The Commonwealth's secretary general has told Pacific countries they need to collaborate more to address the challenges of climate change and illegal fishing.
Patricia Scotland last week presented a report to the Pacific Islands Forum calling for improvements in areas including politics, data, "good governance," partnerships and sustainable finance.
Baroness Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary General speaks to the media during the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games Opening on July 17, 2017 in Nassau, Bahamas. Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images/AFP
She said with the pressures they face, it's vital that small island nations share intelligence and resources - such as the sharing monitoring tools, observers and satellite systems to monitor illegal fishing.
Ms Scotland said countries need to share information and not use commercial sensitivities as an excuse.
"We know that unless we are better at data sharing, some of the real assets that need to be preserved for our countries and our world, are going to be illegally stolen," said Patricia Scotland.
