The Australian foreign minister, Alexander Downer, says Pacific nations are at risk of a lost generation of young people if nothing is done to promote economic growth in the region.
In launching a report about the Pacific in Sydney, Mr Downer warned that without an improved economic outlook, the future of the Pacific region was bleak.
But he remained optimistic nations in the region can build a better future because of their vast natural and human resources.
He says good governance and good political leadership, effective investment, clear property rights, trade and access to markets and a lot of persistence can make a very big difference to the fortunes of any country.
