Pacific leaders gathered on the Tongan island of Vava'u for the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' retreat. Photo / RNZ
Pacific leaders gathered on the Tongan island of Vava'u for the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' retreat. Photo / RNZ
New Zealand is “all in” on Australia’s Pacific policing initiative as the region’s leaders leave room to move on the plan’s implementation after the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ retreat meeting.
In the official communique after the meeting on the Tongan island of Vava’u, leaders endorsed the initiative, which aimed to establish regional training centres and a police response team able to assist when natural disasters and other crises hit in the Pacific.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has maintained the initiative was “Pacific-led”, but it was widely understood to be a response to China’s growing security presence in the region.
Scrutiny over the initiative’s geopolitical relevance spiked yesterday after the release of RNZ footage capturing Albanese and United States Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell discussing conversations between the two countries regarding Pacific policing.
Campbell indicated the US had planned to work up its own initiative but had “given [Australia] the lane” upon learning of the proposal.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today said New Zealand was “all in” on the initiative and would be contributing financially towards its $400m cost.
“We’re all in, we think it’s a fantastic idea.”
He downplayed suggestions the initiative was intended to respond to China’s security push in the Pacific, claiming the “primary focus” was to reduce transnational crime and human and drug trafficking.
Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Christopher Luxon go in for a hug at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga. Photo / Adam Pearse
While Pacific leaders endorsed the initiative in their meeting, the communique noted the call for “further national consultation” which would be used in the “development of an implementation plan”, which leaders had also called for.
It stated interest from Papua New Guinea and Marshall Islands regarding hosting facilities linked with the policing drive. Luxon said it was unlikely New Zealand would host such a facility.
Also significant from yesterday’s meeting were the discussions on the Pacific Resilience Facility, a vehicle funded by global financial contributions that would enable Pacific nations to fund climate change resilience projects.
The forum’s dialogue partners – countries who weren’t member states of the forum – were urged to make contributions in time to help meet the target of about $800 million by 2026 and the long-term goal of $2.4 billion.
The communique acknowledged various commitments to contribute from Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, Britain, Nauru and the United States.
New Zealand hadn’t yet contributed. Luxon today repeated earlier comments that he supported the facility but wanted more “clarity” regarding the fund’s legal obligations and governance.
He said it was likely New Zealand would commit to a contribution before the end of the year.
Climate change more broadly was discussed with particular reference to sea level rise, which was described as the “severe manifestation of climate change that threatens Pacific communities, especially in low-lying nations”.
Leaders agreed to “elevate the issue of sea-level rise politically”, including at the US-held United Nations General Assembly in September.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed Pacific leaders at the opening ceremony of the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga. Photo / Adam Pearse
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke extensively about sea-level rise in a rare appearance at the forum and had warnings for Governments like New Zealand’s that were promoting oil and gas mining.
The months of unrest in New Caledonia, and the French territory’s tensions with Paris, had become a central issue at the forum. In the days leading up to the event, a forum-led fact-finding mission to New Caledonia was postponed as New Caledonia’s President, Louis Mapou, baulked at what he perceived were France’s attempts to exert control over the mission.
Throughout the week, leaders had stated their commitment to a mission occurring and in today’s communique, leaders restated that position with an endorsement of the mission’s terms of reference, which had been agreed to by New Caledonia and France.
Health and education had also been given greater priority for future forums as they were confirmed as standing agenda items going forward.
Tongan Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, the new forum chairman, had pointed to the need to discuss both education and health in light of the impact climate change had on health and education services.
On health, leaders agreed to develop a “comprehensive, regionwide health workforce strategy” that addresses training and retention, given the “ongoing health workforce crisis”.
On education, the leaders supported implementing a “localised, culturally relevant curriculum that integrates disaster preparedness and environmental education” in the Pacific.
Excited pupils at the Tokomololo Government Middle School in Tonga await Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo / Adam Pearse
NZ prints 14,000 books for Tongan primary schools
Today, Luxon announced New Zealand would supply more than 14,000 dual-language books across 122 Tongan primary schools as part of its work supporting education in the Pacific.
The books, designed for Year 4-8 pupils, were developed by Tongan education experts from the University of Auckland and the University of the South Pacific.
A further 10,000 books would be kept in reserve by the Ministry of Education. The total printing cost was about $140,000.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon shakes as many hands as he can during his visit to GMS Tokomololo School in Tonga. Photo / Adam Pearse
It came alongside a $6.3 million spend by New Zealand on education resources for deaf pupils in Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, Niue and the Cook Islands.
Luxon spoke of the plans while visiting Tokomololo Government Middle School on his final day in Tonga,
Scores of excited pupils lined the road before Luxon’s arrival.
Luxon’s prowess in those environments was on full display as he maximised his tendency to talk to as many people as possible, shaking hands with eager students.
After his welcome, Luxon made a beeline for one of the pupils who was deaf and non-verbal – likely to be one of those who benefit from New Zealand’s $6.3m package.
A deaf and non-verbal pupil of GMS Tokomololo School is overwhelmed by emotion as Prime Minister Christopher Luxon comforts him. Photo / Adam Pearse
Surrounded by his peers, the pupil broke down in emotion as Luxon wrapped an arm around him and the pair shared a heartfelt moment.
After speaking with the boy’s parents, Luxon left him with the fern lapel pin from his blazer.
Before wrapping up his time in Tonga, Luxon visited a watermelon-growing operation that had rigged up an irrigation system new to Tonga, achieved through a New Zealand-funded partnership involving Plant and Food Research.
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the Herald press gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
