According to the South Pacific Secretariat, the policy analysis and formulation capabilities of Pacific Island countries national forestry agencies are weak and need to be strengthened.
As reported by Fiji Times Online, a Forestry Policy Short Course was held in Nadi, Fiji, this week to address the issue. According to the Secretariat's forestry advisor, Sairusi Bulai, this deficiency was hampering national forest program processes and that the course 'aimed to teach a curriculum that integrated analytical and communications skills with an in-depth exploration of the economic, environmental and social issues that made forestry a uniquely challenging area for effective policy-making and implementation'.Representatives from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, American Samoa, Hawaii and the Cook Islands are attending the two-week course.