6 Dec 2011

Busan deal reaffirms work of Pacific Islands Forum

1:06 pm on 6 December 2011

The secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, says an international deal reached in South Korea reaffirms the Forum's work on aid and development in the region.

The Busan Declaration sets out a timetable for a worldwide partnership on aid delivery and gives a bigger role to civil society, the private sector and other groups.

Mr Slade says the agreement moves the global community's focus away from aid towards development, and it is a significant step forward.

"Countries like China are at the table, admittedly on a voluntary basis but drawn to the table by virtue of general agreements under the Busan arrangement. That marks a fair amount of consensus."

The secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, Tuiloma Neroni Slade