Cyclones menace the region
Barely a month since the passage of TC Yasa, Fiji has been pummelled by TC Ana which developed into a category two system as it crossed the country. There was extensive flooding in several parts of the country as well as damage to trees and buildings. First responders rescued people from flooded properties and assisted those who had to relocate to evacuation centres. One fatality was reported over the weekend. A second cyclone, TC Bina, formed over the weekend and was tracking towards Fiji on Monday. It has subsequently been downgraded to a tropical depression
Meanwhile TC Lucas formed off the coast of Queensland and then headed towards Vanuatu. At the beginning of the week it was expected to reach category three status. Its arrival coincides with a prolonged period of wet weather associated with a La Nina period. There has already been localised flooding.
Bougainville President seeks to clarify Panguna situation
In. Bougainville, President Ishmael Toarama has sought to clarify his government’s position in relation to the Panguna mine. This comes after a landowning group claimed to have entered into an agreement with Perth-based Caballus Mining to re-open Panguna.
Caballus had previously been linked to a controversial attempt to amend the Mining Act of Bougainville whilst the previous autonomous government was in power.
Toarama has stated that his government is not working with any landowning group or mining company to reopen operations at the site. He acknowledged that the issue of whether Panguna should reopen is one that is very sensitive. He gave his assurance that no decisions about the future of the mine would be taken without full consultation with the landowners and all other affected groups.
The future of Panguna remains a significant aspect of the future of Bougainville since the vote in favour of independence at the end of 2019.
Transparency International rates Pacific island countries
The global anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International, has released its 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index. It has ranked 180 countries in order of how corrupt they are perceived to be with reference to 13 indicators. A high score is ‘good’ indicating less perception of corruption in relation to that country.
In the Pacific islands region, Vanuatu is ranked 75th (score of 43/100), Solomon Islands is ranked 78th (score of 42/100) and Papua New Guinea is ranked 127th (score of 27/100). The global average score is 43.
Transparency International identified some positives when it comes to countering corruption in the region, including the passage of legislation to establish an anti-corruption commission in Papua New Guinea and the appointment of the Director-General of the national anti-corruption commission in Solomon Islands.
Some concerns were also noted. They include calls by civil society actors in Vanuatu and PNG for greater transparency and accountability in the response to COVID-19.
Special Leaders’ retreat scheduled for Wednesday
A special retreat for the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum is scheduled for Wednesday February 3rd. It will be held online, which will be a first. The leaders did not meet during 2020, because of COVID-19 fuelled travel restrictions.
The leaders will discuss two items in their closed session meeting. The first is the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 in the region. The availability of vaccines will be a particular focus. The second agenda item is to decide who will replace Dame Meg Taylor as Secretary-General. They are also expected to give some consideration to their regional position on the climate crisis ahead of COP26 which is scheduled for November.
The use of an online format and the lack of opportunity for leaders to meet face to face during last year are added complications to an already fraught selection process. It is standard practice that the leaders’ decisions are made on a consensus basis. There is a realistic chance that there will be no decision on Wednesday, which may be the worst of all worlds.
Tess Newton Cain is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Griffith Asia Institute and project lead of the Pacific Hub.
