[PDFlist] Top News From Around the Pacific Today - 22 August. 2018

[Soloveni Vitoso]

In this bulletin:

1. AUST --- Malcolm Turnbull's leadership crisis deepens as Greg Hunt, Steve Ciobo also offer resignations
2. SAMOA --- Samoa PM in $5 million lawsuit over land Act
3. FIJI --- Grace Road saga: Group refutes slavery claims
4. VAN --- Vanuatu hit by 6.5 earthquake
5. VAN --- All NGOs Must Register:  Vanuatu Government
6. 10 candidates for Tanna by-election in Vanuatu
7. Australian politics makes PNG look stable: CEO
8. United CEO visits Guam and Micronesia to celebrate 50th Anniversary of the Island hopper
9. Getting realistic about the South Pacific
10. TALANOA: The potential of bamboo as part of green economy
11. Vanuatu ready to move forward on key human rights conventions



Malcolm Turnbull's leadership crisis deepens as Greg Hunt, Steve Ciobo also offer resignations

CANBERRA, 22 AUGUST 2018 (ABC) --- Malcolm Turnbull's prime minister ship is in crisis, with 10 of his front-bench offering to resign.

The ABC understands Cabinet ministers Greg Hunt, Michael Keenan and Steve Ciobo, as well as Citizenship Minister Alan Tudge, are the latest frontbenchers to offer their resignations, but they have not been accepted.

Former Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton quit Tuesday after Turnbull narrowly fended off his leadership challenge by seven votes.

He continues to keep pressure on Turnbull by refusing to rule out another challenge, with his supporters saying it is likely.

International Development Minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells also resigned, firing a parting shot in which she accused the Government of straying too far to left.

Another five junior ministers have also offered their resignations, creating a reshuffle headache for Turnbull should he accept. But so far he has not agreed to their offers.

One source close to Dutton believes another two or three Liberals have drifted to Dutton overnight.

That would leave the new backbencher just four or five votes short of the 42 he needs to seize the leadership.

The Prime Minister's defence strategy rests on convincing waverers that a win for Dutton means an early election that the party is not prepared for.

"We would be in an election by Friday," one source told the ABC, saying the Coalition would start well behind Labor.

"We ain't got the brass and we're not battle-ready."

Pro-Turnbull forces argue crossbenchers and potentially some Nationals would decline to support a Dutton-led government in a no-confidence motion, which would trigger an early poll.

Queensland Liberal MP Luke Howarth said he believed Turnbull would survive the week, and that the frontbenchers were obliged to resign.

"If they voted for Peter Dutton, that's probably the right thing to do," he said.

Nationals frontbencher Darren Chester has raised the possibility he and some colleagues could move to the crossbench if Dutton wins.

The ABC contacted several Nationals MPs last night but could not find anyone other than Chester contemplating such a move.

Queensland Nationals MP George Christensen advised against the move, saying the Liberal Party's internal functions are not his business.

"When we had our own leadership troubles, I was very affronted at Liberals sticking their bib in internal National Party affairs," he said.

"If that is coming from National Party people then they need to stick their bib out of internal Liberal affairs."

Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce dismissed the idea as "silly".

"I think that I will let the Liberal Party look after themselves," he said.


Samoa PM in $5 million lawsuit over land Act

APIA, 22 AUGUST 2018 (SAMOA OBSERVER) --- Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi has been named first defendant in the $5 million (US$1.9 million) lawsuit against the Samoa Government over the Land Titles Registration Act (LTRA)2008.

The lawsuit was filed last week Friday by the Samoa Solidarity International Group Global (SSIG), who has questioned the "legality" and the "constitutionality" of the Act.

Others named in the civil claim are the Attorney General Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff, former Attorney General Aumua Ming Leung Wai, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Samoa Land Corporation.

Feagaimaali'i Bruce To'omalatai is also named as the second applicant in the civil claim.

The SSIG is seeking the Court to void the LTRA 2008 and that any and all customary land leases be returned to their original and traditional state of ownership prior to 2008 and all customary land owners be returned their rightful ownership status immediately and others occupying the said land be illegally removed.

There are six cause of action outlined in the SSIG claim.

According to the lawsuit, the SSIG asserts the Government is in violation of Article 102 of the Constitution by implementing, authorising, passing and enforcing LTRA 2008 that alienates the traditional landowners of their legal rights to their customary land.

