Regional programmes in danger

Focus

INCREASING competition for decreasing resources could mean the slashing of some programmes by regional organisations, according to the Deputy Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Jimmie Rodgers. Dr Rodgers said the realities of the Pacific’s current economic climate

would have implications on the SPC and could mean the reduction of some of the organisation’s programmes.

He highlighted areas such as environ mental and community health, aquaculture, quarantine, information technology and television in the SPC’s health, agriculture and regional media programmes.

These, he said, would have positive programme impacts on the region. Dr Rodgers told the 28th Session of the SPC's governing council, in Noumea, New Caledonia, the such competition had placed constraints on regional organisa tions that need to identify gaps in service delivery and better target assistance.

He also outlined internal and external constraints being faced by the SPC in terms of resource allocation and the SPC

donor/client relationship.

The organisation’s ability to continue to build capacity and transfer skills sus tainably at national level was also high lighted. ‘The eight regional organisations ser vicing the Pacific Islands are competing for the same resources and need to identi fy areas not being addressed by each other,” Dr Rodgers said.

Further, the current economic climate in the Pacific Islands meant any increase in assessed contributions (from SPC member states) “would not be welcome”, he said.

The representative of Tuvalu and High Commissioner to Fiji, His Excellency Enele Sopoaga also stressed the finiteness of the region’s resources, urging the SPC not lose sight of the important goals of capacity building and human resource development.

He said the lack of national commit ment was a constraint that needed to be addressed, as was absorption capacity at national level, particularly with imple mentation (of programmes).

The Forum Secretariat observer and director of its Development and Economic Policy Division, losefa Maiava called for regional organisations to be in tune with their changing environment.

He urged them to take the needs of the private sector into further consideration, particularly concerning the impact of eco nomic reforms on this sector.

Mr Maiava suggested that the propos al be tabled through the South Pacific Organisations Co-ordinating Committee (SPOCC) working group.

This, he said, was to avoid duplication by other regional organisations in this area. This is one of the strategies to help make scarce funding resources stretch. ■