Pacific Community Maritime Boundaries officer selected for leadership program

SUVA, Fiji—The Pacific Community’s Maritime Boundaries Technical Officer, Emily Artack, has been selected to represent Fiji as part of a delegation from 12 different countries to participate in the prestigious International Visitors Leadership Program on Law of the Sea and Maritime Security in the United States.

The three-week program which starts this week in Washington, D.C. will cover specific objectives including the exploration of how customary law applies in the South China Sea and the Pacific; assessing the roles of international stakeholders; observing inter-agency coordination and approaches to maritime security operations and discussing the United States and multi-lateral policy and cooperative efforts in South China Sea territorial and maritime disputes.

The international program will also take the delegation to Baltimore, New York, Florida, Seattle and Honolulu to meet with professional counterparts and explore various perspectives on the impact of the Law of the Sea Convention.

“This visit is an exciting opportunity for me to meet with representatives from the various organizations based in the United States and learn more about their approaches to law of the sea and maritime security operations, as well as learn more about the role of various organizations based in the cities we will be visiting and I will establish close networks between them and the Pacific countries,” Artack said.

Each year over 4,500 participants from all over the world are selected by U.S. embassies to travel to the United States through the U.S. Department of States premier professionals exchange program.

In her professional capacity as SPC’s Maritime Boundaries Technical Officer, Artack has actively assisted Pacific Island countries to negotiate 14 maritime agreements and treaties in the region and to formalise their maritime boundaries and deposit this information with the United Nations, with a recent example being the Republic of Marshall Islands who officially declared their maritime borders to the United Nations in April this year.

“This in an incredible opportunity for Emily and we congratulate her on this well deserved assignment,” Pacific Community Director-General Dr. Colin Tukuitonga said.

“Ms Artack is a valuable member of our team, and is also a recipient of SPC’s Jimmie Rodgers Emerging Leader Award which recognises the significant contribution and leadership she has demonstrated in the realisation of SPC’s vision and mission in serving our Pacific members,” Dr Tukuitonga added.

The International Visitors Leadership Program will run from Aug. 15 to Sept. 3 this year.