Radio Australia reports in an address to a Lowy Institute conference in the Australian city of Brisbane, McCully said the region needs to expect more from its institutions.
“Last year, Pacific regional institutions collected hundreds of millions of dollars from donors. Yet too little progress is being made, and what progress is being made is taking too long,” he said.
McCully was speaking to an audience which included a number of Pacific prime ministers.
The comments come as leaders prepare for the Pacific Islands Forum in Cairns this week, where they will discuss a review of regional institutions.
McCully said Australia and New Zealand are absolutely united in their commitment to measurably improve development outcomes in the Pacific.
He said work on the proposed PACER Plus trade agreement showed how the two countries are working together.
