New faces at 23rd Forum

SOLOMON Islands capital, Honiara, was a hive of activity as Forum leaders congregated there for their recent 23rd annual summit.

With $1.5 million (SI Dllrs) invested in hosting the event, it seemed the Solomon Islands government did well organising the meeting and ensuring the safety of the leaders and their officials.

For Fiji’s prime minister Sitiveni Ra buka, his Australian counterpart, Paul Keating and Vanuatu’s prime minister, Maxim Carlot, the Forum was their first.

The Honiara Forum also signified the departure of one of the elder statesmen of the Forum, Niue premier Sir Robert Rex who attended for the last time. He was given a standing ovation at the end of his farewell speech.

Forum leaders honoured Sir Robert by asking him at their retreat (leaders’ pre-Forum informal gathering) to choose the Forum Secretariat’s new logo.

The Forum tackled a number of important issues, including the question of establishing some form of dialogue between Forum countries and Taiwan.

Rather than let the issue drag on, Forum leaders agreed the importance of Taiwan/Republic of China as an economic presence in the region justified some form of formal consultative arrangement with those Forum countries which wished to participate.

This means that countries participating in the proposed Taiwan/Republic of China-Forum countries dialogue would do so in their own right but would not represent the Forum as a whole.

Taiwan/Republic of China has diplomatic relations with four Forum island countries including Nauru, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

Other issues included the follow-up on outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Develop ment (UNCED) Earth Summit, economic and trade concerns, special needs of smaller island states, the import ance of enhancing linkages with the broader Asia-Pacific region, a declaration on law enforcement co-operation, the Niue treaty on fisheries surveillance and law enforcement, the region’s concerns on nuclear testing and hazardous materials, indigenous people, New Caledonia and the state of Pacific children.

On UNCED, the leaders stressed the importance of sustainable development in the region and accorded “very high priority” to environmental issues and to developing and implementing the outcomes of the Rio Earth Summit.

Recognising that global warming and sea level rise are the most serious threats to the survival of some Pacific island member states, the Forum called for the prompt implement ation of the framework convention on climate change.

Keating announced that his country, a Forum member, would provide SAI.3 million to upgrade meteorological services in the region.

This money will be used to support a South Pacific sea level rise and climate (change) monitoring project Australia is also funding in the region.

Keating also told his Forum counterparts that Australia was providing SAS million for the development of a region wide bio-diversity conservation and management project.

The Forum

As a follow-up to the UNCED, the offer by the Cook Islands to host the first global conference for small island states next year was endorsed by the Forum.

Among other things, this conference in Rarotonga will discuss in detail sustainable development and its impli cations. The 15-member Forum also endorsed UNCED’s call for the establish ment of a commission on sustainable development to, oversee the implement ation of Agenda 21 and to ensure the interests of Forum island countries are adequately reflected. Forum leaders ap plauded France for its decision to suspend its South Pacific nuclear testing program until the end of the year.

But they stressed that “indefinite extension of this moratorium will con

tribute significantly to improving further the relations between France and the countries of the Pacific.”

An urgent letter on this has been sent to the president of France. France has made it clear that an indefinite suspension of its nuclear testing in the region depends on other nuclear testing nations doing the same.

For this reason, the Forum has also sent similar letters to the British prime minister, the Russian president, the United States president and the government of the People’s Republic of China, urging cessation of nuclear testing.

The Forum, through its chairman, Solomon Islands prime minister Solomon Mamaloni has also written to the Japanese government urging it “to consult fully” with Forum Countries on Tokyo’s planned shipments of plutonium from Europe over the next 30 years.

Although the proposed route for the shipments, expected to start later this year, is not clear yet, Forum leaders believe this could be through the Pacific region.

Rabuka announced major initiatives including a scholar ship scheme and a SPARTECA-like non-reciprocal trade agreement with other Forum island countries.

Details of the scholarship scheme are not immediately available but it is understood that under the scheme, more students from Forum island countries will be able to study in tertiary institutions in Fiji.

Fiji’s proposed non-reciprocal trade arrangement initiative

is aimed at facilitating exports and at the same time providing assistance to the economies of Forum island countries.

As traditional donors, Australia and New Zealand indicated that the South Pacific remains a priority in their aid programs.

The Forum has also stressed the importance of establishing effective international links with particular priority to countries of the Asia-Pacific rim.

Strengthening the economic relations with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is to be given greater

emphasis.

On New Caledonia, Forum leaders said they were encouraged at the positive progress being made in promoting equitable political, economic and social development in the Territory withing the framework of the Matignon Accord.

Leaders agreed on the fullest possible integration of New Caledonia into the South Pacific region, expressing the intention to work to encourage further development of links between it and Forum countries.

Alfred

Sasako