The Commonwealth Local Government Forum Pacific has convened the first local economic development regional workshop in Nadi as the first in a series as part of a European Union funded programme ‘Strengthening the capacity of Local Government Associations to support Local Economic Development in the Pacific’.

Deputy Ambassador of the EU Delegation for the Pacific,  Johnny Engell-Hansen,  opened the regional workshop on 13 July at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi..

The workshop was held from the 13-17 Jul as part of the European Union supported three year programme 'Strengthening the capacity of Local Government Associations to support Local Economic Development in the Pacific', aiming to create and increase sustainability of local economic development through the strengthening of local government associations and local authorities and supporting their interaction with communities.

In his opening address, Mr Engel-Hansen said: 'The European Union is delighted to partner with the Commonwealth Local Government Forum Pacific in this initiative. With our support, they and selected Local Government Associations will help generate prosperity in the region by improving the business environment for entrepreneurs at the decentralised level and create employment opportunities for Pacific islanders.

The event is one of the first activities of the new programme and will run from the 13-17 July at the Tanoa International Hotel. It will bring together Local Government Associations, representatives from ministries responsible for local government, practitioners and technical advisors from the four targeted Pacific Island countries of the programme, namely the Cook Islands, Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu to a platform where participants can be trained on how to plan, implement and monitor the various Local Economic Development projects that will be rolled out in-country as part of follow up initiatives following the conclusion of the workshop.

‘The role of local government associations is to support their member councils to promote local economic development and this requires them to work collaboratively with the councils in developing visions, strategies and overseeing the development and implementation of plans and specific initiatives of LED’, said Karibaiti Taoaba, Regional Director for the CLGF Pacific Office.

Local economic development is a central part of developmental local government that comprises a core set of services to be provided by councils to local citizens and businesses. It is important that councils are able to play their full role in local economic development so that it becomes an inclusive development process that enables local government to work with its partners and stakeholders to bring economic opportunities and benefits also to those who live in great hardship, poverty and are marginalised.

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For more information on the programme visit: www.clgfpacific.org

For information about the workshop email Akuila Masi, Program Coordinator, CLGF Pacific on email: akuila@clgfpacific.org.fj

Media interested in covering the event are welcome to attend: For media enquiries email Miriam Rees, Communications and Research Officer, CLGF Pacific on email: miriam@clgfpacific.org.fj  or Rebecca Von Schreeb, Attache Political and Press, Delegation of the European Union for the Pacific on email: Rebecca.VON-SCHREEB@eeas.europa.eu