The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat is seeking more diversity in public submissions this year to help inform regional policy priorities.
During the last forum meeting in Samoa in September, leaders endorsed the Blue Pacific as a new narrative for collective political action.
The first in-country consultations took place in Federated States of Micronesia but they will visit most member countries.
The Secretariat's Pacific regionalism adviser Joel Nilon told Sara Vui-Talitu that this time they want to hear from different people from academia to the private sector, to help inform foreign policy, regional security, labour mobilty among other key regional issues.
Leaders at the opening of the Pacific Islands Forum in Samoa.
Photo: Tipi Autagavaia
Transcript
JOEL NILON: I think we want to really target the needs of the business community, the private sector. How can working together as a region support whether it is business or private sector development, we need the input of these types of sectors to help define and determine the policy agenda that it is really starting to support the needs of the private sector. Similarly to really make good on the inclusivity principals that the Forum exists by. We want to democratise I guess the policy process at the regional level. So we want to engage individuals in seeking their ideas and their concerns and try to filter that into the broader policy process and raise awareness of regional policy processes, yknow the work of the Forum. Our government officials know these issues extremely well but in order to make the regional agenda relevant, we need to bring in broader community into the process.
SARA VUI-TALITU: So how will such public consultations work?
JN: We will call on government officials as a first point of call but we want to make a concerted effort to reach out to private sector but as you know civil society is also a good link to community sentiment.
SVT: So can people find out more when you are in town?
JN: We have a well mapped up schedule of country visits between now and into mid-March and we have got pretty good coverage of the Forum membership over that period, where we are reasonably confident of those places and dates but what we are doing ahead of each country visit we will use local media to alert people of the public in each country as to the timing of these visits.
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