Safe, reliable and sustainable transport depends on governments creating the right enabling environment for the private sector to operate services in an efficient and commercially viable manner, and providing effective safety oversight.

Recent maritime accidents demonstrate failures in adhering to internationally accepted standards for safe and secure services, highlighting the need for more concerted efforts in this regard.

The provision of safe and secure regional transport services is affected by numerous geographical, socio‐economic and technical factors, including population mobility, susceptibility to natural disasters and other effects of climate change, national policies and regulations, and international instruments. Additional factors include appropriate vessel/craft operation and maintenance, route profitability, existing petroleum supply (quality and quantity), level of infrastructure, technical capacity, proximity of maintenance facilities, as well as mandatory safety and security auditing services.

FATS aims to enhance the social and economic well‐being of people in the Pacific by supporting the efforts of PICTs to work towards ensuring that all their people, at all times, have access to safe, secure and competitive air and sea transport services that are regular, reliable and affordable.

The framework acknowledges that national transport policies and plans are the principal means for achieving improved transport services and promotes a ‘whole‐of‐sector’ approach, based on the concept of ‘many partners, one team’. This approach recognises that numerous stakeholders contribute to improving transport services in the region and accepts them as equal partners.