Secretary-General calls on leaders of Samoa and Vanuatu

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma called on the Prime Minister of Samoa Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi in Port Vila, Vanuatu, on 5 August 2010. The talks were held on the sidelines of the 41st Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. The Secretary-General and Prime Minister discussed the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC), which provides technical assistance to member states through the deployment of experts in various fields for in-country development programmes. They also discussed the strategic role of the Commonwealth Small States Office to be set up in Geneva, Switzerland, by the end of the year and how Samoa can capitalise on its diplomatic presence in this key European capital which serves as the headquarters of several UN bodies.

The Secretary-General also met Vanuatu’s Foreign Minister Joe Natuman. Their meeting was focused on regional issues, including the situation in Fiji Islands, as well as the role of the Commonwealth in supporting the Pacific Plan in enhancing good governance, regional peace and security, and social development. They also discussed the upcoming Foreign Ministers Meeting and the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group Meeting in New York in September, and the role Vanuatu can play at both meetings on Commonwealth initiatives.

The Secretary-General and Foreign Minister discussed the Commonwealth’s current CFTC programme of assistance to Vanuatu, including assistance for rural banking, public sector development and making information and communication technology available to the country. They also discussed the possibility of developing new areas of assistance for the future.

Mr Sharma also met the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sport Raphael Worwor. He also held meetings with senior officials from the United Nations Development Programme, European Commission and the World Bank, in which partnership and co-ordination in capacity-building programmes through technical assistance were discussed, with special focus on the needs of small states.

The Secretary-General stressed on the overlapping interests of development organisations and the benefits of collaboration on coherent aid programmes for a more efficient and effective response to the needs of partner countries. He stated that the pooling of resources can lead to greater impact in the delivery of targeted assistance.

Mr Sharma had met with the President of Kiribati Anote Tong and Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith yesterday evening.

Secretariat Links:

• CFTC
• Country Profile: Vanuatu
• Country Profile: Samoa