Tuesday 20 April 2021
Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee (FRC), Hon. Peter Kenilorea (Jnr) third from right, FRC Committee Members & Secretariat and representatives from the Department of External Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs poses for a photo before the deliberations. ​​​​​
Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee (FRC), Hon. Peter Kenilorea (Jnr) third from right, FRC Committee Members & Secretariat and representatives from the Department of External Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs poses for a photo before the deliberations. ​​​​​

The Foreign Relations Committee (FRC) has held an informative session with representatives from the Department of External Trade of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade on the 13th of April 2021 at the Parliament House.

The Foreign Relations Committee, Chaired by Hon. Peter Kenilorea (Jnr) invited key Trade staff from the Ministry to provide an insight into the following areas.

  • The processes involved in the signing and ratification of International Treaties/Regional Treaties/Bilateral treaties; and
  • Update on the recent ratified trade frameworks that were aimed to facilitate trade flows (PACER Plus, Labour Mobility, IEPA, PRC market duty free & etc) and their progresses

Staff representing the Department of External Trade provide insight into the existing trade frameworks by making presentations on the following existing trade relations:

  • Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus - Signing and Ratification and Implementation
  • Labour Mobility - Recognized Seasonal Employment (RSE) with New Zealand since 2007 and Season Worker Program (SWP) and Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) with Australia in 2012 & 2018 respectively.
  • European Union – Pacific States interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EU-Pacific iEPA) – Accession and Implementation.
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland-Pacific interim Economic Partnership Agreement (UK-Pacific iEPA) – Accession and Implementation.
  • Peoples Republic of China (PRC) Preferential Market Access - Exchange of Notes and Implementation
  • Melanesia Spearhead Group Trade Agreement (MSGTA) - Signing and Ratification and Implementation

The functions of the FRC as stipulated under Standing Order 71 B (b) to examine, make observations and recommendations on the accession to and signing and ratification of international treaties and conventions.