NEWSPAGE 25 January
2010

(Photos: Pacific Underground)

NEW ZEALAND: Ten summers of Pacific Arts ends in final celebration

SAMOA: Mobile phone banking to take off in Samoa
Source: United Nations Development Programme Press Release

Commercial banks, microfinance institutions, telecos, civil society organizations, government officials and donor agencies in Samoa now have a better idea of what mobile banking can offer to the island nation.

This was made possible through an information exchange focusing on mobile phone banking and remittances that was organized by the Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) in partnership with the Central Bank of Samoa (CBS).

PFIP is a Pacific-wide programme helping provide sustainable financial services to low income households. It is funded by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), European Union, AusAID and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and operates from the UNDP Pacific Centre.

The information exchange took place at the Central Bank of Samoa earlier this week and was attended by 53 representatives from a wide cross section of the financial services sector.
Accessing financial services over one’s mobile phone is often referred to as “m-money” and can allow users to make deposits, withdrawals and transfers directly from their mobile phones.

Leasi Scanlan, Governor of the Central Bank of Samoa, who officially opened the event stated that financial inclusion has the potential to play a very important role in Samoa’s economic development.

“The introduction of mobile banking in the domestic economy will be hugely beneficial. It will allow better financial access to our low-income community in the rural and isolated areas as well as to improve and speed up our payments system,” said Governor Scanlan.

He emphasised the Central Bank of Samoa’s new role as a champion of financial inclusion in Samoa.

The Central Bank of Samoa will be represented at a regional workshop in February, in Vanuatu to discuss how it can best formulate policies that are most supportive of inclusive finance initiatives like m-money in Samoa.

Tillman Bruett, PFIP Project Advisor and international expert on m-money, presented on the potential for m-money in Samoa.

“Mobile banking is very relevant to Samoa as it allows financial services to be offered to rural and low income people that previously had limited or no access to them. Mobile banking increases the level of financial inclusion in the country,” said Mr. Bruett.

“Mobile banking decreases the cost of financial services, and this is very important to Samoans who receive a large amount of income from international remittances,” he added.

The purpose of this informal information exchange was to help prepare Samoa for the imminent mobile money solutions that are expected to be introduced into the domestic market well before the end of the year.

The PFIP team will facilitate a total of five information exchanges in Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea in the coming months. The final information exchange is scheduled for Vanuatu at the end of February. The information exchanges begin with a short presentation on a topic of interest followed by some informal discussion on this topic as well as the promotion of financial inclusion in general with interested counterparts. Around July this year, the PFIP will announce a call for grant proposals from those with ideas on how financial inclusion in Samoa can be further improved.
 

(Photo: Agence France-Presse)

AUSTRALIA: Australia mulls request to take Guantanamo inmates
Source: Agence France-Presse via Google News

Australia was considering a fresh request from the United States to resettle a group of inmates from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, officials said Saturday.

"Australia has received another request from the United States and the matter is being considered," a foreign affairs spokeswoman told AFP.

Canberra has already rebuffed at least three such requests -- two from the administration of former US president George W Bush -- and a third received last May from President Barack Obama.

The spokeswoman said the latest request came in "late 2009" but she could not comment on specifics or confirm how many such advances the US had made.

"The Australian government will consider requests on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the government's strict immigration and national security requirements," she said.

According to local press the May request involved six men from China's Turkic-speaking Uighur minority, who were resettled in the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau after Australia refused to take them.

Palau is a former US-administered territory which relies heavily on US aid, and its president, Johnson Toribiong, in November said Beijing may have pressured Australia not to take the six.

The United States refused to send the men back to China -- which expressed anger over their release, describing them as terrorist suspects -- for fear they would be persecuted.

They were held for close to eight years in the Cuban island prison and cleared of all charges four years ago.

Switzerland this month refused to offer asylum to two Uighur inmates of Guantanamo, following diplomatic pressure from Beijing, who warned it could affect relations.

The Obama administration is trying to close the controversial centre, partly by seeking third countries prepared to take in some of the detainees. Obama's self-imposed January 22 closure deadline passed unmet Friday.

Photo Caption: Australia is reportedly considering a fresh request from the US to resettle a group of inmates from Guantanamo.
 

(Photo: The National)

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: PNG to seek buyers at China exposition
Source: The National

Papua New Guinea is eyeing international buyers for its various products at the forthcoming international trade exposition in Shanghai, China in May.

Trade exhibitors from PNG will showcase coffee, aquaculture, tourism and cultural products and promote them to international investors and buyers.

