ISDS Case Map
PACER | PACER Plus
Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations
Solomon Islands is the sixth country to ratify Pacer Plus. The agreement comes into force 60 days after at least eight of the 11 signatories have ratified.
The Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are taking on disproportionate binding commitments in exchange for false promises of benefits from the regional free trade deal known as PACER-Plus.
What the development assistance arrangement results in, is aid money, tightly controlled by Australia and New Zealand to flow to areas that will make Forum Island Countries uphold their commitments on market access, ultimately benefiting the two metropolitan Parties.
PACER-Plus itself achieved little by way of actual improvements for Pacific Islander workers to access the labour markets of Australia and New Zealand.
The trade deal known as Pacer Plus will have immediate benefits for the Cook Islands when it comes into force later this year, says the Cooks' deputy prime minister.
Tonga's government has committed to ratifying the Pacer Plus trade deal.
In this interview, we discuss the PACER+ trade deal, the post Cotonou talks with the EU and the influence of China's Belt and Road Initiative in the Pacific region.
Cook Islands Prime Minister has signalled his government will shortly ratify a major regional trade agreement.
Pacer Plus has been promoted as a hybrid development and trade deal, with the primary benefits going to the nine Pacific countries that have signed the deal.
Samoa becomes the first of the Pacific Island nations and the third country overall to ratify the agreement, known as PACER Plus.
