Pacific leaders to discuss climate change, sustainable fishing during Pacific Islands Forum in Palau

Updated

What is the Pacific Islands Forum? First formed as the South Pacific Forum in 1971, with its first meeting in Wellington, New Zealand

Founding members were Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Nauru, New Zealand, Tonga and Western Samoa (now Samoa)

The name was changed to the Pacific Islands Forum in 2000 to reflect the geographic location of Forum members

Forum brings together leaders to discuss regional issues including trade, shipping, tourism, and education

There are 16 member states. Fiji was suspended in May 2009 but was invited back in October 2014

New Caledonia and French Polynesia act as Associate Members

Several other Pacific nations and regional organisations have been granted Forum Observer status

The forum also conducts dialogue with partners across Asia, Europe and the United States Map: Palau

Hundreds of delegates from across the Pacific are arriving in Koror in Palau to discuss climate change, non-communicable diseases and protecting marine life.

The 15 members of the Pacific Islands Forum include several countries made up of atolls that barely rise one metre above sea level.

They will be joined at the forum, running from July 29 to August 1, by observers from countries including the United States, China and India.

Palau's President, Tommy Remengesau Jr., has declared the theme of this year's forum to be 'The Ocean: Life & Future'.

The president's press secretary, Keobel Sakuma, says the theme recognises the importance of oceans in everyday Pacific life.

"Not only as a form of transportation and food security...but also because it connects many other issues, like climate change, NCDs, invasive species," he said.

"Everything that we're being faced with today in the Pacific in terms of challenges relates to the ocean."

Climate change

Last year's Forum adopted the Majuro Declaration for Climate Leadership, which commits the countries to increasing their efforts to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions by turning to alternative, sustainable energy resources.

Mr Remengesau told the United Nations in January the impact of climate change was already being felt in Pacific nations.

"Climate change is causing the seas to rise at unprecedented rates, increasing the intensity of storms and threatening to wipe entire states off the map," he said.

The Majuro Declaration has won support from the US, UK and Mexico, and was presented to UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon in September 2013.

"Pacific Islands are among those that contribute least to global warming, yet suffer most," he said.

"I commend your resolve to be 'Climate Leaders' and I join you in your call to others [to lead through action]."

Palau has joined leaders from other Pacific nations, including Marshall Islands and Kiribati, in publicly expressing disappointment with Australia's climate change position.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, during a visit to Canada, flagged he wanted to forge an alliance of like-minded centre-right governments to resist global moves towards carbon pricing, and in favour of more 'direct action' measures.

Mr Abbott announced last week he would not be attending to Forum due to the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in the Ukraine and other pressing matters.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss will instead lead the Australian delegation, along with Parliamentary Secretary Brett Mason.

Kiribati President Anote Tong said in June that Australia's stand was likely to get "some, if not a lot" of attention at the meeting in Palau.

Mr Tong said as far as Kiribati was concerned, it no longer matters what Australia or any other country does, because it is already too late.

"What will happen in terms of greenhouse gas emissions levels agreed to internationally will not affect us, because our future is already here... we will be underwater," he said.

Protecting marine life

The focus on oceans also comes as Palau's president pushes to move his country's economy away from and towards tourism.

Mr Remengesau earlier this year declared his nation would become a marine sanctuary, where no commercial fishing will take place.

He told a UN oceans conference Palau's 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone will be a "100 per cent marine sanctuary", and commercial operations will be banned within the Pacific nation's territorial waters.

"We have no choice - the ocean is our way of life," he said.

"You may ask why, why are you doing this? It makes every sense for our sustainability as a people, as an island nation, and as a community."

Palau is allowing its commercial fishing contracts with Japan, Taiwan and several private companies to expire, and will reserve fishing for locals and tourists only.

Non-communicable diseases

Healthy living is on the agenda for Ministers at this week's Pacific Islands Forum in Palau.

A January report found the Pacific region has some of the highest levels of obesity in the developing world, and, in some cases, in the whole world.

Mr Sakuma says here too there is a link to the way in which the people of the Pacific deal with the ocean.

"The fact that fishermen nowadays go fishing and bring back their catch and sell their catch to buy cheaper good which are not healthy for them...directly contributes to non-communicable diseases," he said.\

It's hoped that banning smoking at all events at the Forum will also help awareness of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Delegates are being encouraged to practice what they preach.

Ministers attending the forum are also being encouraged to get active each morning during the forum with the President of Palau, Tommy Remengasau Junior leading the way.

The program manager for non communicable diseases in Palau, Edolem Ikerdeu, says they also recommend healthy eating:

"We put out dietary guidelines for Palau for all the vendors responsible for preparing all the food for all the meetings, including the use of environmentally friendly products," he said.

"And also a communique was sent out...to declare all Pacific Island Forum meetings tobacco free - at Pacific Island Forum meetings there shouldn't be anyone smoking or chewing tobacco."

Fiji re-admission

Fiji's return to the forum is also expected to figure in talks between the leaders, ahead of the country's democratic polls in September.

The Forum suspended Fiji's interim government in 2009 after it seized power in a military coup.

In June, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key flagged that he would discuss Fiji's possible return to the Forum during a visit to Samoa, Tonga and Niue.

However, Fiji's foreign minister, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, has previously said Fiji wouldn't seek to renew its membership unless Australia and New Zealand were expelled as members.

Map: Pacific Islands Forum member countries

Topics: world-politics, climate-change, oceans-and-reefs, palau, pacific

First posted