Pacific Trade Justice

UnitingWorld is engaged in advocacy on behalf of our Pacific Partner Churches on the issue of trade justice.

Trade is a significant issue for our Pacific neighbors. Free trade has improved living conditions and economies for many nations, but too many smaller countries are left behind in the scramble for profits.

UnitingWorld developed a white paper in response to this issue that was adopted at the 12th Uniting Church in Australia Assembly in July this year.

Downloadable Resources:

Trade Justice Paper.

Submission to PACER plus

Summary of the Trade Justice Paper.

Glossary for the Trade Justice Paper.

Trade Justice Fact Sheets.

Update from the Pacific Network on Globalisation.

Uniting Church calls for Trade Justice

The Uniting Church National Assembly has joined more than 30 civil society groups from the Pacific, New Zealand and Australia in a joint statement expressing concerns about the negotiations for a new Pacific-wide free trade agreement, PACER-Plus.

The statement was launched in Apia, on the eve of the annual Pacific Islands Forum Trade Ministers’ Meeting and called on Ministers to put the developmental priorities of the Pacific ahead of political timelines.

Together with trade unions, Oxfam Australia and others, the statement called for enough time for Pacific countries to undertake national consultations and research before formal negotiations are even considered.

Associate Director Church Solidarity (Pacific) Mr Bruce Mullan said UnitingWorld had consistently asked government for more time and resources to assist the Pacific nations make their decisions but Australia and New Zealand were demanding negotiations be fast-tracked.

An attempt to launch the PACER Plus agreement at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Cairns in August in the absence of Fiji which has been suspended from the Forum would be unhelpful,” Mr Mullan said.

Mr Mullan said expected revenue losses from tariff reductions under PACER-Plus would see some Pacific government budgets reduced by more than 25% with serious consequences for the provision of basic health and education for their people.

Despite calls to the contrary, the Trade Ministers Meeting in Samoa agreed to recommend that PACER-Plus negotiations commence after the conclusion of the August Forum Leaders Meeting.

There was a commitment by Australia and New Zealand to contribute funding for the establishment of the Office of Chief Trade Adviser (OCTA) initially as a special unit at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and then in a permanent office in Vanuatu.

Mr Mullan said UnitingWorld had prepared a position paper on Trade Justice for the Pacific which had been approved by the Assembly Standing Committee and would be presented to the Assembly meeting in Sydney in July for endorsement.

“The paper points out that while trade offers opportunities to foster human development, an unrestrained international trade system will leave the poorest and most vulnerable behind,” Mr Mullan said.

“We would still ask that there be sufficient time for thorough national consultations in Pacific countries about when and if to negotiate a free trade agreement, and that Australia and New Zealand recognise that such consultations may result in a decision not to negotiate.”

Mr Mullan also said negotiations should only be conducted with the full participation of a representative government of Fiji, when and if they choose to participate.

You can click here to download the statement.