Cook Islands to join Pacific Leaders meetings
The Cook Islands will be represented at a series of high-level meetings occurring in the Pacific region during the next two weeks. These include the:
• 7th Conference of the Pacific Community, Noumea (7-8 November)
• Pacific Leaders Meeting With U.S Officials, Hawaii (10-12 November)
• Polynesian Sub-Group Regional Meeting, Samoa (17 November)
7TH CONFERENCE OF THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY, NOUMEA 7-8 NOVEMBER
Cook Islands Prime Minister Hon Henry Puna has been invited to be guest speaker at the 7th Conference of the Pacific Community in Noumea, New Caledonia next week.
Dr Jimmie Rodgers, Director-General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) who extended the invitation to Prime Minister Puna said the conference theme ‘Climate Change and Food Security - challenges and solutions in Pacific island countries and territories’ will allow participants to discuss not only the detrimental impact of climate change on their respective countries and territories, but how such challenges can be addressed both at national and regional levels.
Prime Minister Puna said participation at this Conference would not only demonstrate how seriously the Government viewed the threat of climate change to the country and region, “especially as we are experiencing climate change impacts on our food security” but provide an opportunity for SPC members to share experiences and ideas to overcome such threats.
As an example he said that in 2005 Cyclone Percy destroyed entire taro plantation areas on the island of Pukapuka where they were completely inundated by salt water.
“It took three years before taro could again be reintroduced to the island. This meeting presents a fundamental opportunity to finding common solutions to address climate change impacts on food security.”
Based in Noumea, SPC is an intergovernmental organisation that serves the 22 Pacific Island countries and territories of the region including the Cook Islands. It has an advisory and consultative role to provide technical assistance, training, research and dissemination of information across areas including sustainable economic development, sustainable natural resources management and development and sustainable human and social development.
Australia, France, New Zealand and the United States are the metropolitan members of SPC and other member countries include American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis & Futuna.
Prime Minister Puna will leave for Noumea on Saturday 5 November 2011. Already in Noumea attending the officials level preparatory meeting, Mr Carl Hunter, the Director for Pacific Division of Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration, will support the Prime Minister. Travel costs for Prime Minister will be covered by SPC.
A full copy of the Prime Minister’s address will be released under embargo to all media prior to delivery on Monday 7 November 2011.
PACIFIC LEADERS MEETING WITH U.S. OFFICIALS, HAWAII 10-12 NOVEMBER.
Following the 7th Conference of the Pacific Community in Noumea, Prime Minister Hon Henry Puna will join other Pacific leaders at a meeting next week with senior American officials and regional decisionmakers in Hawaii.
The officials are in Hawaii for APEC and the East-West Centre (EWC) at the University of Hawaii will host the meeting.
Although still to be formally confirmed, efforts are underway for Pacific leaders to meet with President Barak Obama.
Prime Minster Hon Henry Puna said the Cook Islands has been a strong supporter of the Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) at the East-West Centre, which is the only Pacific regional organisation based in the United States.
Established in 1980, its’ role has been to assist Pacific Islands leaders to advance their collective efforts to achieve and sustain equitable social and economic development.
“The Cook Islands along with other Pacific Island countries have communicated with East-West Centre President Mr Charles Morrison urging that steps be taken to resuscitate the PIDP to once more play a role in the region’s development.”
“In response, Mr Morrison has arranged this meeting of Leaders of Pacific Island States,” he said. “The meeting will enable our country to strengthen relations with a key development partner, consistent with our national priorities set out in the National Sustainable Development Plan.”
Heads of State and Government including the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Tonga and the Republic of Marshall Islands have confirmed their attendance. Most other leaders expected to confirm their participation on return from Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth.
Final details of the meeting are still to be confirmed, however it will occur under the theme of ‘The Future of the Pacific Islands in the Asia-Pacific Region: Trends, Issues and Challenges.’
The Prime Minister will be accompanied by Edwin Pittman, Chief Executive Prime Ministers Support Office. Both will have their costs covered by the US Government.
POLYNESIAN SUB-GROUP REGIONAL MEETING, SAMOA 17 NOVEMBER 2011
Samoa will host the first meeting of Polynesian Leaders in Apia later this month with the aim of establishing a Polynesian regional sub-grouping responsible for promoting the interests and cultures of Polynesian governments and peoples.
Analogous to the Melanesian Spearhead Group, Polynesian leaders discussed the establishment of their own regional group at this year’s Forum meeting in New Zealand earlier this year.
Those invited to attend include the Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, Tuvalu, American Samoa, Tahiti, Tokelau and Wallis and Futuna.
It is expected that a draft Memorandum of Understanding will be developed to describe the fundamental basis to set up a sub-regional group, its objectives and general arrangements to be instituted to pursue the goals of the group.
Cook Islands Prime Minster Hon Henry Puna said it was important at this stage to start actively engaging and moving to develop ideas and arrangements to progress the group’s collective objectives.
“This is a new concept for all our countries and our common Polynesian culture and heritage is the founding basis for our regional sub-group. We will look at ways for our countries to work together to protect and sustain our languages and cultures through sharing knowledge and experiences of programmes and activities in cultural education and awareness.”
He said there would also be other areas of common interest and topical challenges related to economic development that may mutually benefit the countries through a Polynesian sub-regional approach.
“These would include but not limited to transport (shipping and aviation), environmental conservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, cooperation in education and health services, agriculture and fisheries, tourism promotion and trade and investment opportunities.”
Prime Minister Puna said the sub-regional group may also collaborate in regional and international forums to support each others interests and those related to the subgroup; and in concert with the those of the whole Pacific region.
The Government of Samoa will cover all costs excluding air travel for the Prime Minister and Edwin Pittman, Chief Executive, Prime Ministers Support Office.
TOKOROA CHURCH SERVICE
Enroute from Samoa, the Prime Minister has been invited by Rev. Timote Turu to meet with the Cook Islands community and attend a church service at the Cook Islands Christian Church on Sunday 20 November 2011.
This is the first time the Prime Minster has met with the Cook Islands community in Tokoroa, which outside of Auckland and Wellington has the largest Cook Islands population.
Tokoroa has a population of 15,000, 20 percent of whom are Pacific peoples – the majority being of Cook Islands descent.

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