A platform has been dedicated to bolster the Pacific leadership at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties — COP27.

Known as the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion, the Fono or council aims to faciliate talanoa, or conversation, and knowledge-sharing on issues important to the Pacific, especially advocacy for ambitious climate action and the need for financing.

More than 70 side events will be hosted at the Pavilion, providing a platform for Pacific people to tell their stories.

• READ MORE: COP27: Nobel Prize winners demand Egypt free political prisoners
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Another space, the Pacific Delegation Office, has been set up for hosting meetings with partners and strategising negotiation approaches.

New Zealand Climate Change Ambassador Kay Harrison said the platforms were a key part of ensuring the Pacific’s voice was heard and considered.

The two platforms are part of a Pacific partnership with New Zealand managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

Meanwhile, Tonga Meteorological Services Deputy Director Laitia Fifita said his department was attending the conference to share data on Tonga’s climate, which had seen the appearance of four devastating cyclones over the last decade.

“Not only is our director attending this meeting but also the head of government, and the King and Queen are also attending.

“So it’s a nationwide approach, taking relevant issues about the impacts of climate change on small island developing states including Tonga.”

COP27 kicks off this weekend in Sham El Sheikh, Egypt, with an estimated 45,000 people expected to attend.

However, climate experts are not holding their breath for major breakthroughs at the annual conference, with some concerns rich countries will be missing in action.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ. 

Australia should be more engaged in the Pacific, something the previous government failed to do sufficiently, says Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Wong was in Wellington today to meet with her New Zealand counterpart, Nanaia Mahuta.

In late April, Wong criticised the Coalition for failing to intervene to stop the Solomon Islands-China deal, saying it was the “worst foreign policy blunder in the Pacific that Australia has seen since the end of World War II”.

She told RNZ Morning Report the criticism was not only of that deal, “it was of the government’s failure to engage sufficiently in the Pacific in the way that Australia should have been engaging.”

“Pacific security should be provided by the Pacific family. We do have concerns about the security of the Pacific being engaging in outside of the Pacific family, that is the position Australia has taken and I think it’s the position New Zealand has taken.”

Australia needed to listen more and do much better than the previous government on climate change, she said.

There were a lot of Pacific policies articulated by the Labor Party during the election and Wong said part of what she was doing in the Pacific was talking to people about these.

“Obviously there was quite a substantial Official Development Assistance (ODA) reduction under the previous government so during the election we outlined a policy for the Pacific, which did a few things, fundamentally it sought to draw on Australia’s proximity, we proposed a Pacific engagement visa, we proposed additional ODAs, we proposed addition maritime engagement, maritime support of Pacific defence force.

“So a whole range of policy measures which were about making sure Australia worked with the Pacific and Pacific nations … to deepen the partnership.”

Wong was also working on First Nations foreign policy and said it was something she wanted to speak to Nanaia Mahuta about.

“Her emphasis on indigenous foreign policy I think is really quite world leading.”

Asked about 501 deportees, Wong said she was familiar that the issue was of concern to New Zealand and both Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had had discussions about this.

Australia would be retaining the 501 policy. “But we do recognise concerns have been raised, those deserve consideration.”

“I think that Prime Minister Ardern was very clear about the concerns in the meeting with Prime Minister Albanese and we’ve said we will consider them and we will work through them together in an orderly way.”

‘Sign of progress’
The phrase “Pacific family” seemed to be the new line from Australia and New Zealand, The Democracy Project geopolitical analyst Dr Geoffrey Miller told Morning Report.

“Which I think is a welcome change from the ‘backyard’ language that was used a couple of months ago. It’s about seeing Pacific countries as equals, as the sovereign nations that they most certainly are.

“It was offensive to those countries and I think it’s a sign of progress that New Zealand and Australia are using this ‘family’ language.”

It remained to be seen to what extent this was just rhetoric, he said.