Officials from the Department of Commerce and Industry have begun touring the provinces to collect product samples with potential to attract international buyers and investors.

Assistant secretary for International Business Development Nolpi Kilwa and Personnel and Training Affairs secretary Richard Pereap were in Eastern Highlands, Simbu and Western Highland provinces this week to identify and collect local products for inclusion in the exposition.

Among priority items considered were coffee products like Sigiri ground coffee from Western Highlands and those produced by Goroka Coffee Roasters and Arabica Coffee.

Mr Kilwa and Mr Pereap also went to Kainantu to get samples of ceramic products at the Eastern Highlands Cultural Centre that included mugs, wine cups, soup bowls and coffee cups.

He said aside from coffee and ceramics, his department will also feature other sectors of PNG industry like tourism, mining, forestry, fisheries and agriculture sector.

Mr Kilwa said products from PNG would be showcased along with those from the Pacific region.
During a briefing with Coffee Industry Corp (CIC) chief executive Navi Anis in Goroka yesterday, Mr Kilwa said they were encouraged to aggressively promote PNG coffee at the exposition.

Mr Anis has encouraged them to convince local coffee roasters and exporters to attend the expo as it is an effective way to market and promote PNG products.

The samples collected from the four regions of PNG would be shipped to China from Lae next Friday.

Mr Kilwa said they will also present a video of PNG cultures and will display posters of the country’s tourism industry.

Photo Caption: Among priority items considered were coffee products like those produced by Goroka Coffee Roasters.
 

SOLOMON ISLANDS: New initiative will help courts resolve disputes quickly
Source: The Financial

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is supporting the Solomon Islands’ judicial system in introducing a mediation framework, which will help Solomon Islanders resolve disputes quickly and on good terms.

IFC held a workshop this week for the Court’s Steering Committee on Mediation and a series of consultations with other interested organizations, including the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Solomon Islands Christian Association. The workshop involved designing a plan to introduce a formal mediation framework, and the drafting of mediation rules for the court. IFC’s program in the Solomon Islands is supported by the governments of Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.

“This initiative is an exciting development for the Solomon Islands’ legal system,” said Chief Justice Albert Palmer, who also presides over the Court’s Mediation Steering Committee. “Mediation will extend the court’s services and help parties resolve their differences fairly and quickly.”

"Mediation is a confidential and informal way of resolving a dispute between parties, with the help of a neutral third person—a mediator. Parties are referred by a court to participate in mediation if all parties consent. The mediator works with the parties to help them reach a mutually agreeable, practical, and lasting solution to their difference," IFC informed.

A typical dispute between parties may involve a business contract disagreement between a buyer and seller. According to the IFC-World Bank’s Doing Business 2010 report, it would take on average 37 procedures and 455 days in the Solomon Islands for both parties to resolve the dispute, at a cost of 79 percent of the claim amount, using standard litigation processes.

“If the parties agreed to court-referred mediation, the disputed matter could be resolved within a week,” said Sonali Hedditch, IFC’s Pacific Mediation Program Manager. “We are pleased to be involved in helping to ease the case load in the court system, as well as assisting parties that have neither the time nor money to go through the standard litigation process.”

IFC is the only international financial institution focused exclusively on the private sector, the engine of sustainable development in emerging markets. Along with IBRD, it is currently seeking a capital increase to strengthen its ability to create opportunity for the poor in developing countries—including by helping to introduce mediation into the Solomon Islands in order to resolve disputes more effectively.
 

(Photos: Office of Congressman Faleomavaega)

WORLDWIDE: Faleomavaega leads CODEL to Vietnam, Laos and Japan
Source: Office of Congressman Faleomavaega Press Release

Congressman Eni Faleomavaega, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs’ Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, led a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) from January 4-12, 2010 to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Japan.

The Chairman, along with Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA), member of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations, and Congressman Joe Cao (R-LA), visited Southeast Asia for purposes of addressing U.S. foreign policy as it pertains to Agent Orange clean-up efforts in Vietnam, UXO clearance operations in Laos, the recycling or forgiveness of Cambodia’s debt, the establishment of stronger trade ties, and the impact of climate change on the economies of these vulnerable societies. In Japan, the CODEL reviewed military cooperation and troop readiness, focusing on recent frictions over the Futenma base issue and other strains in the bilateral relationship.

