CLGF Regional Symposium, Port Vila Vanuatu 2010

Vanuatu hosted the third Pacific Local Government Symposium in Port Vila, 11-14 October, 2010. It was attended by ministers, officials and senior local government representatives from Australia, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The event was organised by the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) Pacific Office in Suva.

Those attending included representatives of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, development partners such as the New Zealand Aid Programme, AusAID, UNDP, UN Habiti, UNISDR and the World Bank as well as many local government professionals, experts and other stakeholders from across the region.

The symposium was addressed by Hon.Edward Nipake Natapei, Prime Minister of Vanuatu and participants were welcomed by Hon. Willie Pako, Lord Mayor of Port Vila.

The event reviewed country strategies for local government in the Pacific, examined the common challenges which it currently faces, especially in reducing poverty, providing basic community services and promoting democracy and good governance. It also considered CLGF's past work in the region in suppor of local government and identified CLGF's work for the period 2011-15. It confirmed a new focus of activity in promoting local economic development.

Alongside the main symposium, a number of associated events were held including the Pacific Capital Cities Forum, a local government ministers' forum, a roundtable with development partners and a dissemination workshop on CLGF's council-to-council partnership programme notably in Papu New Guinea.

The Port Vila Declaration, adopted at the conclusion of the symposium, clearly defines the direction to be taken by local government partners in the Pacific to continue to build more vibrant and resilient local economies and communities.

View Port Vila Declaration here