May 2014: In the first issue of its e-newsletter, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) reports on the progress of the Pacific Plan Review. The Review report was issued in October 2013, and the Secretariat has been working with countries to assess its recommendations.

Forum Island countries attended a retreat in Raratonga, Cook Islands, in early May 2014, to discuss their responses to the Review. The Raratonga meeting issued an outcome document on 5 May, in which participants’ agreed to boost regional cooperation and integration, and endorsed the recasting of the Pacific Plan as a ‘Framework for Pacific Regionalism.’ Countries agreed that the Secretariat will use the draft as a basis for consultation with regional stakeholders to develop its final content, and present it for further consideration and final approval at the 45th Pacific Islands Forum, convening in Palau on 29 July-1 August 2014.

The meeting also discussed the development of a strategy to address the particular needs of Smaller Island States (SIS).

The Secretariat has undertaken several corporate reforms in 2014, based on recommendations from a 2012 audit, including establishment of an Audit and Risk Sub-Committee, and implementation of a ‘Communications Blueprint’ to guide its public affairs and communication work. The e-newsletter, ‘Your Forum,’ reports on work undertaken in the areas of political governance, security, trade, and development issues. [Publication: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat eNewsletter] [Raratonga Forum Outcomes Document] [PIFS Website]