PINA bi-annual Conference gets underway in Honiara this morning

The Pacific Island News Association (PINA) major conference gets underway in Honiara this morning after various pre-workshops.

Pacific Correspondent Campbell Cooney reports the bi-annual conference has attracted media professionals from across the Pacific.

One person who won't be there is PINA's president Ken Clark, who will be in the USA on work committments. Later this week PINA will hold its general meeting, and Mr Clark says he will not be standing for re-election.

He and his board have been criticised for their management over the past two years, in particular the fact the association's secretariat in Suva doesn't have a full time manager.

It is also understood, Taiwan which had donated USD$65,000 to help run the conference will have no official presence.

The Taiwanese government announced last week it had cancelled sending a delegation, in part to avoid causing further dispute between organisers and mainland China, which has strongly criticised the acceptance of the sponsorship.

Source: Radio Australia