Port Moresby

The state of the world's only healthy tuna fishery is high on the agenda for Pacific leaders, who are in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby for the annual Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting.

Prime Minister John Key and Foreign Minister Murray McCully arrive today ahead of the main talks tomorrow and Thursday.

Pacific leaders will be putting their heads together to work out how to maximise revenue from the Pacific's US$4 billion a year tuna catch – and ensure more of it stays in the region.

A senior official attending the small island states leaders’ summit told Islands Business that his country is unhappy about the draft Pacific Island Forum statement on climate change that is already in circulation among Forum delegates.

Yet to be released publicly, the document reportedly supports a 2 degrees temperate rise target, instead of the 1.5 degrees being advocated by small island states who are members of AOSIS, the Alliance of Small Island States 2 degrees is the preferred target of industrialised countries, of which Australia and New Zealand are members of. 

Briefing journalists in Port Moresby Saturday, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s acting climate change finance adviser, Exley Taloiburi said the draft text will be further tweaked by Senior Officials before the Leaders retreat in Port Moresby on Thursday. Forum member countries were given another opportunity to comment on the proposed political statement before the draft is ready for the Leaders this week.

She has given credit to the General Secretary of the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat and Papua New Guinean Meg Taylor for the different approach she has taken in the secretariat.

She says in the past there has always been long lists of priority issues set out by government officials for leaders to deliberate.

Most times leaders did not have the time to be thorough.

For this PIF only five key issues were identified after the secretariat carried out wide consultation on what people thought their leaders should be discussing.

Topics on discussion for the Pacific Island Forum leaders’ summit are;

1.            Increase return from fisheries and maritime surveillance

2.            Climate risk and disaster risk management

3.            Information and communication technology

4.            West Papua

5.            Cervical cancer  

The Pacific Ocean is the largest in the world and accounts for three thirds of the world’s tuna stock but this does not translate into revenue.

Bainimarama in his opening message at the Pacific islands Development Forum said Australian and New Zealand needs to stop undermining the PIDF by actively lobbying governments and leaders of the South Pacific to not attend the Summit.

In a statement sent to FBC NEWS, the Ausralian High Commission says the PIF is stronger when it represents all of the Pacific region and works with one voice.

Five priority issues to be discussed were identified by the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat.

The issues are as follows

- increased economic returns from fisheries and maritime surveillance;

 - climate change and disaster risk management;

- information and communication technology;

- West Papua and

- cervical cancer

The schedule for the 46th Pacific Islands Forum and related meetings is as follows:

• Smaller Islands States leaders meeting will be held on September 7th at the Laguna Hotel.

The EU Commissioner will lead the European Union Delegation to the PIF Meeting, including delegates from the European Commission in Brussels and Ambassadors of European Union Delegations across the Pacific region.

The EU is a long standing ally of the Pacific on the climate change issues and the Commissioner Arias Cañete is committed to make this partnership even stronger in the run up to Climate Change negotiations in Paris in December.

He will give a keynote address to the Pacific Leaders at a special Session on Climate Change. 

FOC is the governing body that oversees the work of the Suva-based Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS).

“The Committee recognised that this was the first time for it to compose the Leaders agenda by reference to recommendations of the Specialist Sub Committee and that the new process required different considerations and approaches, said the FOC pre-Forum Session report of 12-13 August.

FOC said, ‘It identified the process as an iterative one, and that the process would be further clarified in light of lessons learned.”

The school was packed to capacity with students and their families and friends as well as the public who were out there to enjoy the show.

The show was colorful and spectacular with performances by the students representing the 21 provinces in PNG.

Today saw a very good turnout with face painting from students, good security services provided, making it trouble free for all.

It surely was a show to remember.