News

We are excited to announce that Pacific Trade Invest has become CWEIC’s newest Strategic Partner and look forward to welcoming James E. Harris to the Global Advisory Council.

Pacific Trade Invest develops, grows, and promotes trade and investment in the Pacific Islands. PTI contributes to business growth in the Blue Pacific by facilitating commercial opportunities for export and investment-ready businesses across the region. This is achieved through the core service offerings of building business capacity and connecting businesses with importers and investors in global markets.

James E. Harris is the Honorary Consul/Special Advisor – Climate Change Adaptation at Vanuatu Honorary Consulate, UK. A UK-Vanuatu dual national, James has a deep association with the Commonwealth having spent most of his life in Africa and Asia. Now based between London and a satellite UAE office, James, in his role as Vanuatu’s Honorary Consul in London proactively seeks to generate opportunities for engagement between the Commonwealth and the wider Commonwealth Pacific community.

As the representative for PTI on CWEIC’s Advisory Council, James offers increased capacity to the Commonwealth as a direct link for Commonwealth member states in business development with the Pacific region, to complement and support PTI’s Geneva office.

Commenting on the Strategic Partnership, James said: “Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) is the Pacific region’s lead trade and investment promotion agency.  As such PTI is a natural partner for CWEIC as it seeks to extend its reach into the Pacific for enhanced engagement with Commonwealth Pacific member nations. With PTI’s overarching mission being to improve the livelihoods of Pacific people by enabling decent work and economic growth in the Blue Pacific, PTI can be an important conduit for investment into the Pacific region. James quote “The Pacific is often perceived as too remote and too fragmented to engage with meaningfully for investment purposes.  PTI is the bridge that can provide access, support and advice to stimulate more investment opportunities and economic growth, in tandem with the increase in the region’s geopolitical importance”.

In his capacity as Special Advisor to Vanuatu’s Minister of Climate Change, James is developing climate transition financing for the Commonwealth Pacific via a London-domiciled investment fund, inspired by Vanuatu’s global profile as a leader in climate change advocacy, on behalf of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).