KEY POINTS:
Melanesian countries' viability is at risk in the face of corruption, poverty and disease, a symposium was told today.
Pacific Island Affairs Minister Winnie Laban today opened the Pacific Cooperation Foundation's Melanesia Symposium.
She said Melanesia, home to 85 per cent of Pacific people, had high population growth which was outstripping economic growth.
Youth unemployment was on the increase and poverty was a serious problem. Education and health trends were troubling while HIV/Aids, malaria, TB and threats of pandemics like avian flu or dengue fever were a brake on the region's potential.
"A toxic mix of climate change, population increase and land tenure issues undermine growth and stability, and are an emerging risk to food security," she said.
Law and order problems were a risk to the population but were also barrier to investment.
"And to be blunt corruption seems endemic and undermines governance at almost every turn," she said.
"In combination these factors pose clear and present danger to the ability of states in the region to provide for their people and ensure national viability."
Ms Laban said the New Zealand Government's aid focus was on Melanesia and development programmes with Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu were the largest New Zealand had run.
By 2010-11 assistance would be about $100 million a year. The Solomon Islands would get $41m, PNG $30m and Vanuatu $20m.
Aid was going into health in PNG focusing on staff training, improving financial management systems, and new processes for tracking medicine supplies. Villagers were being trained up to be able to do primary health care.
In Solomon Islands the focus was on education and growth.
"Four years of conflict have left education services in Solomon Islands in tatters."
Only about 70 per cent of children were able to access limited education.
New Zealand was putting $10m a year into education.
Trade was also important with Melanesian countries entering agreements. In 2007 91 per cent of Pacific imports into New Zealand were from Melanesia.
About 2000 Melanesian workers had come to New Zealand under the Department of Labour's Recognised Seasonal Employment, taking millions of dollars in earnings home.
- NZPA
