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| Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations |
| Abbreviation | PIANGO |
| Formation | 1989 |
| Type | Regional network |
| Headquarters | Suva, Fiji |
| Region served | Pacific Islands Forum region |
| Membership | National and local non-governmental organizations across Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations is a regional network formed to coordinate civil society across the Pacific Islands Forum region, engaging with institutions such as the United Nations and the Asian Development Bank on development, resilience, and human rights issues. It connects actors from island states including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia and works alongside bodies like the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. The network liaises with international agencies including the Commonwealth Secretariat, the European Union, the World Bank, and multilateral mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund.
PIANGO traces origins to gatherings of Pacific civil society concurrent with meetings of the South Pacific Forum and consultative processes involving the United Nations Development Programme, the International Monetary Fund and the World Health Organization. Early conferences brought together representatives from Fiji Trades Union Congress, Vanuatu National Council of Women, Samoa Victim Support Group and community leaders from Honiara and Port Vila, leading to formal establishment in 1989. Over time PIANGO engaged with the Basel Convention, the Rio Summit, the Kyoto Protocol negotiations, and regional responses after events like Cyclone Pam and Tropical Cyclone Winston, coordinating civil society inputs to the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting and national delegations to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
PIANGO aims to strengthen capacity of Pacific civil society organisations including grassroots groups, faith-based organisations such as Roman Catholic Church (Fiji), Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, and indigenous associations like Maori Party affiliates, to influence policy in arenas like the United Nations Human Rights Council and the International Labour Organization. Objectives include enhancing resilience relevant to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change findings, promoting rights endorsed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, advancing gender equality in line with CEDAW commitments, and supporting sustainable development aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals championed at the United Nations General Assembly.
Membership comprises national networks, community-based organisations, and faith groups drawn from territories such as French Polynesia, New Caledonia, American Samoa, Guam, and Cook Islands. Governance features a council elected from representatives of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia and an executive leadership that interacts with entities like the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency and the Nauru Agreement parties. PIANGO’s assemblies convene alongside regional meetings such as the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific and maintain observer relationships with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
Programs span disaster preparedness in response to events like Cyclone Pam and Cyclone Gita, community health initiatives tied to outbreaks referenced by the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office, gender-based violence prevention in partnership with UN Women, capacity-building using methods promoted by the International Organization for Migration, and youth engagement reflecting models from Pacific Islands Forum Youth Council. Activities include research collaborations with institutions like the University of the South Pacific, engagement with climate finance instruments such as the Green Climate Fund and technical cooperation with the Asian Development Bank and Commonwealth of Nations development programs.
PIANGO partners with regional actors including the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, the Pacific Community, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and international partners such as AusAID (now part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)), New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the European Commission, UNICEF, United Nations Development Programme, and bilateral donors like the Japanese International Cooperation Agency and United States Agency for International Development. Funding sources have included project grants from the Global Environment Facility, philanthropic foundations such as the Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundations, and programmatic support from the Commonwealth Foundation.
PIANGO has contributed civil society perspectives to major processes including the UNFCCC negotiations, regional positions at the Pacific Islands Forum, and advocacy around migration referenced at the International Organization for Migration fora. Its interventions have influenced policy dialogues on climate-induced displacement linked to cases discussed at the International Court of Justice and regional human rights matters brought before the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency debates. PIANGO-supported campaigns have elevated issues in media outlets like the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), Radio New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands News Association.
Critiques of PIANGO include tensions reported between urban-based networks and rural community groups in Bougainville and Malaita, debates over representation from French overseas collectivities such as New Caledonia, funding volatility tied to donors like the European Union and AusAID, and the complexity of coordinating across legal jurisdictions including those of Australia, New Zealand, United States, and France. Observers have highlighted difficulties in measuring impact against Sustainable Development Goals targets, navigating political sensitivities during regional crises like the 2006 Fijian coup d'état, and ensuring accountability comparable to standards set by bodies like the International Organization for Standardization.
Category:Non-governmental organizations Category:Organizations based in Fiji Category:Pacific Islands Region