Page 16 - IB January 2023

Pacific Islands Forum

Photos: Fiji Government

must work together in unity. sipating our assets and resources by having too many parallel
“As we presented the tabua this afternoon, there were organisations going at the same time. We can spread out,
words of apologies in the presentation, we apologised for how have one regional organisation but regional offices, all work-
Fiji had acted in the time of the crisis in our association – in ing under one umbrella, I believe that would be better, we
our family. can’t really afford having too many organisations, we need
“When you accepted it, you accepted our apology. We one organisation to consolidate our views.”
thank you and we look forward to seeing you in Fiji in the Rabuka has signaled he wants a reorientation of Fiji’s for-
near future.” eign policy and relations back to traditional partners.
While Fiji will soon step down as Forum Chair, it’s clear Ra- “We need to reorientate and reestablish relationships we
buka wants to work with his counterparts to address some of had in the past and try and restore the mutual respect we
the underlying issues around regional organisations and their had, rather than some changes on the whims of the politi-
mandates. For example, he has flagged the need for a discus- cians. The civil service, the country culturally and constitu-
sion about the Pacific Islands Development Forum. The PIDF, tionally in the past, has been comfortable with the rest of
which is headquartered in Suva, was established in 2012 and the world, particularly the region; we’re trying to find our
championed by the previous Fiji government after the 2006 balanced position.”
coup, as a regional organisation working without the strictures For example, he supports re-establishment of a Fijian
of Australian and New Zealand involvement [as those nations embassy in Papua New Guinea, saying it could work together
had imposed a series of economic sanctions on Fiji as a result with the mission in Jakarta on issues such as West Papua.
of that coup]. “I think we can contribute a lot to that without overstep-
While the absence of those larger nations may have pro- ping the line,” Rabuka says. “We must respect the sovereignty
vided some political advantages, it also meant that PIDP has of Indonesia and its internationally recognised territories,
never been sufficiently funded to have much of an impact. In territorial boundaries, but we must also must try and get
addition, in some sectors there is confusion over the demarca- Indonesia to understand our cultural ties. There are more
tion of the work it has done on renewables and green/blue Melanesians in Indonesia than we have in Melanesia. Yes, and
economies, and that of other, better funded agencies such as I think the relationship between Indonesia and Fiji is so warm
the PIF and Pacific Community. that we can influence their treatment of their West Papua
When Islands Business asked Rabuka if he saw a future for communities and the rest of the Melanesian communities of
the organisation, he said, “If PIDF is comfortable that the Indonesia.”
needs are adequately met under the Pacific Islands Forum,
then they should be comfortable with that, rather than dis- editor@islandsbusiness.com

16 Islands Business, January 2023