"By using the Land Torrens System, which required the LTRA 2008 and the Government have for all intents and purposes, alienated customary land from the traditional and legal owners' possession without case notice or compensation."

Another issue noted by the civil suit is that Article 109 of the Constitution was violated by the defendants passing a law that allows alienation of customary land without satisfying the requirement for a referendum vote before submitting the said amendment of the Constitution to the Head of State's signature.

The third cause of action indicates the Government passed the LTRA. 2008 and enforcing for 10 years violated Article 2, which states the constitution shall be the supreme law of Samoa and also the Government violated article 14 pertaining to rights regarding property.

"Many traditional customary landowners under the LTRA 2008 were deprived of their ownership rights without any form of compensation."

Another cause of action is the freedom from discriminatory legislation where "the Government passed the LTRA 2008 and enforcing the arbitrary elimination of customary land ownership rights based on the availability of space on a registration document and by selecting owners based on their matai privilege as Sa'o of the family is in violation of Article 15," says the civil claim.

The last cause of action is that defendants in their roles from time of drafting and passing the LTRA 2008   to drafting and passing LTRA 2015 to permitting the Bill in 2017 before Parliament, have all conducted themselves with either recklessness or gross negligence to the Samoa Constitution.

"There are numerous breaches of particular articles in the Constitution as a result of these legislations," says the civil claim.

The plaintiffs seek the court's relief for an order of Declaration Judgement Act 1988, determining the construction or validity of the LTRA 2008 and the LTRA 2015 as being null, void and illegal.

Furthermore, the SSIG pursues a court order declaring the alienation of Customary Land Bill 2017 as being null, void immediately, pursuant to Articles 2, 14, 15, 102 and 109 of the Constitution supreme law over the LTRA. 2008 and its subsequent amendments.

The lawsuit also seeks an order for inunction effective immediately suspending any and all of the application of the LTRA 2008 and any other amendment's or Bills being proposed at this time, including the Lands Amendment Bill 2017 until the matter is completely resolved.

Also the SSIG. hopes the court compensatory damages for loss of use of customary land by those who lost their ownership rights under the LTRA 2008 and those who have lost their rights to reclaim their customary lands.

"Exemplary damages upon the defendants due to their deliberate recklessness and or gross negligence in authorising and allowing the passage of legislations which breach and violate constitutional customary land rights for the sum of $5 million tala."


Grace Road saga: Group refutes slavery claims

SUVA, 22 AUGUST 2018 (FIJI TIMES) ---"Our leader Shin Ok-Joo will be released and she will come to Fiji and live here forever."

These were the words of Grace Road Group president Daniel Kim during a press conference at their Navua farm Tuesday.

Kim said the allegations against Grace Road were "all lies" and that in Korea, this was a political and malicious attack towards their church leader and their group.

The Grace Road Church co-founder, Rev Shin Ok-Joo, arrested with three other "cult leaders" when they arrived at Seoul's Incheon International Airport earlier this month.

The arrests were linked to the alleged assault and confinement of church followers in Fiji.

But Kim said the allegations of slavery were "insane" because it was impossible to capture 400 people in Fiji given the wide range of operations they had around the country.

Kim said that he was detained for two days by Fiji Police because of the allegations against Grace Road.

He said that while in custody, he had told Police officers that capturing even 50 people would need cell blocks, surveillance and cages.

He asked how it could be claimed that Grace Road had captured 400 people in an open space, keeping in mind that most of their members were in different areas around the country.

Kim said all the workers who had come from Korea and were working with Grace Road were equal company shareholders. This was why they were called "members" and not employees.

Kim said all members had investment permits.

He said they had acquired a business licence to operate in Fiji, adding the group had about 350 Korean members and about 230 local employees which they intended to increase.

He said the reason there were police investigations in Korea and Fiji was because 10 years ago, their leader Shin Ok-ju was slandered by churches in Korea and that there were political issues involved.

"The Methodist Church in Korea wrote a letter to the Fiji Methodist Church saying that Grace Road is a cult group. In the Bible, cult means you deny Jesus Christ and His coming -  but we believe in Jesus Christ and the word of the Bible from the beginning. Then how can we be judged as a cult?" said Kim.

