Islands Business - Letter from Suva: THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE PARIS SUMMIT

France and President Jacques Chirac’s standing within the Pacific moved up a notch following the Oceania/France summit.

Laisa Taga
It is the second summit Chirac has held with islands leaders, but this time in the French capital, Paris. The first was three years ago in Papeete, French Polynesia.

Objectives of the Paris summit, chaired by President Chirac, were said to be to:
• consolidate relations between the countries of Oceania—including France and its territories—and help ensure political, economic, and environmental stability; and
• better co-ordination of development aid.

Hello Paris...Fiji’s ambassador to the European Union based in Brussels, Ratu Tui Cavuilati and Fiji’s deputy foreign secretary, Amena Uro Yauvoli in Paris. They were part of the Fiji delegation to the France/Oceania summit.

Summit media hype generated descriptions such as “heralding a new era in the relationships between France and the Pacific islands”.

You couldn’t help but feel that France was being portrayed as more than just a development partner.
In fact France was painted by some journalists—flown to Paris and hosted there at France’s expense—as the islands’ best friend.

They saw France as “championing” the Pacific’s cause in terms of ensuring its environment is safe, it is politically stable and its cultural diversity preserved and promoted.

But was that the real agenda of the summit? To show the islands what a good friend France is? Or was there a hidden agenda?

Interestingly, regional observers at the meeting and even some heads of government delegations, thought so. There was, they felt, much more to the summit then just a meeting-the-leaders exercise.

One observer said that France’s real intention was to try and get the islands to back its initiative to set up a new world environment body.

This would replace the existing United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), based in Nairobi, Kenya.

France has been leading the push to have UNEP replaced by UNEO, the United Nations Environment Organisation, as part of a restructure of the United Nations.

France suggests the UNEP has serious shortcomings such as lack of resources, lack of co-ordination and that it does not address the specific needs of developing countries like the islands.

It suggests UNEO will address all these issues, including providing a strong voice for developing countries—such as the Pacific islands—in global environmental politics.

“If France is so genuinely concerned about the Pacific, why can’t it tell Australia to sign the Kyoto Protocol?” one well-versed regional observer said in reaction.

France recognises that the Pacific Islands Forum (comprising 16 countries, including Australia and New Zealand) is a significant voting bloc at the United Nations. Getting its support will be crucial in its campaign to get the UNEO initiative endorsed.

France was not able to immediately get that from the islands leaders.

Fiji and other developing countries believe there is no need to set up an alternative body. UNEP, they believe, is sufficiently addressing environment challenges. But they welcomed any moves to strengthen it.

Late last month, Australia’s environment minister, Ian Campbell, defended his country’s refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, saying it’s ineffective and will actually boost greenhouse gas emissions.

His comments came only days after former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev stressed the need for countries like Australia and the United States to sign the pact. He accused both countries of “marching in the wrong way” on the issue.

So is there a lesson to be learnt from all this?

First, islands leaders and their advisers will need to be on the ball. They need to be going into such meetings with eyes wide open and on the alert. And, of course, be cautious of what the real agendas are. They can’t afford to be taken for a ride.

Second, all in the islands need to be aware of the importance of our voting bloc at international meetings such as the United Nations. It is significant.

Other countries are aware of the importance of getting Pacific Islands’ support. So we need to think smarter, act smarter to ensure that when we give our support, we also get something in return.