THE Pacific's perspectives of the 2015 Development Agenda has been one of the key discussion points at the recent consultations on the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals of the Pacific.
The three-day discussions drew agreement from regional participants that there needs to be more discussions on the Pacific's input into the United Nations post-2015 MDGs.
Discussions also focused on how national, regional and global processes for capturing voices for the next development agenda should be linked to each other with national consultations of particular importance.
Countries working in sub-regional groupings - Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia - identified Pacific perspectives for the post- 2015 development agenda. Some of these included recognising small island states vulnerability, climate change, oceans, non communicable diseases and youth unemployment.
Participants recognised that the discussions were an initial opportunity and that while it allowed for the collection of some potential areas of priority, these would be further tested and elaborated at future national, sub-regional and regional discussions and eventually lead to the development of some themes and strategies as the basis for a Pacific voice for inclusion in the post 2015 development agenda.
The Post 2015 Pacific Consultation was attended by more than 80 government and civil society representatives from 15 Pacific Island Countries and development partner representatives.