Pacific Games underway
Honiara lit up on Sunday as the 17th edition of the Pacific Games got underway. It is a project that has been seven years in the making and has not been without controversy. It is the first time that Solomon Islands has hosted this gala event. Prime Minister Sogavare has invested huge amounts of personal, political, and diplomatic capital in what he has hailed as a nation-unifying project.
Around 5000 athletes from 24 countries and territories will compete, some of whom will be looking to build their performances into qualification for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The Games is something of a focal point for geopolitical competition in Solomon Islands and the region more broadly. Around 80 per cent of the costs have been met by development partners with China having donated the stunning 10,000-seat stadium which will host much of the sporting action.
Reaction to the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union
On the sidelines of the recent Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ meeting, the Prime Ministers of Tuvalu and Australia signed the “Falepili Union”.
Promoted as an act of “neighbourliness” on the part of Australia to provide a dedicated migration pathway for Tuvaluans, some have expressed concern at the erosion of sovereignty that the treaty envisages. In exchange for 280 visas per year, Tuvalu has given Australia a veto over any agreements or partnerships that have security or defence aspects with other powers (see Article 4).
Elsewhere, there are concerns as to the extent of the social licence in Tuvalu for this endeavour. In Rarotonga Prime Minister Natano said that there had been extensive consultations in his country ahead of the treaty being signed. However, this has been disputed by people in Tuvalu who say it was a cabinet decision with no consultation.
Other Pacific News:
Elections were held this week in Marshall Islands. They come at a critical time as the new Nitijela (parliament) will pick up the work associated with the renewal of Compact funding from the USA.
In Vanuatu, the President decided against dissolving Parliament and sending the country back to elections. A reshuffle of ministerial portfolios appears to be sufficient to establish a degree of political stability for now.
The United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) has held its first congress in Jayapura. The congress hopes to resolve an internal division within the group after a previous unilateral decision to dissolve the ULMWP provisional government.
Meanwhile, a bye-election in Enga province of Papua New Guinea has sparked serious violence. At least four people are dead. A new returning officer had to be appointed after Newman Wailyo resigned, citing fears for his safety and that of his family.
Tonga is one of a handful of countries not to sign the Samoa Agreement between the EU and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States. This agreement is the successor to the Cotonou Agreement providing access to EU development finance.
Tess Newton Cain is a Senior Research Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute and project lead for the Griffith Pacific Hub.
