PM Jacinda Ardern addresses media at Pacific Islands Forum. Video / NZ Herald
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says with superpowers increasing "assertiveness" in the Pacific it was "more important than ever" to take a family-based approach.
Pacific Islands Forum leaders will today hash out the major issues - from climate change to China, the US and security, and indigenous rights movements in West Papua and New Caledonia.
They assembled this morning for a photo at the Secretariat in Suva, Fiji.
The last time Forum leaders met face-to-face - in Tuvalu in 2019 - the meeting went eight hours overtime, largely due to disagreements over climate change between Pacific leaders and former Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who refused to address his country's devotion to coal.
"There were serious arguments and even shouting, crying, people, leaders were shedding tears," then-Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga told Australia's ABC after the summit in 2019, his disdain clear for all to see with the communique "watered down" on global warming.
With a new Australian administration Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday said she did not envisage the same heated discussions, with "more common ground" this time.
But three years apart through the pandemic meant there was still much to work through and build on, she said.
Australian PM Anthony Albanese arrived yesterday afternoon before a whirlwind afternoon of bilateral meetings, including with Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Sogavare, which resulted in a warm embrace including a hug.
Australia has been particularly vocal in its concerns about the Solomons Islands security pact with China, which has raised concerns about its regional impact and fact it remains secret from other Forum members.
Turbulent week at Forum with superpowers circling
Today's meeting comes after a turbulent week at the Forum, with first Kiribati leaving the grouping, sparking concerns it was linked to its closer relations with China.
Then the United States launched major initiatives while addressing the Forum directly in an unprecedented move seen by experts as a clear "power play" aimed at its superpower rival that could risk upsetting some Pacific nations.
Pacific Islands Forum leaders ahead of today's much-anticipated meeting in Suva, Fiji. Photo / Samuel Rillstone (Pool-RNZ)
Ardern made the comments about unity ahead of today's Leaders' Retreat in Suva, Fiji, where leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum nations will hash out major issues affecting the region.
It will also include new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who arrived on Wednesday.
Both China and the United States are dialogue partners to the Forum, but were explicitly barred access to events this year and a post-Forum session to allow members to focus on unity after a split with Micronesian nations, which was only partially repaired.
Despite this, Vice President Kamala Harris was granted access, by Forum chair and Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, to a meeting of fisheries leaders on Wednesday.
During the meeting, two Chinese Embassy staffers were also moved from a press area after initially posing as media.
There Harris unveiled a major package of initiatives to boost the US presence in the region, including opening two new embassies - including Kiribati - and NZ $1 billion over the next decade towards fishing and economic support.
Bainimarama said he "welcomed" the "powerful commitment", saying the US would become a "partner like never before".
In particular, Bainimarama made note of the US rejoining the climate change Paris Agreement and pledges to increase ambition in that arena.
Dr Iati Iati, Pacific security fellow at the Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, told the Herald the US ignoring earlier Pacific pleas to leave geopolitical discussions to themselves and push into the Forum space lacked "respect", and could backfire.
"This undermines the talk from the US and its allies about respecting the Pacific island countries."
Iati said Kiribati's departure showed Pacific countries could potentially pursue their own interests outside the Forum space, and this move could risk pushing out those less aligned with the US.
"Those Pacific countries that may have been neutral will now see the US and its allies' true colours."
Former Kiribati President Anote Tong told the Herald the US initiatives were "welcome", particularly the US envoy and re-establishing USAid, but cautioned they needed to follow through or risk losing respect and influence to China.
US Vice President Kamala Harris virtually addressing Pacific Islands Forum fisheries ministers and leaders in what has been labelled a power play aimed at China. Photo / Michael Neilson
He also cautioned the US needed to follow through on climate-change commitments.
Asked about the US announcement today and how it could impact unity within the Forum, Ardern said it was "more important than ever" to take a "family-based approach".
"There is a greater level of assertiveness from some. But what is constant is that the Pacific charts its own course. When there is pressure on that course ... it's more important than ever, that we take a family-based approach.