He said officials from Korea's Ministry of Affairs and Ministry of Health had come to Fiji to do a full investigation on them and their farms on hearing allegations of slavery, false labour and passport confiscation.

Kim said those authorities found out that the Korean people at Grace Road came to live in Fiji voluntarily with their families on a mission to "make Fiji shine" which was also their motto.

"We are here to develop the nation, even though we are foreigners. This is our country as this nation of Fiji is written in the Bible and we believe that this nation will become the strongest nation in the world and that is why we are here."

The Grace Road Group has nine different restaurants and a food processing business. In retailing they have Missha cosmetics, hair and beauty salons, the Grace Road Construction Company and True Value, a hardware store.

Kim said they planned to to open another restaurant under the name "Fierce Chicken", a shoe shop and a dental clinic in the new Flagstaff Plaza that is nearing completion in Suva.

"Our operations from Yasawa, Savusavu, Vanua Levu, Nausori, Nadi and Lautoka have our teams doing construction to restaurant operations, farm development, food processing and trading business; all diverse projects. How can we capture these people and force them into slavery?" Kim said during a press conference.

He said the Grace Road farm in Navua was an open space and employees were free to move around and work whenever they wanted without restrictions.

Kim said their founder had faced opposition in South Korea from some churches in the past 10 years and they knew who were behind these.

"This is not the first time. They are trying to shame us and make up stories. But somehow, the story has become big here and many people are suspicious. They don't know about our group and our people here. They want to hear about everything in Korea," he said.

Kim said he did not know whether the investigations into the group were continuing.

"I don't know, but they did have a full investigation into this from the South Korean side. Korean police, Ministry of (Foreign) Affairs, Ministry of Health, everyone came and did the full investigation," he said.

"They found the truth that all of our people came to Fiji to live here voluntary with their families and do various projects for the mission to make Fiji shine because this is our motto."

Kim said Grace Road Group had been operating in the country for the past four years.

He asked if allegations of criminality were true, why the Fiji police hadn't acted on them.

"If these allegations were true, then why have none of our members returned to Korea? These allegations are baseless and untrue," he said.

Kim said despite the allegations and efforts to tarnish their reputation, Grace Road Group would continue to expand its services and products in the country.

He said there were more than 230 Fiji citizens, nine Vietnamese employees and about 200 Koreans associated as equal shareholders of the group


Vanuatu hit by 6.5 earthquake

PORT VILA, 22 AUGUST 2018 (RNZ PACIFIC) --- A 6.5 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of the Vanuatu island of Ambrym.

The earthquake occurred just after 9.30am Vanuatu time at a depth of 13 kilometres.

The US Geological Survery said the quake's epicentre was just north of Ambrym, 78 kms east of Lakatoro village on Malekula Island.

The Pacific Warning Centre and New Zealand's Ministry of Civil Defence said there was no threat of a tsunami.

Dan Dari from the Geohazards division of Vanuatu's Meteorology Department said the patchy phone network had made it difficult to contact people on sparsely populated Ambrym and in Malampa province.

But the early indications were that there had not been significant damage, Dari said.

"There wasn't any tsunami threat, and we've been making some calls with the locals there, around the southern part of Pentecost and the northern part of Ambrym, he said.

"They said there was a very huge shake but nothing happened," he said.


All NGOs must register:  Vanuatu Government

PORT VILA, 22 AUGUST 2018 (VANUATU DAILY POST) --- The registration of all Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Vanuatu will commence shortly.

This is a must, as stipulated in Vanuatu's first ever policy to regulate NGOs.

"There is a target, we have until the end 2018 to make sure all NGOs are registered," Minister of Internal Affairs, Andrew Napuat told Daily Post.

"The NGO Desk Officer will be sending notices to all NGOs in the country to register soon."

The policy acts as a guide on the registration, establishment and functions of NGOs; management of NGO presence and local engagement; and process of the visa application and allocation process.

For registration purposes, each NGO is to provide the following information: Name; Business account number/banking details; Vanuatu Financial Service Commission certificate; Organisation documents; VANGO membership document; Activity sector; programme, scope of activity and duration; number of employees; Funding source(s); objectives, intended benefits and beneficiary (s); local counterparts; and capacity building component.

Once registered, the NGO has the responsibility of providing both annual updates and any updates, based on changes in circumstances.

This information will be shared with the Department of Strategic Planning and Aid Coordination (DSPPAC).

