Economic forecast to dominate Pacific conference

PHOTO

New Zealand's former Prime Minister, Helen Clark, who's now head of the United Nations Development Program, will be a keynote speaker at the Pacific Conference on the Human Face of the Global Economic Crisis. [Reuters]

Sean Dorney, Port Vila

Last Updated: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 07:39:00 +1100

The disturbing economic outlook for Pacific Island countries will be the focus of a series of international meetings in Vanuatu this week.

New Zealand's former Prime Minister, Helen Clark, who's now head of the United Nations Development Program, will be a keynote speaker at the Pacific Conference on the Human Face of the Global Economic Crisis, which starts on Wednesday.

Another major address will be delivered by the head of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Noeleen Heyzer.

In the lead up to that three day conference there are three other meetings which begin today.

Government Ministers and officials from 14 Pacific Island Countries will be discusing progress on what is known as the Mauritius Strategy, a UN Program of Action to encourage sustainable development in Small Island Developing States.

At the same time the International Labour Organisation is conducting a meeting of government, employer and labour organisations to discuss creating jobs for the rapidly escalating numbers of unemployed in the Pacific.

There's also a pre-conference meeting for Pacific youth to give them an opportunity to suggest solutions.