This virtual start-up regional workshop was to introduce the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) green trade project to the government officials in the MSG member States and prepare the next steps for the project implementation. 13 participants (5 male, 8 female) were from MSG member States, MSG Secretariat and UNCTAD.
The MSG green trade project is funded by 12th tranche of the UN Development Account and implemented by UNCTAD in close collaboration with the MSG secretariat. The project objective is to increase the capacity of four MSG member States - Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu - to identify and strengthen synergistic linkages between (1) green trade promotion and (2) sustainable development in a regionally collaborative manner. The project runs from 2020 to June 2023.
The project is implemented at two levels.
- National level: Assessment of synergistic linkages between green trade promotion and sustainable development policy, based on
- Regional level: Development of a regional action plan and a proposal for a mechanism to implement it
Following issues were raised for the preparation of the next steps.
- Government contact points should be clarified. One option is to have trade ministry as a main contact point and one agency (e.g., standard institute, agriculture ministry) as a secondary contact point. Another option is to have trade facilitation steering committees as a contact point because the project requires involvement of multiple ministries.
- Agriculture product for the VSS Assessment should be selected. A decision should be made –whether to choose the same or different products that are subject to other projects (e.g., PIFS’s PQII, the SPC’s SAFE project). UNCTAD will provide a 1-2 pager to support the decision.
- National consultants should be hired.
- The first national workshop should be organized in Q1 2022.
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