ABSTRACT
This chapter seeks to take a closer look at past developments, some of which have been seriously hurting regionalism, with new emphasis on the directions in which the major member countries in the Forum should now move to get back on track towards the original goal of integration. It gives a brief background of the Pacific region. The chapter reviews the efforts towards regional integration. The Cotonou Agreement was to be replaced by a new agreement, known as the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), on the condition that Pacific island countries (PICs) should speed up and promote regional integration on the lines of at least Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). A Draft Pacific Plan was prepared in 2004 and adopted by the Forum Leaders in their meeting in 2005 held in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The Pacific Plan spells out in clear terms the goals termed as four pillars: economic growth; sustainable development; good governance; and security.
