I have been delighted to participate in the 36th meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum. It is very appropriate that it has been held in Papua New Guinea, which has just celebrated its 30th anniversary of independence.
It is important that this Forum has maintained the momentum established at the 2003 Pacific Islands Forum in Auckland towards economic reform and good governance.
Economic reform and good governance, including concerted action to counter corruption, are vital to achieving economic growth in the Pacific region and I welcome the fact that these themes have been incorporated in the Pacific Plan endorsed by leaders yesterday. I also welcome the Plan's concrete suggestions for greater pooled regional governance.
The Australian people have a strong affection for our Pacific neighbours and are prepared to help in practical ways as long there is confidence that the assistance is well targeted and wisely spent. With this in mind and as a statement of our support for the region, I was particularly pleased to propose the establishment of an Australian Technical College for the Pacific to promote more competitive workforces and enable greater labour mobility between the Pacific and developed economies such as Australia. Pacific leaders responded positively to this proposal, and we are commencing a study to take this initiative forward.
I also informed my fellow leaders of the following additional initiatives that will help advance our common agenda of economic reform and good governance.
A contribution of $8 million to strengthen regional and national capacity to respond effectively to Avian influenza and other infectious diseases.
A package of measures to improve security in the Pacific including $3 million to help Pacific Island maritime institutions cope with the international regulatory environment and a further $431,000 to enhance regional aviation and maritime security standards. In this context I would note that the Australian Federal Police is establishing a Pacific trans-national crime unit in Solomon Islands. This joins units already established in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.
A further $2 million to boost the ability of regional disaster management organisations to respond to tsunami warnings in the Pacific.
A further $6 million to the fourth phase of the South Pacific Sea Level Climate Monitoring Project which, building on previous phases since 1991, will deliver 20 years of data collection, enabling accurate assessments of sea level trends.
$5 million towards the Pacific Judicial Development Programme, a joint initiative with New Zealand focused on strengthening justice systems and enhancing judicial training.
$5 million towards the establishment of the Tokelau International Trust Fund, which will provide Tokelau with a reliable source of revenue and greater authority over the management of its budget.