5 things about the Pacific Island Forum meeting that started today – Firstpost

The Pacific Islands Forum Heads of State and Government Meeting began in Tonga on Monday, bringing together the heads of state and government of the 18 member states of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and their dialogue partners.

The week-long meeting in Tonga will focus on issues such as responses to climate change and the strategic struggle between China and the United States over the strategic region.

Mark Brown, the outgoing Chairman and Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, is expected to hand over the leadership to Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni.

Sovaleni’s government has been working hard to prepare the capital, Nuku’alofa, for the arrival of more than 1,000 expected participants.

Here are five things you should know about the meeting:

Climate change and economic challenges are high on the agenda

Founded in 1971, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) serves as the region’s most important policy-making body.

The meeting will address issues such as climate change, cross-border crime and the region’s economic challenges.

Against a backdrop of “intense geopolitical rivalry”, member states are facing “demographic and economic pressures that have never been greater”. Nikkei Asia quoted Mihai Sora, director of the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute.

“International attention and interest in the Pacific is enormous, and leaders are under pressure from their own communities to get something tangible out of this meeting,” He added.

Finding funding for climate change and disaster resilience

Members of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) are grappling with rising sea levels, worsening natural disasters, warming oceans and their associated impact on fish stocks, and coral bleaching.

“To address these problems, they are looking for increased support,” Sora was quoted as saying.

Countries in the region are seeking increased funding for a Pacific-led climate finance initiative. The Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) is currently $380 million short of its $500 million target.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is attending the meeting, has pledged to organize a donor event in New York.

The PIF will also soon vote on plans to host the PRF in Tonga.

“This is very, very important for the Pacific and should also be important for all international partners who play a role in protecting and securing the Pacific,” Sora said.

Focus on unrest in New Caledonia

There have been repeated outbreaks of violence in the French territory of New Caledonia since deadly unrest in May, sparked by planned changes to the electoral law that angered pro-independence supporters in the Kanak community.

Combating the unrest will be a central item on the agenda, said Kerryn Baker, a Pacific affairs expert at the Australian National University. Nikkei Asia.

Due to the growing divide between pro-French loyalists and separatists, the PIF had planned to send a delegation, but the mission was reportedly delayed due to disagreements between the French government and local New Caledonian authorities.

“There is obviously a lot of tension around the PIF delegation, so that will be reflected in the meeting,” Baker was quoted as saying.

France, which supports the mission, is represented by its Ambassador to the Pacific, Veronique Roger-Lacan.

Geopolitical rivalry and police work

China has intensified its engagement in the Pacific and increased pressure on Taiwan’s remaining Pacific allies.

In particular, the signing of security and police agreements between Beijing and the Solomon Islands caused concern in Canberra and Washington.

This week’s forum will be attended by delegations from China, led by Special Envoy for the Pacific Islands Qian Bo, and from the United States, led by Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell.

Australia is seeking to expand its extensive law enforcement cooperation in the region through its Pacific Policing Initiative, which will be presented for endorsement at the meeting.

Sora stressed that regional police cooperation was “essential” to address problems such as drug trafficking and illegal fishing.

“It builds on Australia and New Zealand’s individual bilateral aid programs – which the US is increasingly pursuing – and is clearly aimed at excluding China from a security role in the Pacific,” Sora was quoted as saying.

U.S. territories seeking associate membership status

Guam and American Samoa are currently applying for associate member status. This month, the members’ foreign ministers expressed their “in principle” support for those applications.

The push for greater involvement of U.S. territories comes as diplomatic challenges continue to arise from the admission of the French territories of New Caledonia and French Polynesia as full members in 2016.

The unrest in New Caledonia, which stems from tensions between local independence groups and Paris, has brought these issues to the fore.

“It is the latest version of this ongoing discussion,” Baker was quoted as saying. “What does (the inclusion of non-independent territories) mean in terms of the coherence and vision of the body as a whole?” he asked.

The PIF consists of 18 full members, including Australia, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Tokelau and Wallis and Futuna are associate members.

With contributions from agencies