Pacific leaders converge on PNG for PI forum

Transcript

The leaders of most Pacific nations will be in the Papua New Guinea capital this week to address some of the issues concerning the region.

The agenda for the 46th summit of the Pacific Islands Forum includes climate change, information communication technology, fisheries and marine surveillance, cervical cancer and the situation in West Papua.

Koro Vaka'uta reports:

The build up to the Forum leaders meeting in Port Moresby has been marked by questions over Fiji's participation after their Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama attacked the influence over the organisation held by New Zealand and Australia. Mr Bainimarama eventually backed down from Fiji not having a presence at the meeting but has said he won't attend personally the summits until his concerns are addressed. A Fiji government delegation was at the Forum's Officials Committee meeting which set the agenda for the PNG event. It was Fiji's first engagement with the Forum since its membership was suspended in 2009. Fiji also hosted the Pacific Islands Development Forum last week. A feature of that meeting was the Suva Declaration on climate change, which called for the Paris meeting in November to agree to a limit on temperature increase to no more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Jenny Hayward-Jones from the Lowy Institute says if the Pacific Islands Forum was to try to make a similar declaration, there could be confusion about which reflected the region. Ms Hayward-Jones says the timing of the PIDF move, a few days out from the Port Moresby meeting, makes a strong political statement.

JENNY HAYWARD-JONES: It's that forum which has produced a declaration that reflects the concerns of small island countries. Of course Australia and New Zealand will be in the mix so it will be considerably more difficult to reach agreement that satisfies everyone. We have seen here, Prime Minister Bainimarama try and get out in front and try and develop a strong voice from the small island states that isn't confused by Australia and New Zealand's position.     

The NGO Oxfam also pushed the issue, calling on New Zealand to strengthen its commitment to reducing emission targets in support of its Pacific neighbours. Oxfam New Zealand's executive director, Rachael Le Mesurier, says while the Pacific is the first and the worst hit by climate change, it contributes the least to global pollution. She says climate change is the most significant leadership challenge facing the Pacific.

RACHAEL LE MESURIER: Australia and New Zealand are presently regarded as two of the worst performing governments when it comes to climate change and drag on international efforts, so this backwardness is even all the more remarkable given that we are both surrounded by some the most climate vulnerable countries on the earth.

Regional civil society groups met in the lead-up to the Forum, producing a communique of priorities. Emele Duituturaga from the Pacific Islands Association of NGOs, or PIANGO, says climate change is one of two big issues for leaders to address. Ms Duituturaga says the group wants an internationally binding agreement on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. She says the time has also come to look at the situation in West Papua.

EMELE DUITUTURAGA: We have information directly from West Papua of the human rights violation atrocities. Yes, we know that this is being questioned. This is also why we are calling for a fact-finding mission into those human rights violations. This is quite urgent.

The fisheries issue and managing marine resources looks to be a focus from New Zealand's perspective, although Prime Minister John Key has conceded that climate change will need to be looked at. Mr Key says as a Pacific nation, New Zealand is committed to working with its closest neighbours to build a more secure and prosperous region.

JOHN KEY: The theme this year is strengthening connections to enhance Pacific regionalism, which is about encouraging a strategic focus to regional issues.

The Forum will end with a leaders retreat on Thursday.