Columbia International Affairs Online
CIAO DATE: 8/5/2007
Development and Security in the Pacific Island Region
2006 September
Abstract
Pacific Island states face serious challenges and dilemmas, as a series of crises in the region indicate. Across the region, countries struggle with significant problems of state capacity, including poor leadership, poor governance and weak links between state institutions and community life and values.
However, the region is also characterized by high levels of social resilience; although this is often overlooked. State-centric responses that ignore social resilience may in fact damage it, worsening the situations states confront. It is important that policy-makers and others outside the region recognize the strengths of the region, in order to work with and not against them.