Wong’s trip to New Zealand was her fifth overseas trip since coming into power, Miller said Nanaia Mahuta almost certainly needed to get out more.

“Her last trip overseas was in March to Fiji, you would have expected another one or two by now.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

The Australian government has announced an A$170 million (F$267 million) programme for the Pacific region to strengthen gender equality initiatives over the next five years.

The commitment was revealed by Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women Marise Payne during the high-level ministerial session at the 14th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women hosted by French Polynesia this week.

Payne said the programme reflected the importance of strengthening women’s leadership and would complement the work they were already engaged in with bilateral partners on gender and development.

• READ MORE: Other Pacific women summit reports

“We’ll work in partnership with regional organisations and Pacific women’s funds and organisations. It’s a flexible programme designed to respond directly to partners’ needs,” she said.

“We want to build on our successes and learn from our experience. We’ll also focus on women’s rights, on safety, economic empowerment, on women’s health, including sexual and reproductive health.”

The challenges ahead for the Blue Continent included tackling the current pandemic and ensuring a sustainable future for the Pacific region, according to Payne.

“Addressing global challenges such as climate change requires us to use all of our resources and potential – that’s 100 percent of our populations,” she said.

Ensuring women’s safety
“If we ensure women’s economic security, we ensure their safety. We promote their health and wellbeing that’s not only of benefit to women and girls but to their entire communities.

“That’s one of the reasons Australia pivoted our development partnerships to better respond to the unique challenges posed by covid-19 through our partnerships for recovery strategy.”

She said they were working with Pacific partners to strengthen the region’s economic recovery, its health security and stability.

Australia has also partnered with regional stakeholders to deliver safe and effective vaccines as well as vaccine delivery.

These objectives, she said, could not be accomplished without first addressing the structural and cultural barriers that exclude and discriminate against women.

Fiji’s Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa said the triennial conference and subsequent 7th Women’s Ministerial Meeting opening on Tuesday was an opportunity to be inspired, learn and recommit efforts towards accelerating and progress the goal of achieving gender equality through the endorsement of a bold, action-oriented, inclusive and transformative outcomes document.

“This is about reaffirming leadership, commitment along with concrete actions to prevent male violence against all women and girls before it starts,” she said.

Building back better
“It is acknowledging that, our work and efforts must address urgently the intersections between, women’s economic empowerment, unpaid care, safety, leadership, social protection and climate crisis preparedness and resilience.”

Vuniwaqa said recognising that building back better from covid-19 needed all women and girls at the centre, leading, making decisions that served the planet, addressed inequalities, and achieved equal power-sharing.

“It is also about recognising that data and statistics that adequately reflect the lived realities of all women and girls of the Pacific — gender statistics for short — are critical and indispensable tools for developing evidence-based policies, legislation and solutions to achieve gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls,” she said.

More than 1000 people participated in the conference, which ends tomorrow and delivered via a blended approach of in-person and virtual interaction given that travel restrictions are still being observed across the region due to the covid-19 pandemic.

The event was organised by the Pacific Community (SPC) with funding support provided by the Australian government and the Spotlight Initiative.

Josefa Babitu is a final-year student journalist at the University of the South Pacific (USP). He is also the current student editor for Wansolwara, USP Journalism’s student training newspaper and online publication. He a participant in the Reporting on Women’s Economic Empowerment workshop organised by the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) in collaboration with the Pacific Community (SPC).

The Pacific Media Centre, founded in 2007, is part of the AUT School of Communication Studies and collaborates with other Asia-Pacific media centres to research and promote informed journalism and media in the Pacific region. The centre publishes Pacific Journalism Review, and news and current affairs websites PMC Online, Pacific Media Watch and Asia Pacific Report.

• READ MORE: RNZ Content Partnership with Pacific Media Centre

RNZ head of news and digital Glen Scanlon said the Pacific Media Centre was a natural partner.

“Our Pacific journalism has long been recognised for its quality and we want this to be seen and shared as much as possible,” he said.

