Building on the success of its inaugural cycle in 2022, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) has completed another successful cycle of its E-commerce Rules Training.

This year has seen 30 Officials completing the online course, further enhancing their capacity in e-commerce rules, including insights and updates on international work, such as the World Trade Organisation’s Join Statement Initiative (JSI) on e-commerce negotiations. The certificate award ceremony held today was attended by Pacific Suva dignitaries and the European Union.

The course was developed thanks to the collaboration with digital trade experts from various international organizations, including the WTO, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia, and the Commonwealth Secretariat, among others.  

PIF Acting Director of Programmes and Initiatives, Denton Rarawa, said that the PIF E-commerce Rules Training is empowering Pacific Policymakers to skillfully engage in e-commerce negotiations, preparing them for future trade agreement discussions.

“Trade is at the center of the economic agenda across the Pacific, and we are proud to be working together with our partners to offer this key service to our members,” he said.

There was positive feedback from the graduates. New Caledonia’s Digital Economy Project Coordinator, Lea Lai Van, said the course provided her with a solid foundation in E-commerce principles, frameworks and strategic considerations.

She added that it enabled her to anticipate challenges and proactively plan for logistics, negotiations and more. Ms Van is looking forward to applying learning on the JSI Framework, developing new regulations in New Caledonia, and alignment to the implementation of the Pacific regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap.

In addition, the PIF also launched an online Community of Practice, embedded in the Pacific E-commerce Portal, called eCove. The community will ensure continuous support for Pacific civil servants and businesses.

Acting Director Rarawa highlighted how this platform will revolutionize the way the Secretariat offers e-commerce support to the region.

“With the eCove Community, our members continue their e-commerce training journey, whether they are policymakers or businesses,” he said.

“Thanks to the wealth of freely available resources, spanning from toolkits and courses to webinars and tailored coaching, this innovative platform bridges the gap between policy implementation and practical application.

“Together, we can address the needs of both the private and public sectors in the Pacific while creating an enabling environment for the region to leverage e-commerce effectively.”

The 2024 cycle of the -commerce Rules course for policymakers and the establishment of the eCove Community were made possible by funding support from the European Union through the Strengthening Pacific Intra-Regional and International Trade (SPIRIT) project and Australia.