Forum is as relevant today as it was 40 years ago-Teo

The Deputy Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Feleti Teo said the forum and its secretariat is as relevant today as it was 40 years ago.

Speaking at the PINA and Forum Secretariat regional media workshop in Auckland, Teo said some people have questioned the value of the forum and its secretariat and whether it will still exist in 40 years.

He said some of the achievements of the forum in the last 40 years include the return to peace and ongoing stability in the Solomon Islands as an outcome of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, a nuclear free Pacific region, and support for regional approaches on key global issues facing the region including climate change.

Teo said some of the challenges in the next 40 years include the impact of climate change and getting greater access to the billions of dollars in global sources for adaptation and mitigation, finding employment for the next generations with the high population growth in the region and ensure that democratic values remains a feature of the region.

Story by: Vijay Narayan