“In addition, the centre also helps nurture new talent and delivers unique story-telling. To also be able to share some of this is exciting.”

Director of the Pacific Media Centre Professor David Robie said: “We are delighted to enter this partnership with RNZ and formalise a long-standing cooperation. It is also a golden opportunity for some of our Asia-Pacific students to have greater profile for their work.”

RNZ Pacific team leader Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor welcomed the content sharing arrangement, noting that RNZ had been broadcasting to Pacific audiences since 1990 and was regarded as a strong independent voice with trusted relationships among Pacific neighbours.

“RNZ continues to serve people across the Pacific region, delivering essential day to day news and information and we are delighted to share this content with our colleagues at the Pacific Media Centre allowing each of us to reach new audiences.”

RNZ now has more than 20 collaborative partnerships with a wide range of New Zealand media organisations.

It is is understood that this is the first content sharing agreement of its kind between a major media organisation and a journalism school-based news and current affairs entity in New Zealand.

• RNZ Pacific news

President Donald Trump’s move to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement is a grave moral injustice, say Pacific civil society groups.

His decision is a clear sign of continued support for the fossil fuel industry which directly threatens the lives of communities living in the Pacific Islands.

The group of Pacific Island civil society organisations affiliated to the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN) say that while this move by Trump would isolate the US from any ambitious action on climate change, the Pacific and the rest of the world will carry on with Paris Agreement commitments.

PICAN also called on Australia to immediately reaffirm its commitment to the Paris Agreement and begin strengthening its “woefully inadequate targets” in a statement today.

“It’s time for Australia to follow the lead of the Pacific and stand with those on the frontlines of climate change.”

Responses from PICAN members:

Krishneil Narayan, coordinator, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network:
“The Paris Agreement is a lifeline for vulnerable communities around the world. We will not be perturbed by the US withdrawal. Under no circumstances can the Paris Agreement be renegotiated. We expect all other countries to redouble their efforts to confront the climate crisis.

“We welcome the strong show of support to the Paris Agreement by many world leaders. The European Union, China, India and others are already forming alliances to support the continuation of the Paris Agreement.

“Even without the United States, climate action under the Paris Agreement will continue. Not even Trump can derail action on climate change. The United States will be isolated.”

Matisse Walkden Brown, head of Pacific Net, Greenpeace Australia Pacific:
“We move on and we move forward, together. The United States administration have shown their allegiance to the glory days of the past. Sadly for them, the economics, the science, and the people, all agree that the fossil fuel days are over, and that the transformation towards zero carbon is now irreversibly under way and accelerating.

“While this is a shameful day for President Trump and his people, it will not deter the rest of us. It is time for international politics to begin embracing new economies, new technologies, and commit to the fighting for the interests of the people, not the polluters. One man, one country will not change that.”

Koreti Tiumalu, Pacific coordinator, 350.org:
“Trump’s exit from the Paris agreement is immoral and a sign of shortsightedness on his part. It’s even clearer now that his priority is with protecting the profits of the fossil fuel industry and not the Pacific.

“Nevertheless, our Pacific people believe in the strength of the Pacific leadership, and the rest of the world, going into COP 23 and their commitments to the Paris Agreement. It is now up to us to continue to fight for our communities, stop all new fossil fuel projects and support a just transition towards 100% renewable energy.”

Noelene Nabulivou, Diverse Voices and Action for Equality, Pacific Partnerships on Gender, Climate Change and Sustainable Development (PPGCCSD), and the Women and Gender Constituency Liaison to the COP23 Presidency:
“This is not just the decision of one man, rather it is a reflection of an archaic social and economic system, one that is based on shortsighted selfishness and corporatisation of our planet.

“This only strengthens the resolve of all those who deeply care about this planet, all women and all people and all species. Resist and propose. Defend the Commons, work with us on alternate strategies. We will NEVER give up on this beautiful planet. ”

• Global critics denounce Trump’s climate pact withdrawal