"This is the Government's first ever NGO policy, a regulation to make sure every NGOs in Vanuatu register through the NGO Desk, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs," said Minister Napuat.

"This policy is long overdue. There have been talks in the past on how the government needs to work closely with NGOs and understand the work they are doing at different levels in our communities."

He said on many occasions the government did not receive any report on the work the NGOs were doing.

"Every time the country goes through a natural disaster, the NGOs come in to work with the government and help the people.

"I must say the government recognises and appreciates the work NGOs are doing, complementing what the government is doing, with its limitation on resources and budget.

"The NGOs came in and extended the programmes that the government cannot do and delivered this to our communities."

He acknowledged that NGOs are contributing significantly and playing a big role, but it came to a time when the working relationship and partnership must be improved.

"For the partnership to be improved, the government needs to fully understand what the NGOs are doing, funding, staff and their contributions so the government can assist them," the minister said.

"For instance, some of the NGOs often ask the MOIA to approve visas or work permits of their foreign staff. We faced difficulties on many occasions when it comes to the decision of whether or not to approve their request.

"Therefore, it is important for us to understand the work the NGO is doing and why it must bring someone overseas, and whether we really do not have individuals with that same level of expertise in the country.

"On the other hand, we often hear of some NGOs who get funding directly from their partners, but in Vanuatu's name.

"The government has a duty to know how much the NGO is spending in Vanuatu. That way, we know how much is spend on work in the country and whether or not they are really doing the work they promised to do.

"We want to avoid situations such as those experienced in the aftermaths of cyclone Pam, where complaints were levelled against certain NGOs in the work they had been doing in recovery efforts.

"The Ministry also urges NGOs to respect our culture and traditional Melanesian values."

Minister Napuat said there have been concerns from NGOs who want a wider consultation.

He said the government is committed to working with NGOs and a full-time NGO Desk Officer was appointed after the policy was launched in July.

The minister stressed it is important for NGOs to come forward, register and work together with the government.

There is unanimous agreement among key government agencies that NGOs should be treated differently from diplomatic missions.

As a first step, an NGO Register was established at the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MOIA), signalling the separation between diplomatic and non-diplomatic entities.

There are 74 recognised NGOs operating in various sectors in Vanuatu. Six of these are International NGOs (INGOs). Due to their nature, size and mode of operation, these INGOs tend to play a more dominant role.

The Ministry of internal Affairs is working with the Ministry of finance to create a code to cater for fees paid by the NGOs. This will ensure they get proper receipts through the government's finance system.

Once the NGO is registered, individual NGO profiles can be created so information is readily accessible to the government who can have a better understanding and appreciation of the work each particular NGO is doing, and support it.

Minister Napuat also acknowledge the Task Force members who were appointed to kickstart this policy: Dr. Andrina Thomas, Henry Vira, Lai Sakita and Billy William.


10 candidates for Tanna by-election in Vanuatu

PORT VILA, 22 AUGUST 2018 (VANUATU DAILY POST) --- Ten candidates will be contesting the Vanuatu by-election in the Tanna constituency on September 25.

A female candidate is among nine other male contenders who are vying for the one vacant seat.

Their names will be announced by the Electoral Commission on 4th September, 2018 on the national radio and media outlets.

The Electoral Commission and Office have already set out instructions to all Government Departments and Agencies to screen the names of the 10 candidates to ensure that none of them has any outstanding financial records with the government.

The Government has until Friday this week to advise the Electoral Commission and Office of any of the candidates who may have outstanding financial records with the Vanuatu Government.

The election campaign will kick off on 4th September 2018 as soon as the names of the ten candidates have been made public through local media by the Electoral Commission.

The Vanua'aku Pati has vowed it will secure the only one parliamentary seat, left vacant by the VP Pati Interim President Joe Natuman.

Eligible registered voters in the Tanna constituency are encouraged by the Electoral Commission to go to polls on September 25, to elect a new MP.

Daily Post understands that one or two political parties in the current coalition government have indicated they will not field a candidate, but will support the VP candidate.


Australian politics makes PNG look stable: CEO

CANBERRA, 22 AUGUST 2018 (THE FINANCIAL REVIEW) --- Oil Search chief executive Peter Botten said the crisis in Canberra made Papua New Guinea look stable, as business leaders warned instability would hurt investment and drive foreign capital away.

