Page 5 - Islands Business May-June 2022

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

When Federated States of Micronesia President David Panuelo said this month, “I
think that big dark, dark cloud that has been hanging over the Pacific has evaporat-
ed,” he was referring to the divisions caused by regional bureaucratic appointments,
and the way in which it had hampered discussion on some of the most pressing issues
that face our region.

Managing Director / Publisher The schism over the appointment of former Cook Islands’ Prime Minister, Henry Puna
Netani Rika to the role of Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General last year angered the PIF’s
Micronesian members, who set in motion the process to withdraw from the group.
Managing Editor
Samantha Magick What would have been a tremendous blow to regional solidarity has now been avert-
ed following a meeting convened by Fiji with Forum leaders representing each of the
sub-regions.
Designer
The agreement means that Forum processes will be documented, as was clearly
Dick Lee
needed given the generational change that has occurred amongst Pacific leaders.
Even the repeated references to a “gentlemen’s agreement” harkened back to an-
Contributors other time, before leaders such as Samoa’s Fiame, New Zealand’s Ardern and until
John Hibbard recently, RMI’s Heine sat at the table.
Jason Jett
As Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jnr said, “We don’t want to have to go through
Nic Maclellan
this again…now it’s very clear, it’s outlined, we don’t have to rely on anybody’s mem-
Paul McCann
ory or what happened in the past, it’s in writing, there’s a process. And that process
Dr Wadan Narsey
makes it easy, transparent.”
Alipate Pareti
Kite Pareti It also means that when the Forum leaders meet in Fiji in early July, they will be able
Samisoni Pareti to concentrate on critical issues.
Leila Parina
These are many, but include post-COVID recovery, regional positions to take to the
Rowena Singh
next climate COP in Egypt, ongoing discussions on fisheries agreements, financing
Dionisia Tabureguci
ocean protection, geopolticial and security developments, and the horrific rates of
Kaliopate Tavola
violence against women and girls in our region.
Whether they will include the state of the region’s university (which is suffering
straightened budgets as Fiji continues to refuse to release funding to the institution),
Islands Business is published monthly by and ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua, remains unclear.
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Editorial & Advertising Offices The PIF Leaders Forum in Fiji will also provide the leaders with the chance to get to
GPO Box 12718, Suva, Fiji Islands. know each other, something Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa observed
Tel: +679 9719660
was important given many of the Forum leaders are new to the group.
Emails “It’s important to come into the group, to see where people are positioned, and
Editorial: editor@islandsbusiness.com
Subscriptions: subs@islandsbusiness.com essentially, to set a listing of issues, prioritising them. What we can be clear we’re
Advertising: marketing@islandsbusiness.com agreed on, what needs working on,” she told us after the Suva meeting.
Cook Islands PM Mark Brown says the biggest learning from this experience is the need
Printing: to meet in person. “Face-to-face meetings are a must for Pacific Islanders. The COVID
PrintHouse, Suva, Fiji.
over the last two years meant that we converse virtually, that I think played a big part
in not being able to reach consensus.”

So while ‘the family stays together’ in Cook Islands PM Mark Brown’s words, Forum
February 2022 FJD $8 www.islandsbusiness.com
www.islandsbusiness.com October 2021 FJD $8 members will need to show their commitment to meeting the underlying concerns
of its Micronesian members, who as President Whipps said, found the body “not as
C P inclusive as it needs to be.”

OUT? Look out for our online coverage of the upcoming Leaders meeting, and previews of
some of the most important issues our leaders will be considering over coming weeks.
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Islands Business, May-June 2022 5