The new Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) Leaders Summit which ended in Honiara this week, had included civil society organisations as decision makers in regional matters, said the PIANGO chairman Drew Havea of Tonga.

PIANGO is the Pacific Islands Association of Non-Government Organisations, which gave its full support at the summit and participated as a member of the PIDF Charter.

Drew praised PIDF for being the only Pacific regional organisation with a governance structure inclusive of civil societies and the private sector.

He said  civil society organisations played a vital role in enabling people to claim their rights, promoting rights based approaches, shaping development policies and partnerships while overseeing their implementation.

“PIANGO is well placed to bring the issues of the people to the table in discussing high level policies and to ensure encouragement of its members at the national level."

He said although PIDF is newly formed it had provided an inclusive regional platform as a level playing field for civil society organisations as equal decision makers in regional matters.

Drew attended the forum alongside Pacific Leaders including newly appointed PIDF chairman Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Sogavare, outgoing chair Fiji PM Frank Bainimarama and FSM President Peter Christian.

This is the first meeting of PIDF Leaders under the new governance structure since the inauguration of its charter in 2015.

The Fiji led regime formed this new regional body of Pacific Islands alliance without the influence of Australia and New Zealand.