2) Polye: Discuss West Papua in Pacific Islands Forum
3) Pacific leaders to confront Abbott on emissions targets
4) UN climate envoy warns against friction in region
5) PIF Update-Listening to the Voice of Civil Society
6) Tiny islands kick off PIF talks in PNG
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Islands Business Facebook
1) PNG warns West Papua activists
By Makereta Komai, PACNEWS Editor in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
PORT MORESBY, 07 SEPTEMBER 2015 (PACNEWS) --- The Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Dame Meg Taylor says the issue of West Papua will be one of the contentious issue to be dealt with by Pacific Islands Forum Leaders when they meet in Port Moresby this week.
And already, the host country Papua New Guinea has refused entry for West Papuan activist, Benny Wenda, an indication of the controversy that surrounds the issue ahead of the 46th annual summit of Pacific Leaders in Port Moresby.
And already, the host country Papua New Guinea has refused entry for West Papuan activist, Benny Wenda, an indication of the controversy that surrounds the issue ahead of the 46th annual summit of Pacific Leaders in Port Moresby.
In Fiji, the Secretary General of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Octovanius Mote was ‘quietly’ asked to leave the meeting of the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF).
Addressing journalists at a media workshop in Port Moresby on Friday, Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister, Rimbink Pato said Papua New Guinea’s position is clear, “We have strong relations with Indonesia and we will not do anything that will jeopardise or call into question the sovereignty, integrity and jurisdiction competence of Indonesia over the five Melanesian provinces in Indonesia.”
Minister Pato hinted that anyone that is not a member of an independent member state will not be permitted to enter the country.
“Of course there are rules and regulations of the Forum on what leaders can and can’t do but from our perspective, anyone who is not an independent member of the Forum should not be allowed to enter the country,” said Minister Pato.
PACNEWS understands that PNG Immigration are on the lookout for other West Papua activists entering the country for the Forum Leaders meeting.
A senior regional issues expert told PACNEWS in Port Moresby that it’s sad that West Papuan activists are being targeted when one of the five priority issues to go before the Leaders this week is on West Papua.
Addressing journalists at a media workshop in Port Moresby on Friday, Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister, Rimbink Pato said Papua New Guinea’s position is clear, “We have strong relations with Indonesia and we will not do anything that will jeopardise or call into question the sovereignty, integrity and jurisdiction competence of Indonesia over the five Melanesian provinces in Indonesia.”
Minister Pato hinted that anyone that is not a member of an independent member state will not be permitted to enter the country.
“Of course there are rules and regulations of the Forum on what leaders can and can’t do but from our perspective, anyone who is not an independent member of the Forum should not be allowed to enter the country,” said Minister Pato.
PACNEWS understands that PNG Immigration are on the lookout for other West Papua activists entering the country for the Forum Leaders meeting.
A senior regional issues expert told PACNEWS in Port Moresby that it’s sad that West Papuan activists are being targeted when one of the five priority issues to go before the Leaders this week is on West Papua.
“I am afraid that Indonesia seems to be putting a lot of pressure on Papua New Guinea as host country,” said the expert.
Octa Mote, the secretary general of the United West Papua Movement was refused entry to the Pacific Islands Development Forum meeting in Suva last week. He is understood to be part of a regional government delegation to Port Moresby this week.
Secretary General Dame Meg Taylor is of the view that ‘difficult issues will need frank and potentially difficult discussions by our Leaders.’
“I don’t know how Leaders will handle the West Papua issue. Some Leaders are passionate about this issue while others are passionate but concerned with the implications for their countries and for the region,” Dame Meg told journalists attending the media workshop organised by the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) in Port Moresby last week.
However, one thing that was clear from submissions made to the Specialist Sub Committee on Regionalism is that human rights violations happening in West Papua is a regional issue that needs to be dealt with by Forum Leaders at the regional level.
“You all watched what happened at the recent Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting. It will be further compounded with 16 Leaders discussing the issue with their own lenses.
“The Secretariat has been asked in the past if it is comfortable with West Papuan issues being discussed. I’d like to urge you all to research the history of the Pacific Islands Forum. In the early days, there was a lot of economic issues but as the politics of our region changed, issues like nuclear testing, independence for our countries and self-determination became a critical tenet of the Pacific Islands Forum.
Octa Mote, the secretary general of the United West Papua Movement was refused entry to the Pacific Islands Development Forum meeting in Suva last week. He is understood to be part of a regional government delegation to Port Moresby this week.
Secretary General Dame Meg Taylor is of the view that ‘difficult issues will need frank and potentially difficult discussions by our Leaders.’
“I don’t know how Leaders will handle the West Papua issue. Some Leaders are passionate about this issue while others are passionate but concerned with the implications for their countries and for the region,” Dame Meg told journalists attending the media workshop organised by the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) in Port Moresby last week.
