Governance paradoxes and pathways in Pacific Island countries

Abstract

My talk today focusses on certain key questions that relate to the governance ecosystem of Pacific Island Countries (PICS). Firstly, I argue that policy makers, governments and Pacific citizens have systematically undervalued the importance of governance transformations to their well-being and to their future. Secondly I argue that the costs of bad-poor and unsatisfactory governance across the PICS to Pacific islanders and their economies has been high but because this is indirect and ambiguous at times these costs are poorly understood. I thirdly propose a limited, narrow and problem-driven governance transformation agenda for Pacific Island stakeholders, development partners and researchers that may be most impactful.