Botten said he was glad the company's main operations were in Papua New Guinea, which faced a military coup in 2012, because its energy policy was "substantially more stable".

"I'm actually glad that I work primarily in PNG where the fiscal regime and policy settings seem to be substantially more stable in key areas of energy development than in Australia," Botten said, at the oil and gas company's results on Tuesday.

Head of east coast gas producer Senex Energy, Ian Davies, condemned Peter Dutton's challenge, and warned the death of the national energy guarantee was "hugely disappointing and frankly not good for the country".

"It just creates an increased period of uncertainty and what that will mean is if there are marginal investments then they won't get sanctioned," Davies told The Australian Financial Review.

"There are other countries that are better investment environments and I fear that Australia will be worse off. The big money from overseas, the foreign capital we are reliant on stops coming or slows down," he said.

"Changing prime ministers is wrong at the best of times. I didn't agree when Labor did it, and I don't agree now," he said.

BHP chief executive Andrew Mackenzie insisted Australia was "still a very compelling place to invest", despite the fear the government would remain in de facto caretaker mode until the federal election.

He lamented the death of the NEG but expressed some sympathy for Malcolm Turnbull saying that he understood that "in politics you have got to figure a way through that".

"We supported the initial part of the Finkel plan and we also supported the national energy guarantee, but I understand that in politics you have got to figure a way through that and I will leave that to the politicians," Mackenzie said.

Seven West Media boss Tim Worner said he did not want to be drawn into the debate, but jested that "all these leadership spills are good for Seven News ratings".

Healthscope chief Gordon Ballantyne simply stated he would "work with all governments to ensure we have a thriving and growing healthcare system" while Amcor chief executive Ron Delia refused to comment at all.

The CEO of waste management company Bingo Industries Daniel Tartak said "all I know is that it probably needs a solution".

Dean of the Melbourne Business School and Reserve Bank board member Ian Harper captured the sentiment of business leaders by warning "it doesn't take a genius" to work out this will add to the cost of doing business

But he said business would carry on regardless of politics as seen in the United States under Donald Trump where the economy is "going gangbusters".

"It doesn't take a genius to work out that this type of instability adds to the cost of doing business because there's an additional set of risks that you have got to manage," Harper said.

"It's not that the business world grinds to a halt. It's just that it adds to the degree of difficulty and risk, particularly on the policy front, and that adds to the cost of doing business."

Oceania CEO of Ernst & Young, Tony Johnson also joined others in warning that investment plans will be hurt.

"The instability in Australian politics comes at a high cost to business confidence, as companies delay plans and stall investment," he said. "This comes at the cost of jobs and economic development. The business community needs policy certainty.".
2018

United CEO visits Guam and Micronesia to celebrate 50th Anniversary of the Island hopper

HAGATNA, 22 AUGUST 2018 (UNITED AIRLINES) --- United Airlines Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz visited Guam for the first time from Aug. 18 to 20 to meet the employees of the Guam Hub and join them in celebrating the airline's 50th Anniversary as Guam and Micronesia's hometown airline.

While in Guam, Munoz hosted an employee event where he engaged with the local team, made up of almost 1,000 employees.  Munoz also toured the Guam operation at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam and the United hangar.

During the tour, Munoz acknowledged employees who were celebrating milestone anniversaries, many of whom have been with the company for more than 30 years. On Aug. 20, Munoz boarded the Island Hopper flight to personally meet the United teams in Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Kwajalein and Majuro before his final stop in Honolulu.


Getting realistic about the South Pacific

By James Batley

SYDNEY, 22 AUGUST 2018 (THE STRATEGIST) --- Advocates of stronger and more effective Australian engagement in the South Pacific face a couple of entrenched structural challenges. First, the region is hardly critical to Australia's economic future-the South Pacific accounts for a mere 1.3% of Australia's total trade in goods and services. And Papua New Guinea represents well over half of that, meaning that all the rest of the Pacific islands add up to just over half of 1% of our total trade.

In terms of investment, the South Pacific is even more marginal. Papua New Guinea accounts for 0.8% of the total stock of Australian investment overseas and Fiji, the next in line in the region, a tiny 0.06%.

