Small island nations in the Pacific are concerned about the future of their development progress as negotiations for the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations — better known as PACER-Plus — inch closer to completion.
Aid and trade watchdogs consulted by Devex fear the scheme will not bring equal benefits to stakeholders.
Following five years of long talks, a final agreement on PACER-Plus seems now close, despite a recent “closed-door meeting” in Adelaide saw several Pacific island governments cry foul over some provisions that would reportedly only benefit their regional big brothers, Australia and New Zealand.
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About the author
Lean Alfred Santos@DevexLeanAS
Lean Alfred Santos is a former Devex development reporter focusing on the development community in Asia-Pacific, including major players such as the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. He previously covered Philippine and international business and economic news, sports and politics.