However, one thing that was clear from submissions made to the Specialist Sub Committee on Regionalism is that human rights violations happening in West Papua is a regional issue that needs to be dealt with by Forum Leaders at the regional level.
“You all watched what happened at the recent Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting. It will be further compounded with 16 Leaders discussing the issue with their own lenses.
“The Secretariat has been asked in the past if it is comfortable with West Papuan issues being discussed. I’d like to urge you all to research the history of the Pacific Islands Forum. In the early days, there was a lot of economic issues but as the politics of our region changed, issues like nuclear testing, independence for our countries and self-determination became a critical tenet of the Pacific Islands Forum.
“I guess I am one of those people who sticks to the tenets or the house posts that the institution was built on,” Dame Meg highlighted, without mincing her words.
PACNEWS understands Leaders will be asked to note the concerns of human rights violation in Papuan provinces in Indonesia, recognising Indonesia’s sovereignty.
They will be asked to continue to engage Indonesia through economic partnerships, social, cultural, sports programmes and people to people exchanges.
Forum Officials Committee documents of 19 August 2015 obtained by PACNEWS says, ‘any proposed mission to Indonesia would need to be on the basis of discussions with and invitation by Indonesia.’
In addition, calls for sanctions and referral to the United Nations Decolonisation Committee were considered as inappropriate actions.
Condemning and addressing human rights abuses in West Papua is one of the five priority issues on the agenda of Forum Leaders this week.
15 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders and Fiji’s Foreign Affairs Minister will attend the weeklong annual summit of Pacific Leaders…. (PACNEWS)
PACNEWS understands Leaders will be asked to note the concerns of human rights violation in Papuan provinces in Indonesia, recognising Indonesia’s sovereignty.
They will be asked to continue to engage Indonesia through economic partnerships, social, cultural, sports programmes and people to people exchanges.
Forum Officials Committee documents of 19 August 2015 obtained by PACNEWS says, ‘any proposed mission to Indonesia would need to be on the basis of discussions with and invitation by Indonesia.’
In addition, calls for sanctions and referral to the United Nations Decolonisation Committee were considered as inappropriate actions.
Condemning and addressing human rights abuses in West Papua is one of the five priority issues on the agenda of Forum Leaders this week.
15 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders and Fiji’s Foreign Affairs Minister will attend the weeklong annual summit of Pacific Leaders…. (PACNEWS)
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By Theckla Gunga – EM TV, Port Moresby
Opposition Leader, Don Polye has called on all Pacific leaders to discuss the fight for West Papua’s Freedom in the 46th Pacific Island Forum scheduled to start tomorrow.
Polye said West Papuans have been striving for self-determination for a long time and the independence struggle has seen abuse of human rights at an international level.
“Governments of all countries must respect the rights and the views of the people of West Papua. I challenge the leader of the PIF to acknowledge the struggle for West Papua’s independence and discuss the issue during the Forum”, Polye said.
He said the issue should be one of the top priorities to be discussed in the Forum.
“West Papua’s issue must be discussed as priority and the leader of PIF must push this agenda to the United Nation Organisation, Polye said.
“West Papuans cannot be blamed. It was not their fault the island of New Guinea was cut in half by Netherlands. But they are Melanesians and they need our support,” Polye said.
Since Papua New Guinea gained political independence in 1975, over 30,000 West Papuans have migrated to PNG as refugees. There are over 7,000 West Papuans living in Port Moresby today.
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3) Pacific leaders to confront Abbott on emissions targets
September 7, 2015 - 12:15AM Michael Gordon
Tony Abbott faces a cool reception when he flies to Port Moresby this week from Pacific Island leaders who say global inaction on climate change threatens their existence.
The Prime Minister stands accused of largely ignoring the calls for more ambitious emissions reduction targets and stronger support for islands facing extreme weather events and rising sea levels.
The leaders agreed to a common position on Friday, declaring they are gravely distressed at the threat climate change poses to their countries and are profoundly concerned that not enough is being done.
The case for stronger action by Australia and New Zealand is pressed in report called A Question of Survival prepared for the meeting of Pacific Island Forum Leaders by Oxfam Australia.
The report claims the Australian and New Zealand governments are "threatening the very survival of some Pacific nations" by putting forward emission reduction targets inconsistent with keeping a global temperature rise below 2 degrees.
The report accuses the two governments of failing to respond to the "wake-up call" of Cyclone Pam's devastation of Vanuatu six months ago and catastrophic flooding in Kiribati and Tuvalu earlier this year.
It expresses doubt about whether either country will "do the right thing" by the Pacific and back a strong commitment on climate change in Port Moresby.
Mr Abbott, who did not attend last year's forum, is expected to fly to Port Moresby on Wednesday and return late on Thursday.
Pacific Island countries have pushed for a commitment to a goal of limiting the average global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, insisting that the current goal of 2 degrees is woefully inadequate.
