The United Nations Development Programme’s Resident Representative in the Pacific says mineral extraction in the region could do more harm than good if…not managed properly…[A] number of Pacific Island countries have earned significant revenue through the extraction of natural resources like oil, gas and minerals and there is significant potential for future development in the region…[A] three-day conference…hopes to…create a Pacific Island perspective to these issues so that countries can work together to address them. The conference is being attended by officials from several countries as well as representatives from extraction companies and NGOs.