US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks with Prime Minister Henry Puna at the end of the Pacific Islands Forum in the Cook Islands. Image: Ola Thorsen / US government

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Rachel Reeves on Rarotonga

It seems that during last month’s Pacific Islands Forum, leaders from donor nations announced major multimillion dollar investments on a daily basis in an ostensible bid to outdo other donors.

The Forum has come and gone, and the question remains: how much of that aid will translate into real benefits for the little host nation? What tangible impact will the Forum have on the Cook Islands?

The Australian government pledged AU$320 million over 10 years to Pacific nations in the interest of achieving gender equality within the region. Read more »

Prime Minister John Key and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have joined Australia to pledge large amounts for Pacific development, as China’s loans to the Pacific since 2005 have topped $US600 million. Image: Cook islands News

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Henry Yamo

As the Pacific Islands Forum came to a close, the massive funding total pledged by China, United States, New Zealand and Australia as well as multinational organisations topped $1.2 billion.

It was a historic Forum meeting, with over 21 Pacific countries represented, and nine observer countries and groups. It was the first time a US Secretary of State attended the post-Forum dialogue.

On the small island of Rarotonga, in a country of less than 20,000 people, the Forum truly became a mechanism for superpowers seeking political leverage in a region that is rich with marine diversity and sea floor minerals. Read more »

China’s vice foreign minister Cui Tiankai on Rarotonga during the Post Forum Dialogue. Image: PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Rachel Reeves on Rarotonga

Chinese vice foreign minister Cui Tiankai flatly denied rumours that China intends to establish a military base in Fiji.

Tiankai met with Cook Islands and New Zealand media at Edgewater on Thursday night.

In response to questions about whether China intends to step up its military presence in Fiji, Tiankai was clear that his government is “certainly not considering” sending its military into the Pacific. Read more »

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a big impression on these local women who attended the closing formal function of her historic whirlwind visit to Rarotonga at Crown Beach Resort at the weekend. Image: Cook Islands News

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Rachel Reeves on Rarotonga

The Chinese government says it does not perceive US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit as a threat to its relations with Pacific Island nations.

Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai also told reporters on Rarotonga that China had no ulterior motives in providing no-strings-attached aid to Pacific countries.

This year, for the 23rd time, a Chinese delegation participated in the post-Forum dialogue. Read more »

Vanuatu Deputy Prime Minister Ham Lini … supports West Papuan call but little Forum support. Image: Henry Yamo/PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Henry Yamo on Rarotonga

While calls from civil society organisations continued this week for Pacific leaders to grant observer status to West Papua amid fresh reports of human rights violations in the Indonesian-ruled Melanesian region, there was little interest in Forum circles.

Vanuatu Deputy Prime Minister Hamilson Lini told Pacific Scoop that while he supported the call by West Papua to be given observer status, it needed to be a decision by all leaders.

“I support the call by West Papua but I cannot make that decision – it has to be made by all the leaders of the Forum,” he said. Read more »

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton jokes with Richard Benyon, UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries, at the Post-Forum Dialogue partners meeting on Rarotonga today. Image: Harvie Allison/Forum photographer

Pacific Scoop:
Commentary – By Barry Coates on Rarotonga

The 43rd Pacific Islands Forum will be remembered for a major step forward in enabling women in the Pacific to live free from violence, discrimination and exclusion.

Long-term funding by the Australian government has been underpinned by a clear commitment from the heads of Pacific states to exercise their leadership in supporting gender equality.

This has the potential to be a huge step forward. Read more »

Pacific Islands Forum leaders meet at their retreat on Aitutaki atoll in the Cook Islands yesterday. Image: Cook Islands News

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Shaun Tandon, Neil Sands and Rachel Reeves on Rarotonga

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has vowed the United States will remain active in the South Pacific for the “long haul” but says the region is big enough for a rising China.

Clinton announced some $32 million in new aid projects as she became the first US secretary of state to take part in the traditional dialogue after the Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit, in a sign of renewed interest in the vast region.

Clinton’s visit came as many island states have been forging closer ties with China, which according to Australia’s Lowy Institute has pledged more than $600 million in low-interest and mostly strings-free loans to the South Pacific since 2005. Read more »

Cook Islanders welcome US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Rarotonga last night for the post-Forum dialogue today. Image: CSM

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Calida Smylie on Rarotonga

After much hype and speculation about whether US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would attend the Forum, she finally arrived in Rarotonga last night and was engaged in talks with the Pacific today.

Clinton flew in last night just before 11pm on her personal jet, one of four government C-32s, or a Boeing 757 fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks enabling it to fly about three hours longer than a regular 757.

She had breakfast today with other leaders at Trader Jack’s and afterwards attended the 24th post-forum dialogue partner’s meeting at the National Auditorium. Read more »

Pacific Scoop:
Report

Here is the 43rd Pacific Islands Forum Communiqué released at the end of the Leaders’ Retreat held in Aitutaki in the northern Cook Islands today:

FORUM COMMUNIQUÉ

The Forty-Third Pacific Islands Forum was held in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, from 28 to 30 August 2012 and was attended by Heads of State and Governments of Australia, the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu. Read more »

Oxfam’s Barry Coates … better climate change planning and accessible funding needed. Image: Oxfam/PMC

Pacific Scoop:
By Henry Yamo on Rarotonga

Oxfam has called for a “fair and binding” international agreement to boost strategic funding for climate change adaptation for all Pacific countries.

“Much more needs to be done to access climate change finance – a core message is that response to climate change depends heavily on building in-country capacity,” executive director of Oxfam New Zealand Barry Coates said today at the launch of a new Oxfam report on climate change in the Cook Islands.

“And for such capacity to be fully effective, it requires collaboration between all actors at all levels of society.” Read more »