7 Aug 2003

PCRC asks New Zealand Prime Minister to step into Forum accreditation row

5:04 pm on 7 August 2003

A Fiji-based NGO says it is surprised it has failed to receive accreditation to the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Auckland this month.

The Pacific Concerns Resource Centre says it has been part of the Forum summit since 1986 with accreditation through its Pacific News Bulletin.

PCRC director, Hilda Lini, says despite the bulletin catering for affiliates in 33 countries she has been told it is not mainstream media so it will not be accredited.

Ms Lini says this means an important perspective will be missing from the forum coverage.

"We don't know what we are going to be reporting to the civil society organisations so it means that everybody will just have to rely on what mainstream media is giving to everyone and we as a major regional NGO will not have our own views portrayed the way we would want to the civil society organisations in the Pacific"

Ms Lini says the PCRC has written a letter to the New Zealand prime minister to voice its concerns but has yet to receive a reply.