Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat
Excelling together towards a progressive and prosperous Melanesia
MSG Secretariat facilitates the first online bilateral consultations between Fiji and Vanuatu
Staff of the MSG Secretariat with Fiji and Vanuatu government officials take part in the first online bilateral consultations.
29 April 2020
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat embarked on a new initiative using virtual meeting rooms where Members can continue to collaborate online in real time via the internet. This online platform is a crucial vehicle to continue to see its work for Members at this difficult time.
Yesterday, the MSG Secretariat successfully facilitated an online bilateral meeting between trade, biosecurity and health officials of Fiji and Vanuatu through the Trade, Investment and Economic Development Programme. “The success of the first bilateral meeting between our Members, facilitated through the use of online platform, will now set precedence going forward from here”, Acting Director General George Hoa’au stated. “This is a positive way to respond to this adversity, and a manifestation of innovations that the MSG Secretariat explored to ensure delivery of services to Members.
Use of zoom facility was recently tested by the Secretariat’s Information & Technology (IT) division, and the bilateral meeting yesterday proved that despite travel restrictions the Secretariat can still continue to implement its work programme recently approved during the Governing Body Meetings in Suva in February this year.
Mr Hoa’au emphasised that the MSG Secretariat will further expand on the use of virtual meeting rooms and internet technologies across all its programmes and will be working in close collaboration with its Members and development partners to ensure that while we continue to wait for COVID-19 to pass through, work must continue.