18 Sep 2012

UN representative says Pacific region needs more peace builders

2:28 pm on 18 September 2012

A United Nations representative in the Pacific says there is a need for more local peace builders in the region.

Members of parliament, public officials and regional non-government organisations are meeting in Solomon Islands this week for the UNDP's third annual workshop titled Sharing and Exploring Pacific Approaches to Dialogue.

The Fiji based UN resident co-ordinator and UNDP representative, Knut Ostby says the skills-training workshop is designed to teach leaders how to resolve conflicts.

"Clearly we have a need for more peace building and peace building that takes place in an indigenous manner. People don't necessarily need outsiders to come in and tell them what to do. But they need peace builders in their own communities, in their own countries to help resolve what could become conflicts or what sometimes are already conflicts."

Knut Ostby says the workshop involves 40 participants from Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga.