Resource information
This Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD)
covers eight small Pacific island countries (PIC8):
Kiribati, Marshall Islands, the Federated States of
Micronesia, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The
objective of the SCD is to identify the most critical
constraints and opportunities facing the PIC8 to meet the
global goals of ending absolute poverty and boosting shared
prosperity in a sustainable manner. The report is intended
to help these countries, the World Bank and other
development partners establish a dialogue to focus their
efforts around the key priorities and activities that have
high impact and are aligned with the two goals. The regional
approach of this SCD is driven by the similarity of
development challenges faced by these countries and the
importance of regional solutions to these challenges. The
SCD also highlights that economic opportunities available to
the Pacific island countries are limited. While these
opportunities have been known for a long time, the
experience of most of these countries in realizing these
opportunities has been disappointing, reflected in the poor
growth performance of the PIC8. A realistic assessment of
these opportunities as well as of the measures needed to
realize them is essential. In this context, deep sea mining
is seen by some of the PIC8 as the next big opportunity,
while at the same time many raise concerns about its
possible environmental impacts. This is thus an area that
would benefit from an objective assessment of risks and
opportunities that could inform policy choices in the PIC8.
With the liberalization of telecoms markets and investments
in fiber-optic cables that connect many of the PIC8, new
opportunities to overcome the tyranny of distance through a
focus on knowledge products may become available and deserve
a critical assessment. The Pacific Possible research program
led by the World Bank Group is providing new insights into
the potential of these game-changers.
