7 Jun 2011

Aid bloc approach urged for Pacific Island countries

12:49 pm on 7 June 2011

Pacific Island countries are being urged to come up with their own policy framework for aid delivery to take better advantage of growing interest in the region.

A political sociologist at the University of Auckland Steven Ratuva says the Pacific Islands Forum is forming a trade bloc and he sees no reason why the Forum can't come up with a policy template for those delivering aid to region.

Dr Ratuva says Pacific Island nations should feel more empowered now to bring about harmonised aid delivery.

"Usually they're right at the end of the process as recipients. It's important they should also be part of the beginning of the process which is the thinking and the negotiation process."

Dr Steven Ratuva of the Centre for Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland.