Pacific regional civil society organisations have drafted a series of priorities to achieve next year, including a different way of engaging with Forum leaders.
Civil society plays a key role in advocating change, policy development and service delivery.
Organised by Niue Island Association of NGO's and the Pacific Regional NGO's, their three-day annual meeting in New Zealand has just concluded.
Richard Pamatatau reports.
"After four years, civil society organisations or CSO's have decided that lobbying Forum Leaders just prior to their annual meeting hasn't had any impact. But next year, they are reconsidering the timing of their next forum in a bid to try and lobby pre-forum committee meetings much earlier and consider alternative ways to engage with leaders. Meanwhile they've agreed on a number of recommendations for the Pacific Regional NGO's or [PRINGO] alliance and other NGO's to further their work in the region, in areas such as energy and climate change, peace and security, human rights and health. Just a short statement from CSO's is expected to be issued to Forum leaders next week in Niue, rather than a detailed communique."