A second factor is the relatively small size of the population in Australia originating from the South Pacific. The 2016 census showed that this group is growing at a fast rate but, at around 200,000 people, it still represents less than 1% of the total. Moreover, the Pacific Islands population in Australia is heavily dominated by Polynesian communities. Our nearest Melanesian neighbours-Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu-are seriously under-represented. It's a surprising fact that, according to the census, in 2016 more people in Australia claimed Cook Islands ancestry (over 22,000) than claimed ancestry from PNG (under 19,000), particularly given that PNG's population is around 500 times the size of the Cook Islands'.

That's not to say that there aren't reasons for Australian governments to pay attention to the region. But taken together, these two structural challenges mean that, despite its proximity and abiding strategic relevance, the South Pacific has often struggled to gain traction as a priority in government. No Pacific islands lobby group, whether business- or community-based, carries much weight in Canberra's corridors. No politician risks losing their seat over South Pacific-related issues.

Over the years, this has left Australia's policy on the South Pacific vulnerable to swings between neglect (benign or otherwise) on the one hand, and sudden crisis-driven interest on the other.

Arguably, we're currently going through an example of the latter phenomenon in response to the disruptive emergence of China as a player in the region. 'Arguably' only because Australian policymakers would claim that the current government's Pacific 'step up' was in gestation (and indeed, was announced, in the 2017 foreign policy white paper) well before this year's intense media focus on China's role and influence in the South Pacific.

There may be a sliver of truth in that, but even if it's conceded, there seems no doubt that the 'step up' has been turbo-charged in response to anxiety over Chinese intentions in the region. It might also be noted that the New Zealand government has made no bones about linking its own Pacific 'reset', which came after Australia's 'step up', to concerns about China in the region.

Is there any guarantee that Australia's 'step up' is sustainable over the long term, and that it's not just another episode in Australia's see-sawing history of engagement in the region? Perhaps the China factor will prove to be a long-term-indeed a structural-spur to greater and more sensitive Australian engagement in the region.

But how else might that engagement be fostered and grown? This is where, to my mind, appeals from some commentators for thinking 'outside the box' can take on something of a plaintive and, frankly, at times unhelpful quality. No doubt Australia's relationships with the Pacific islands would be less complicated if it radically changed its policy on climate change. But that's simply to ignore political reality in Australia-not to mention that even under an alternative government, it's likely that serious daylight would remain between Australia's position and that of several Pacific island governments. Equally, calls for governments or MPs simply to 'pay more attention' to the South Pacific, while worthy, generally founder on the hard rocks of electoral reality.

That's not to say that we shouldn't be open to new ideas about our relationships in the South Pacific. But the 'step up' does provide a useful platform on which to build future initiatives. In itself, incrementalism isn't necessarily a bad thing, not least if it means a steady and long-term commitment on our part.

Two of the three pillars of the 'step up' are stronger economic partnerships and stronger people-to-people relationships. The intersection of these two pillars touches on the two structural constraints outlined above and is where much of the future agenda for Australia's relationship with the South Pacific ought to lie. It's in our long-term interest to encourage a larger expatriate population of Pacific islanders, and of Melanesians in particular, in Australia. It's also in our interest to make it easier for Pacific islanders to live in, work in, visit and transit through Australia.

Much progress has been made over recent years in promoting labour mobility between the South Pacific and Australia; indeed, this represents one of the few genuinely structural shifts in our relations with the region for generations. (And, apart from anything else, these programs provide a useful precedent for special arrangements for the South Pacific.) But there's still much room for such schemes to expand in numbers, in sectoral scope and in flexibility.

Education is another area where we should build on, and refine, our approach. PNG and the Pacific islands do well from postgraduate scholarships through the Australia Awards scheme. Still, we should look carefully at investing better in future leaders by offering scholarships earlier in the educational scale, and in particular for high-performing students at the secondary level.

It's not a new thought, but we must do better at getting Pacific island leaders to Australia, and to Canberra, on official visits. Vanuatu's Prime Minister Charlot Salwai noted-politely, but pointedly-during his June 2018 visit to Canberra that his was the first guest-of-government visit by a Vanuatu prime minister since 1995. Ouch!

Equally, when the leaders of Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK and the US have all addressed Australia's parliament, how is it that we have not yet extended this privilege to Australia's nearest neighbour, Papua New Guinea? Such gestures don't cost much, but they can mean a lot.

So new ideas by all means. But steadiness, consistency and a good dose of respect will serve Australia best in the long term.


