conservation societies from the States, women organizations, other
non-government organizations as well as public corporations also participated
at the forum and made interventions at the side with the Development Partners.
In opening the forum, President Manny Mori said the FSM
“stands today at a critical crossroad” and stressed that the task of nation
building “is far from being accomplished”. He went on to highlight the
shortfall in the Compact Trust Fund, the lack of a sustainable economic growth
and the various adverse effects of climate change (such as sea level rise and threats
to food security) as the three main immediate obstacles facing the FSM.
Focusing on the President’s overview on the purposes of the
forum, selected heads of departments and offices put on a number of
presentations on the governments’ basic portfolio and the socioeconomic
standards and their resulting constraints that have impeded overall development
throughout the thirty-three years of self-governance.
These presentations exposed internal challenges and
shortfalls in broad areas under education and health and the interlocking
impacts from sectors such as communication and transportation; natural resource
management and tourism; energy distribution; environmental issues and climate
change; and the inability to grow the private sector to create jobs and reduce heavy
reliance on the government sector.
In addition, President Mori directed attention to the FSM’s established
Trust Fund with proposed accounts for natural catastrophes and climate change
mitigation as an area to which commitment of support by Development Partners
can be seriously considered.
Throughout the two-day forum, the Development Partners made
some observations and comments on the presentations and responded in generally
supportive terms to statements made from the FSM Leaders.
The resident Diplomatic Partners, namely the United States,
the People’s Republic of China, Japan and Australia, reiterated their
commitment to support and help facilitate the FSM’s efforts to build a robust
economy.
Ambassador Doria Rosen of the United States said the US has
always been and will continue to be a supportive partner with the FSM through
the Compact arrangements or other forms of relationship.
In making the final statement by Australia, Ms. Erin Magee,
Country Manager for North Pacific Australian Aid, spoke favorably of the forum
and underscored Australia’s technical and financial support to the FSM tax
reform initiative, among others, which has been on-going for some years.
Ambassador Zhang Lianyun pointed out that China and the FSM have
enjoyed a growing fruitful relationship and pledged support that will further
propel FSM on a road to enhanced growth. He also acknowledged that FSM would benefit
more from a coordinated aid structure.
Speaking after a few Japanese officials who recounted Japan’s
various assistance at State level through JICA and other aids, such as the runway
extension at the Pohnpei International Airport, Ambassador Eiichi Suzuki reiterated
Japan’s commitment on bilateral and regional levels, including the Pacific
Leaders Meeting (PALM) that Japan hosts every three years.
Among the traveling participants, Ambassador Verghese Mathews
of Singapore drew attention to his country’s ascent to economic sufficiency in
spite of having no industries of scale in fisheries and agriculture and how
financial success grew from disciplined long-term planning and actions that
boosted job creation, education, and confidence in investment by their
Partners.
The European Union, represented by Mr. Malcolm Ponton,
pointed out that the forum coincided with the EU’s foreign aid cycle and made
comments in response to President Mori’s statements on the FSM Trust Fund and the
viability of growing and marketing crabs from Micronesia at competitive
capacity using modern methods.
The Pacific Islands Forum
Secretariat (PIF), in the person of Deputy Secretary General Mr. Feleti P. Teo,
spoke of similarities between the aims of the forum and other programs and
mandates undertaken by the PIF, while encouraging the FSM to consider existing regional
endeavors that essentially proclaim comparable sectoral objectives on a regional
level. Additionally, PIF provided
information on the Forum Compact (Cairns Compact) which puts emphasis on better
coordination of development assistance to enhance effectiveness, maximizing
impact on sustainable economic development.
One of the most vocal and energetic speaker was Mr. Xianbin
Yao, Director General of Pacific Department at the Asian Development Bank. At
the outset of the forum, Mr. Yao asserted that Development Partners along with
the State and National participants needed to play an active role at the forum
to take advantage of the opportunity to work together under the same roof,
addressing a common interest.
In closing the forum, Vice President Alik L. Alik
characterized the meeting as an indication that the FSM governments are “ready
to adopt a far more active and strategic role in determining the nature and
delivery of assistance”. He thanked the stakeholders and all who enabled the
forum to take place including the civil organizations and government agencies
for their support.
In general, the Development Partners commended the FSM
Government for convening the forum and provided assurance that its outcomes
would guide future development engagements with the FSM.
For more information, please contact the FSM Office of SBOC
at 320-6260 or write to fsmpio@mail.fm.