"Australia and New Zealand must substantially increase their current emissions reduction targets," says Oxfam Australia's chief executive, Dr Helen Szoke, who will attend a three-day meeting of non-government organisations in Port Moresby before the leaders' summit.
"But they also need to provide clarity on how they will meet their international climate finance commitments and help ensure vulnerable communities in the Pacific can access the support they need."
Several Pacific leaders, including the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Enele Sosene Sopoaga, the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, and Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, have been highly critical of Australia and New Zealand on climate change.
Marshall Islands foreign minister Tony de Brum has branded Australia's "weak target" - of reducing domestic emissions by 26-28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 - as a serious blow to the reputation of "our big brother down south".
The meeting is expected to consider endorsing a Moresby Declaration for an effective global climate agreement in Paris that has been proposed by the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network.
It will also consider establishing a regional fact finding team to investigate reports of "ongoing gross human rights violations" in West Papua in response to a submission from more than 40 civil society organisations in 13 Pacific countries and territories.
The submission cites recent videos leaked and distributed on YouTube that "capture gruesome footage of separate incidents where West Papuan are being tortured by Indonesian soldiers".
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4) UN climate envoy warns against friction in region
Updated at 6:47 am today
The UN Special Envoy for Climate Change Mary Robinson says regional groups need to make sure they're working alongside each other if the Pacific is to be heard over climate change.
She has been attending the Pacific Islands Development Forum in Fiji which met ahead of the more established regional body, the Pacific Islands Forum this week.
Mrs Robinson says she's been impressed by the determination and sense of urgency of country, civil society and business leaders over climate change and says the talks must continue at the Forum this week in Port Moresby.
"I believe it would be helpful if the two fora are seen as complementary opportunities and that the two are complementary to each other rather than giving rise to some friction or rift or divisiveness because that would not be helpful."
Mary Robinson says political leadership from the region is needed now at the highest level in the run up to crucial climate change talks in Paris.
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5) PIF Update
07 September 2015
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Listening to the Voice of Civil Society
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Hearing the voice of Civil Society is important in developing well informed regional policy for the Pacific. It is for this
reason that the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the European Union have organised “The Civil Society
Organisation Regional Forum” which beings today in Port Moresby.
“I am a major supporter of civil society, and I believe that a strong and vibrant civil society is important to our region,
” said Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Secretary General Dame Meg Taylor at the opening.
“This event is important as it provides space for civil society to have input on some of the key issues that will be put to
the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders. Many of you have been advocating for this kind of impact for some time, and
I am pleased that we are able to facilitate this forum”.
European Union Ambassador for the Pacific, Andrew Jacobs, opened the forum, reiterating, “The European Union
is proud to support this initiative. Promoting a strong voice for civil society and effective dialogue with leaders will
result in more inclusive and effective development and benefit the people of the Pacific.”
The CSO Regional Forum is the first initiative implemented by the Forum Secretariat with the EU’s € 4 million
programme “Strengthening Non-State Actors engagement in regional policy development and implementation”.
Over the next four years the programme aims to work at engaging civil society across the Pacific and enable
regional leaders to reflect on civil society’s concerns and perspectives.
More than 40 organisations are being represented at the CSO Regional Forum, with many travelling to Papua
New Guinea from across the Pacific especially for the event.
Discussions are focussed around priority initiatives identified by the Specialist Sub Committee for Regionalism,
which leaders will consider this coming week at the 46th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. Issues addressed
by the initiatives include climate change, West Papua, cervical cancer, information and communications technology,
maximising returns from fisheries.
The forum aims to provide an opportunity for Civil Society Organisations from across the Pacific to convene,
discuss specific policy issues, and provide governments and policy makers with evidence-based, collective positions
on regional level policy.
At the forum’s conclusion, 25 participants, with at least one representative from every Forum Island Country, will
attend a breakfast with the Forum’s Troika Leaders to present their deliberations.
This represents the first time Civil Society has had the opportunity to feed directly into the week long discussions
of Forum Island Leaders.
ENDS
To download Secretary General Dame Meg Taylor's speech to the Regional CSO Forum: click here
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6) Tiny islands kick off PIF talks in PNG
SEVEN small island nations are set for a pre-game huddle ahead of taking a do or die message to their big Pacific neighbours on
climate change at official talks in Papua New Guinea this week.
THE issue is set to dominate the agenda at the Pacific Island Forum in Port Moresby.
PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill welcomed some of the early arriving leaders on Sunday evening.
of like-mind must work together, Mr O'Neill said in a statement.
Palau and Tuvalu - catching up before the main events on Wednesday and Thursday which include Australia and New Zealand.
his long journey to Port Moresby.
ahead of the United Nations climate change conference in Paris this December.
entire population needs to move.
existence of many islands.
reductions targets.
New Zealand's target is a cut of 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
and computer technology and communications.
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