James Batley is a distinguished policy fellow at the Australian National University's Department of Pacific Affairs. He served as Australian high commissioner to Solomon Islands from 1997 to 1999 and as special coordinator of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands from 2004 to 2006.


TALANOA: The potential of bamboo as part of green economy

SUVA, 22 AUGUST 2018 (PIDF) --- The Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) considers Bamboo as an incredible resource in the Green Economy and potentially an important component of the Green transformation sought in the Pacific.

The versatility of Bamboo could offer an important source of rural employment and income for local communities, and contribute to a green transformation in support of climate resilience and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The PIDF recently attended the Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress (BARC2018) held in Beijing, China, and the knowledge and networks from this conference, together with a developing relationship between the PIDF and INBAR - the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, provides the foundation on which to build genuine partnerships and drive transformative change towards green growth and increased resilience.

Bamboo is a native species across the Pacific, and some species have also been introduced - all have found traditional uses but efforts in developing a small cottage industry, through workshops and trainings have not been followed and scaled up. In this regard, PIDF has initiated discussions on the establishment of a Bamboo Centre in Fiji.

Hosted by the Fiji's Ministry of Forests, Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty and Poverty Alleviation and the PIDF, this Talanoa will seek to:

*Set the scene of bamboo development in Fiji and the Pacific Islands;

*Highlight the outcomes of the Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress 2018;

*Give an outlook on bamboo development on the global stage including innovations, products and services for community development and resilience;

*Present and discuss a concept for the establishment of a Bamboo Development Centre in Fiji;

*Foster interactive discussions and proposed next steps for bamboo development in Fiji and the Pacific Islands.



Vanuatu ready to move forward on key human rights conventions

PORT VILA, 22 AUGUST 2018 (SPC) --- Key government agencies and stakeholders in Vanuatu have begun the first steps towards the nation's implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) at a meeting organised by the Pacific Community's (SPC) Regional Rights Resources Team (RRRT).

The week long meeting, which was held in the Vanuatu's capital of Port Vila, provided national members of the CEDAW and CRC Committees an opportunity to consult with RRRT, UN Women, UNICEF, and the Melanesian Spearhead Group on pressing issues about the implementation of these treaties.

During the consultation, experiences from other Pacific Island Countries were shared, discussed and actively debated. Elizabeth Emil, Vanuatu Chief Desk Officer within the Ministry of Justice and Community Services, expressed her satisfaction in the consultation process saying, "It provided a clear understanding about the process of implementing policies, legislations and programs to achieve human rights obligations. It is not a simple process, but with the knowledge we received today I am confident Vanuatu can meet its obligations."

Coordination and close partnerships are seen as key to advancing this work. Secretary of the Vanuatu Law Commission, Lawson Samuel said, "this consultation has demonstrated to us the importance of coordination and cooperation within and between government and NGOs. The closer we work together on these treaties the more successful we all will be."

At a global level, UN CEDAW and CRC Committees are made up of independent experts on women and children's rights from around the world who monitor implementation of human rights conventions.  Countries who have become party to a UN treaty (a State party) are obliged to regularly update the respective Committee on progress made by the countries in meeting their obligations. The Committee then makes recommendations to the State party in the form of concluding observations.

The UN CEDAW Committee issued concluding observations to Vanuatu in 2016 and the CRC Committee issued in 2017. As a result of this consultation, an implementation plan was drafted to address the observations made in relation to both CEDAW and CRC.

The Vanuatu Government, through the Ministry of Justice and Community Services will finalise the draft implementation plan and seek endorsement from the Council of Ministers. Following endorsement, various government agencies will carry out their respective actions and report back to the UN Committees in 2020 and 2021. RRRT will provide continuous support through its Country Focal Officer and the Senior Human Rights Advisors.

RRRT has operated for over 20 years as the region's pioneer in human rights and gender capacity building to Pacific Island countries (PICs), institutions and civil society. RRRT provides a comprehensive suite of policy and legislative advice, technical assistance and capacity building to support PICs in responding effectively to priority areas of human rights, such as gender equality, ending violence against women and children, disability rights, climate change, and equitable, sustainable development.

Media contact: Onorina Saukelo, RRRT Communications Assistant, onorinas at spc.int<mailto:onorinas at spc.int> or +679 330 5582.

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