PRESS STATEMENT 
58-05
3 Oct 2005 23:53:26

CIVIL SOCIETY REPORT LAUNCH

Forum Secretary General, Greg Urwin, has welcomed a call by community groups for regional organisations to engage more closely with them, and not just through governments.
Mr Urwin today launched a study, undertaken by the University of the South Pacific, that was based on community meetings held earlier this year in Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands.
"The study, and the use of community meetings at national level, are part of an on-going effort to hear what people have to say on regional initiatives such as the Pacific Plan.
"I welcome that process and look forward to more consultations, some of which will be initiated by the Forum Secretariat, or by other stakeholders including community groups themselves," Mr Urwin said.
"This is the first time that the Pacific Islands Forum has undertaken such a broad-based consultation on regionalism since its establishment in 1971, and in my view it is one of the most important outcomes of the early work on the Pacific Plan.
"The process is not perfect and needs further development, but we think we are learning and improving it all the time. We are encouraged that other partners in this effort, such as the University of the South Pacific, are taking the initiative to also assist in taking the consultations down to both the national and community level," Mr Urwin said.
Forum Secretariat, Suva
29 September 2005

NB

STRENGTHENING REGIONAL CO-OPERATION THROUGH ENHANCED ENGAGEMENT WITH CIVIL SOCIETY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Project

The project revolved around two-day community dialogues in Suva, Lautoka, Apia and Honiara. Of the 146 participants, 117 attended both days.

The community wants to be integrally involved in the Pacific Plan, including its monitoring and evaluation.

Community involvement is considered necessary for the success of the Plan, including through special contributions NGOs can make.

Recommendations

For greater community engagement with regional organizations:

Broaden the eligibility criteria for the Forum Secretariat’s Framework for Engagement with Non-State Actors.

Accord the community the same recognition given the private sector.

Help communities to form regional associations.

Explore the establishment of Regional Liaison Units based in Forum Island Countries.

Work towards a Pacific Parliament with direct community representation.

To strengthen regional affinity:

Develop a Regional News Service.

Establish a Regional Sports Academy.

Hold a Regional Youth Congress on Leadership.

Develop a Regional Register and Exchange Programme of Regional Experts (including retirees).

Provide stronger support for community theatre.

To improve knowledge and awareness of regionalism:

Embed Regional Studies at USP and strengthen linkages between USP and other CROP agencies by

a. Establishing a designated CROP-funded Chair in Regional Studies,

b. Instituting an Annual Lecture series on Regionalism.

Seek Forum Education Ministers’ endorsement of introducing into High Schools a curriculum on regionalism to be developed by USP.

To strengthen the Pacific Plan

Use the Pacific Plan to secure better enforcement of human rights standards,

especially in relation to the Rights of the Child and CEDAW.

Include community representatives in national implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Pacific Plan.

Where appropriate, make greater use of NGO data.

Make greater use of community organizations to disseminate information on the Pacific Plan.

 
: one page Executive Summary with Recommendations is attached. Full report (43 pages) is posted on USP, Forum Secretariat and Pacific Plan websites.