The deafening silence of human rights at Pacific Islands Forum

The Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting has ended a week or so ago, and some commentators feel there has been a deafening silence on declining standards of democracy, governance, human rights, media freedom, and freedom of speech issues, despite the serious and arguably worsening situation in some regional countries.
 
The emphasis on climate change has been welcomed. DevPolicyBlog states however that to deal effectively with climate adaptation and build climate-resilient infrastructure, countries have to mobilise large amounts of resources. Whether these resources are effectively utilised will depend on standards of governance, transparency, and accountability.