Guam Included for First Time in Pacific Islands Forum

Guam included for first time in Pacific Islands Forum
by Michele Catahay, KUAM News
Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Governor Felix Camacho, during his recent trip to the mainland, received some positive news at the Eighth Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders in the nation's capitol. Guam's governor will be part of the state delegation to the Pacific Islands Forum, which will be the first time the territory will attend.

Camacho told KUAM News on Monday, "We have always been not allowed to attend even as observers and our argument is that although we are U.S. governors, that we are in the Pacific and we have vested interest in what happens. Decisions that are made out there affect us, so we should have a voice."

The conference in Washington, DC was hosted by the U.S. State Department. The main topic discussed was the impending military buildup and how the opportunities for labor and employment can spill over to the other islands in the region. In addition, the East-West Center out of Honolulu, Hawaii has agreed to conduct a study on the labor opportunities for Guam and other islands in the region.

The fund for the study will come from the Department of the Interior.