In Vietnam, the Members held talks with H.E. Ngo Quang Xuan, Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam; H.E. Nguyen Thanh Son, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; and H.E. Pham Binh Minh, Standing Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. A round-table discussion was also held with Ambassador Michael Michalak and included representatives from Vietnam’s coordinating agency for Agent Orange Issues and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation. The Congressional delegation also visited Tu Du Hospital to extend their warmest wishes to the children who are being treated for dioxin exposure. Among other issues, the delegation discussed religious freedom and human rights, noting that the U.S. has a moral obligation to rectify the wrongs of Agent Orange for both Vietnamese and American victims.

In Cambodia, the delegation met with Prime Minister Hun Sen, Secertary of State Ouch Borith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong, Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh, Governor Sou Phirin of the Siem Reap Province, and World Heritage officials. Meetings focused on trade, debt forgiveness, the impact of climate change on Angkor Wat and efforts to capture benefits of the tourist economy for the poor of Siem Reap. Faleomavaega also attended the National Day celebration of the overthrow of the Pol Pot regime.

“In 2008, as part of my assignment as Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs’ Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, it was my privilege to visit Cambodia,” Faleomavaega said. “To this day, I cannot erase from my mind the images of Toul Sleng. Neither can I forget the killing fields where I saw massive graves of some 9,000 bodies buried one on top of the other, a sickening reminder that the Khmer Rouge had beaten to death or buried alive innocent people whose blood now cries up to God for justice that most assuredly will come.”

“Knowing of Cambodia’s suffering, I want to do everything I can to lend a helping hand and this is why I came back to Cambodia,” Faleomavaega continued. “In February 2008, I held a hearing calling upon the previous Administration to support legislation which would make it possible for Cambodia’s debt to be recycled or forgiven. Regrettably, the previous Administration did not act. However, based on my recent discussions with Cambodia’s leaders and in close cooperation with Ambassador Hem Heng, we are working to bring this issue to the attention of the new Administration in hopes that this matter can be set right. We are also working in Congress to gain the support necessary for a favorable outcome, and I commend Congressman Jim McDermott and the House Committee on Ways and Means for the work they are doing to improve trade relations and level the playing field for Cambodia. I also commend our U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, Theodore Allegra, for the outstanding work he is doing to promote better relations between the U.S. and Cambodia. Cambodia could have no better friend and the U.S. could have no better representative than Mr. Allegra. He is the kind of diplomat our country can be proud of and I appreciate all he did to make our visit successful.”

In Laos, the delegation met with H.E. Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs; H.E. Dr. Xaysomphone Phomvihane, Vice President of the National Assembly and Chairman of Foreign Relations Commission; and other parliamentary members. Members of the delegation also visited the Hmong Refugee Resettlement Camp in Ban Pha Lak, the first delegation to visit since resettlement occurred. In addition to expressing serious concerns about the Hmong resettlement, the delegation also discussed UXO clearance operations and committed to assisting Laos in this effort.

In Japan, the delegation held discussions on U.S.-Japan relations with some of the country’s key leaders. The Members visited Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama at his residence and held talks with Cabinet Minister Mizuho Fukushima, who serves as Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety, Social Affairs and Gender Equality, as well as Rep. Tomoko Abe, a member of the Social Democratic Party, the second largest party in the ruling coalition. In addition, the group met Koichi Takemasa, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“On behalf of my colleagues, I want to thank our U.S. Ambassadors and Embassy personnel for their assistance. While it was regrettable that our U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos was unavailable to meet us upon our Sunday arrival, we were appreciative that the Prime Minister was able to work us into his Sunday schedule. We also express our appreciation to U.S. Ambassadors Michalak, Huso and Chargé d’Affaires Theodore Allegra of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, respectively, and their staff, for their assistance and insights.”

“Above all, I want to thank His Excellency Le Cong Phung of Vietnam, His Excellency Hem Heng of Cambodia, and His Excellency Phiane Philakone and the gracious leaders of Southeast Asia who made this historic CODEL possible. This CODEL was unique in that it was the first Congressional Delegation comprised entirely of Members of Congress whose roots are from the Asia Pacific region. I can assure the leaders of Southeast Asia that, as a result of this historic CODEL, it is our intention to do all we can to improve and strengthen relations with Southeast Asia and I will be holding oversight hearings on these matters in the near future,” Faleomavaega concluded.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - Congressman Faleomavaega with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong.

Photo 2 - A round-table discussion being held in Vietnam with Ambassador Michael Michalak and representatives from Vietnam’s coordinating agency for Agent Orange Issues and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation.

Photo 3 - Members of the delegation visiting the Hmong Refugee Resettlement Camp in Ban Pha Lak.