Guam as an economic and political leader in Micronesia
 
Overview
 
In the recent past, the island nations of Micronesia and the Marianas have adopted a
broadly independent approach to their development. These islands are now
beginning to take a more regional approach to development, recognizing that
regional cooperation confers greater stability, strength, mutual benefits and other
synergies.
 
Guam, the only one of these islands with a significant military presence, is entering a
period that has the potential to have an enormous impact on the Island.  This impact,
fuelled in part by military growth, may be more significant than the economic growth
experienced during the 1980s and early 1990s. Following this growth, Guam’s
physical and social infrastructures began to suffer from age, insufficient capacity and
more than a decade of subsequent economic decline. The Government of Guam has
been developing and implementing plans to improve its infrastructure in light of this
deterioration. The recent confirmation by the Department of Defense of its intentions
to expand military presence on the Island present an opportunity for Guam to use
this expansion as a catalyst to growth and to aid this infrastructure improvement. 
 
The promise of a rapidly expanding economy is largely dependent on the
Government’s ability to meet growing demands amidst extremely tight time
constraints, and to attract investment, both public and private, to the Island. This will
clearly require a cooperative and collaborative effort on the part of all stakeholders,
including the Government of Guam, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Federal
Government and private sector investors. 
 
If this cooperation can be harnessed, then an unprecedented opportunity to improve
the lives of the citizens of Guam is presented by the forthcoming military expansion.
The future of the Island can be shaped over the next decade and an enduring legacy
created for future generations, which could see Guam expand its role as an
economic and political leader in Micronesia.  Independent initiatives by Guam,
combined in partnership with the DoD, can drive significant economic growth and
modernization of the physical and social fabric of the Island and be a catalyst for
other islands in the region to benefit from regional cooperation.  The United States
(U.S.) can develop on Guam a national strategic base for military capability to
address unforeseen regional security challenges and natural disasters, where
citizens of Guam will be in partnership with U.S. National security forces.