"Yes, a bit more amplified than usual. But is it different? Is it any different than it's been before to have quite a few players in the region? They've been around for a while."
Ardern said members of the Pacific Island Forum had been calling for greater engagement with the United States
"Be it on fishing matters, or more generally, on development and economic aspirations. Seeing today, the United States respond to that directly, from our perspective that is useful."
Asked about a lack of climate change focus in the US package, Ardern said if countries wanted to truly engage in the Pacific that needed to be the focus.
"If you want to work alongside the Pacific, you'll be working on climate-change issues.
Solomon Islands-China security pact high on agenda
On Wednesday Ardern had her first face-to-face meeting with Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Sogavare since the controversial security pact with China.
Ardern said she had made it clear it would be helpful to have more transparency around the terms of the agreement between the Solomons and China, but there was at least some agreement around concern of militarisation.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Suva, Fiji, for the Pacific Islands Forum. Photo / Michael Neilson
Sogavare had said that it had not been released because both countries had to agree.
Ardern said she had assured Sogavare that New Zealand was always willing and able to respond if the Solomons needed assistance on security, and if there was anything in particular that had resulted in them turning to China for that instead to let her know.
Ardern also met Fiji's Bainimarama and signed the Suva Agreement - an arrangement worked out by Bainimarama to provide for the Micronesian countries to nominate the forum's next Secretary-General.
She hoped that would result in Kiribati agreeing to rejoin the forum in the future.
Ardern said the US had responded to requests from the Pacific countries on tuna fishing, and set out their intentions for engaging in the region, which the forum had called for more of.
Ardern said climate change was number one on the agenda of what Pacific Islands wanted to focus on: "If you want to work alongside the Pacific, you'll be working on climate-change issues."
Key issues leaders will hash out
A core focus of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' retreat will be unity, after this week's annual meeting in Suva, Fiji, began with Kiribati breaking away from the 18-state collective.
Also at play will be the fact many of the key leaders have never attended a leaders' retreat before, which could influence the dynamic.
These include Australia's Anthony Albanese, New Caledonia's first pro-independence Kanak president Louis Mapou and Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, who last year became Sāmoa's first female PM replacing Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi after 23 years in power.
The primary vehicle for the unity discussion will be the Suva Agreement. In February last year, five Micronesian states - including Kiribati - announced they would leave the forum after a leadership dispute.
After much negotiation, leaders struck a deal in June, which is expected to be clarified at the Forum, particularly in light of Kiribati's departure and dissatisfaction with the agreement.
High on the agenda will be the Blue Pacific Continent strategy - a regional road map to 2050 and centrepiece of discussions this week.
The high-level strategy is also the vehicle through which approaches to geopolitical issues - such as the influence of China and the United States - along with the Solomon Islands agreement will be discussed.
Ardern and other leaders have said they aim to provide greater clarity on how to approach those issues in future.
Climate change will again be a major topic, with calls for Australia and New Zealand as the largest and wealthiest - and biggest emitters - to not only do more domestically but raise the issue internationally.
While Albanese has pledged to cut emissions more and increase funding, he has been relatively quiet on the future of coal and gas projects.
He has signalled his intention to co-host an international climate change summit - COP - in the next few years with Pacific nations, so they will be expecting strong action in return for their support.
Vanuatu is also seeking backing for an International Court of Justice case to rule on the climate crisis, and Australia seeking support to co-host a future international climate summit with Pacific countries.
Other topics likely to be discussed include seabed mining, with some countries opposed to the practice altogether and others wanting develop structures to allow it to continue in a more environmentally-responsible manner. All agree on the need to improve science and research.
Discussions about West Papua and its independence movement from Indonesia are also likely to come up, with support for and against relatively evenly split among countries.
Also to watch is will be debate around New Caledonia's independence movement from France with pro-independence Kanak president Louis Mapou, and especially given Australia's recent cancelled deal with the French around building nuclear submarines.
Vanuatu is also seeking backing for an International Court of Justice case to rule on the climate crisis, and Australia seeking support to co-host a future international climate summit with Pacific countries.
