Former Pacific Chief Trade Adviser Dr Chris Noonan ... criticism over Australia and New Zealand's approach to Pacific trade. Photo: Pacnews

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Victoria Young

A former chief trade adviser has likened New Zealand’s approach to trade talks between countries in the Pacific to a one-night stand.

“If we try and negotiate everything at once we could be negotiating for possibly a decade. If we focused on one bit or a couple of bits at a time that is the difference between relationship and a one night stand,” says Dr Chris Noonan.

The PACER (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations) Plus agreement has been stalled as Pacific Island countries await a new chief trade adviser to protect their interests from perceived “big brothers” Australia and New Zealand. Read more »

Press Release – Oxfam

The global food struggle was played out dramatically in central Auckland today, as a profit-hungry commodities trader gambled with the life of a struggling small-scale farmer from our Pacific neighbourhood, to mark the launch of Oxfam’s new global … Read more »

Oxfam New Zealand Executive Director Barry Coates is writing from the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen.

Pacific Scoop:
Analysis – By Barry Coates, CEO of Oxfam NZ.

It’s midnight on Friday (Cancun time) – so close to a done deal. I am sitting in a conference room with hundreds of people watching the end game. The contrast to the last hours of Copenhagen could not be more stark.

Although it’s not everything we need, the agreement on the table puts the UN negotiations back on track after the shambles of Copenhagen last year. Expectations were lowered in the run-up to Cancun and completing the final agreement was never a possibility. Read more »

Oxfam New Zealand Executive Director Barry Coates is writing from the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen.

Pacific Scoop:
Analysis – By Barry Coates, CEO of Oxfam NZ.

Things are starting to move here in Cancun. Most of the Ministers arrived today, joining around 30 who have been around since the weekend. Some were shoulder-tapped to do consultations on key issues, including the New Zealand Minister Tim Groser, who has been paired with the Indonesian Minister to consult on mitigation and MRV – which is how to go about Measuring, Reporting and Verifying emissions cuts – one of the really tough nuts to crack.

The arrival of politicians can help unlock these talks. In the past three years there has been some progress but at this rate we may be negotiating for the next decade. Read more »

Press Release – Oxfam

Things are starting to move here in Cancun. Most of the Ministers arrived today, joining around 30 who have been around since the weekend. Some were shoulder-tapped to do consultations on key issues, including the New Zealand Minister Tim Groser, … Read more »

Press Release – Oxfam

On this one year commemoration of the men, women and children who lost their lives in the devastating tsunami that struck Samoa and Tonga in September 2009, our thoughts are with families, friends and communities. We also extend our sympathies to the … Read more »

Press Release – Oxfam

On this one year commemoration of the men, women and children who lost their lives in the devastating tsunami that struck Samoa and Tonga in September 2009, our thoughts are with families, friends and communities. Read more »

Press Release – Oxfam

As New Zealand joins world leaders at the United Nations Millennium Development Goals summit in New York September 20-22, Oxfam urges the Government to honour its promise to help lift half the world’s poorest people out of poverty by 2015, starting right … Read more »

Press Release:
Oxfam.

As a high level delegation led by John Key prepares to join Pacific island nations at the annual summit of the Pacific Islands Forum, Oxfam calls on the government to prioritise real development benefits for the Pacific’s people.

This is likely to be a crucial meeting, with major tensions over policies towards Fiji, negotiations on a new regional trade agreement and frustration over the stalled climate change agreement. In the absence of Julia Gillard, current chair of the Forum, the New Zealand government needs to make clear commitments so that development issues are given priority. Read more »

Press Release – Oxfam

Members of Auckland’s water industry are descending on Devonport’s Narrow Neck Beach on March 20 to take on the Oxfam Corporate Water Challenge and raise money for water and sanitation work in some of the world’s poorest regions. Read more »