The award ceremony for 30 Pacific policymakers who successfully completed the PIFS E-commerce Rules course from November 2023 to February 2024 marks the end of the cycle for 2024. Their learning journey, however, is not finished. Indeed, the ceremony saw the launch of the eCove Community, a Pacific online platform set to offer a range of courses for continuous capacity building and growth.
E-commerce rules, including laws, regulations and agreements, are becoming core features for many policymakers around the world. This course from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) was designed to provide foundational knowledge for Pacific policymakers to engage in e-commerce provisions both nationally and internationally.
PIFS Acting Director of Programmes & Initiatives, Mr Denton Rarawa, highlights, ‘This course was conceived with a clear purpose: to equip trade professionals and negotiators from the Forum Island Countries (FICs) with a robust understanding of E-commerce to shape policies and negotiations that align with our collective interests and aspirations as a region. The rapid evolution of E-commerce provisions in Free Trade Agreements and the increasing relevance of Digital Economy Agreements underscore the need for our readiness to participate effectively in these discussions.
The event also proposed interventions from some students from the course. New Caledonia’s Digital Economy Project Coordinator, Ms Léa Lai Van, stated that the course provided her with solid foundation in E-commerce principles, frameworks and strategic considerations. She is looking forward to applying her learnings, particularly on the JSI Framework, developing new regulations in New Caledonia, and implementation of the Pacific Regional E-commerce Strategy and Roadmap.
Concluding the event was the launch of the eCove Community. This new platform bridges the gap between policy implementation and practical application, equipping policymakers with the knowledge needed to create an enabling environment for e-commerce growth. Likewise, businesses gain access to essential tools and insights to start their online journey or enhance their online presence and competitiveness. Leveraging economies of scale, PIFS delivers regional programs tailored to the unique challenges of Forum Island Countries, offering courses, coaching, and grants to foster digital innovation. As part of its commitment to supporting the Pacific community, all resources are freely accessible on the Training section of eCove Community, ensuring continuous learning and development.
Over 40 participants witnessed this achievement including Heads of Forum Island Missions in Suva, the Pacific policymakers who took the course, development partners, and experts – all stakeholders of the Pacific E-commerce Initiative. Attendees congratulated the policymakers and welcomed the launching of eCove Community. PIFS reiterated its commitment to collaborating with partners and member countries to actively engage with the platform, contributing to its growth as a hub for training, networking, and accessing training and resources on E-commerce.
This initiative was made possible thanks to management funding support from Australia and project funding support from the European Union through the SPIRIT project.
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Visit eCove Community, the new online Community of Practice for the Pacific here
