SUBJECTS: 16th Forum Economic Ministers Meeting, climate change, economic empowerment of women, finance management, Pacific Aviation Safety Office
An audio file of this interview is available on the ABC Radio Australia website.
Bernie Ripoll:
Climate change is complicated for Pacific islands. Some of them are very vulnerable, others a bit less. I think the key thing for them is to look at different ways to adapt, different ways to ameliorate the impacts. Whether it’s soil erosion, whether it's extreme weather patterns, whether it's the result that climate change has on the water quality or on their food security. Each country is doing something different. The key thing for them was the ability to tap into, whether it's the Asian Development Bank, or whether it’s the IMF, or the World Bank, or even AusAID funding for that matter, is how to get access to that funding that delivers something real, on the ground, in their home country.
Jemima Garrett:
Well, how will they do that, and how did the meeting help them do that?
Ripoll:
Well, how they will do that is by getting better information. One of the things that the secretariat of the FEMM is doing and can do is provide them with better information, better access and follow-on from these meetings so they actually know where the funds are, how to access them, and how they apply.
Garrett:
You mentioned women, what action will Pacific countries be taking to improve women's economic prospects?
Ripoll:
There is a whole range, I mean, this is a particular area of interest for Australia. Some countries are already much more advanced than others and there is a range of cultural issues that have to be taken into account. The first thing they can do is, particularly, look at government employment, through the bureaucracy. Empowering women through getting rid of legislation or regulation that is discriminatory, looking at how decisions are made, in terms of giving access to women to free markets or market access. There is a whole range of areas. Countries have committed to look specifically at some of their more glaring barriers. Some, for example, prevent women from taking up certain positions or not allowing them to access free market programs, or not giving them access to finance. There is a whole range of things that can be done. Again, the real opportunity at this particular meeting was that ministers had a very good discussion around this area and each individually have committed to going back to their country and looking at what barriers are in the way. So, the commitment coming out of this particular forum is they go back and look at those, let's say, let's just call it, the low hanging fruit, the easiest areas first to work on, then progress through on that matter.
Garrett:
One of the key aims of the Forum Economic Ministers Meetings over the years has been to improve the way government finances are managed. This year's outcomes document claims that there has been some significant progress over the last year. What do you see?
Ripoll:
Look, there's been absolutely some significant progress. One of the first areas that any government needs to do is to make sure its own finances are in order. So, proper accounting systems, proper budgeting systems, methods in which they can identify the best areas to spend their often limited resources and funds, some transparency in terms of how it is done. We've seen an improvement right across the board. We've seen some massive improvement in some areas and it's giving Pacific island countries an ability to be able to make proper budgetary decisions. Budgets that are on time, budgets that they can keep, but also means they can get access to better loans, to better financing, a better credit rating. It means they step out of, almost, a dark pool of financing to areas which are much more lit up and where they can see how they're progressing, and if others can see how they're progressing, they get more access to finance. It's a much better way of doing things and they are making better decisions because of that.
Garrett:
Aviation safety was on the agenda because there have been concerns about the future funding of the Pacific Aviation Safety Office. What's the way forward on that?
Ripoll:
Well, one of the real successes from this forum has been a real commitment from all the member countries in terms of PASO, the Pacific Aviation Safety Office, we've all agreed that PASO is vulnerable to collapse if the funding, a proper plan of funding is not sought. So there has been agreement to support the AusAID and World Bank review. What we are doing is a five year strategic plan. We want all the countries involved to play a bigger role. So there has been a lot of work done there. I'm really pleased. We put this on the table as a significant issue and I'm really pleased with the outcome. All of the member countries have agreed that it is really important. They do understand the importance of aviation safety and what it means for their economies, whether it's tourism, or their commercial economies, or just even island to island transport. So I think a great outcome and the secretariat will be liaising directly with PASO now to ascertain its position and to work directly with the World Bank and AusAID and report back to all the countries.