Pacific NGO's pleased with Forum engagement space

Transcript

EMELE DUITUTURANGA: We do feel that finally the space is opening up. We are not yet fully integrated in terms of being part of the forum meetings but you will be aware that last year the commencement of a breakfast dialogue session with leaders that will be repeated this week. And this Thursday there will be a breakfast session with civil society leaders and the Forum Troika (Three Pacific leaders that represent past, present and future chairs at respective Forum leaders meetings) but other leaders have also been invited to be there. So we will be having this dialogue on policy priority issues that civil society have identified and that is something that we have been pushing for, for quite a number of years. Is to have direct face to face discussions with our leaders on the key issues that civil society leaders consider important. So the space has been provided and we do feel not entirely fully a part of it yet but we are beginning to feel that we have been included.

KOROI HAWKINS: And why is that important?  

ED: That is important because the process for the Forum and the mechanisms for the Forum is really largely about Pacific governance. You know it is about Pacific states it is about the Pacific government leaders but there isn't really much other space for our Pacific government leaders to hear directly from civil society which represent the people of the Pacific. So that is very important for us because of course the priorities that are brought before the leaders go to officials they ah go through the foreign ministers I mean they are all part and parcel of working for these governments. But it is very important and this is part of the ambition of the new framework for regionalism is that is must, there must be more robust policy discussions and so the importance of including civil society is part and parcel of that robustness.

KH: And what is it you are hoping will come out of all of this?

ED: Well there are issues that will go before the leaders that have been brought forward specifically by civil society. There are issues around labour mobility and there are issues around climate, disaster risk management, there is the issue on disability and of course the issue of West Papua and fisheries of course. But there are a couple of issues there that if not for civil society wouldn't be going to the leaders. And so we have a stake and we have a great sense of ownership that the leaders do discuss these issues that we put before them and they do consider the recommendations that we have also been involved in, in formulating.

KH: You are also saying you would like more recognition or more inclusion of Northern Pacific states in the Pacific Islands Forum. Is there a lack of that?

ED: Well I think just being up here you know PIANGO has come in to work with our local NGOs here and to create this space. What has come through in these last couple of days is that we have been disconnected. So if we are talking about regionalism and the ambition of the new 2030 agenda of leaving no one behind. Then connectedness is very important and so there is a great feeling here at this meeting that finally the Northern Pacific are being included in a dialogue about regionalism and for a lot of them it is really new listening to what was the Pacific plan what is the new framework for regionalism what is the agenda 2030. So while they might have heard about it but they hadn't quite made it come together in their heads in terms of Pacific regionalism. So we are pleased it started and we are certainly committed to making sure it continues.