Pacific Islands Forum News Briefs

Aussie PM on gender equality
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard today formally entered a new partnership on gender equality and gained the support of other Pacific Island leaders including PM Henry Puna. In a press conference today, Gillard said, societies particularly those in the Pacific region will need to upscale the role that women play, and that gender equality is the right thing and clear thing to do. In her statement she says that the region faces a challenge with only 5% of women being elected into parliament. Today she announced that funding of $30m over 10-years will be made available for the region for the purpose of gender equality. The Prime Minister Henry Puna who was also one of 3 speakers at today’s announcement said, he fully supported the issue, and that women now play an important part of our society.

Gillard returning back to Australia after receiving tragic news

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard will today return to Australia after receiving the tragic news that an Australian soldier was killed in Afghanistan. It’s understood, Gillard received the news moments after giving a press conference on gender equality at the national auditorium. Gillard was to depart for Aitutaki along with the rest of the Pacific Island leaders, however, the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Hon Richard Marles will take her place at the leaders retreat.

Media to breakfast with Clinton

The Secretary of State Hilary Clinton will travel to a number of countries including the Cook Islands on Friday to attend the Pacific Islands Forum Post Forum Dialogue as part of the US intensive engagement and ongoing collaboration with the Pacific Islands. Her visit will emphasize the depth and breadth of American engagement across economic, people to people, strategic, environmental and security interests. Mrs Clinton is expected to arrive around 10.30pm on Thursday night and will host a breakfast on Friday morning at Trader Jacks but for security reasons, only a selected number of media representatives have been chosen to cover the Secretary of State’s first visit, Pitt Media Group’s Miimama Mautairi and Moana Vaevae-Tetauru have been invited to cover the historic occasion and will stand alongside 1 reporter from the US, NZ and Australia.
Mrs Clinton’s visit will also represent a concerted effort to strengthen regional multi-lateral institutions to develop bilateral partnerships, build alliances toward the Asia Pacific. Her trip to Rarotonga is one of the highest delegations since the Queens visit and in the 41-year history of the Pacific Islands Leaders Forum.

Agreement on maritime boundaries

On Wednesday, a unique event was witnessed when leaders of 7 Pacific island countries signed and exchanged a total of 8 Maritime Boundary Agreements which will bring state of the art accuracy and legal clarity to the boundary positions between several overlapping jurisdictions of neighbouring Pacific Island countries.
The signing is testament to the close relationship that the Pacific island countries have in their ability to work together. By establishing these boundaries and zones under domestic and international law, as set out in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the signing is expected to provide the foundation for improved governance, protection, conservation and management of resources within the jurisdictions. The 7 treaties were signed by the Leaders of the Cook Islands, and Chair of the Forum, Henry Puna, along with Niue, Kiribati, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Nauru and the Marshall Islands.

Water project go ahead
Tomorrow night a trilateral agreement will be signed between the Cook Islands, China and New Zealand just before the Kia Orana dinner which will be held at Tamarind House. It’s understood; the three countries will be signing an agreement on a project worth $60 million that will see residents in Rarotonga be able to drink fresh pure clean water.

Herald Issue 608 21 March
- Terms of one China Policy document should be reviewed
- Pacific Media Assistance Scheme Seeks Innovation
- Successful NZ visit by PM
- Rerekura Teaurere New Climate Change Coordinator
- News Briefs