NEWSROOM 09 March
2009

(Photo: Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust)

NEW ZEALAND: Spotlight on Pasifika at Artstation
Source: Tautai Contemporary Pacific Arts Trust Press Release
 

(Photo: Samoa Umbrella for Non-Governmental Organisations)

SAMOA: Capacity building programme for water schemes
Source: Samoa Umbrella for Non-Governmental Organisations Press Release

The continuation for independent water scheme training undertaken by Samoa Umbrella for Non Governmental Organisations (SUNGO) kick started from 2-6th March 09. This week long training was specifically for members of the Falevao, Falefa and Lalomauga communities in Upolu including their water committees. The village of Falevao hosted this programme.

The training was attended by more than 40 people representing all the villages and their water committees. The training team was led by CAT trained course leader Tamalemai Apelu Tautala with eight pool of trainers, 4 of which were observers.

The training course is focussed on water management and good governance and is based around five one day modules on committee management, communication, finances, maintenance and planning.

Each village operates an Independent Water Scheme and the course aims to strengthen their skills in managing their scheme and to better place the village to apply for EU funding to upgrade their scheme.

The Water Sector Support Programme (WaSSP) funded by European Union aims to improve the quality of water in rural communities through the support of the key partners including SUNGO to provide training to ensure that communities have the skills to manage their water supplies. 8 villages have already conducted this similar training for the year 2008.

The presentation of certificates for the participants at the close of the course was made by the President of SUNGO Vaasilifiti Moelagi Jackson.

Further information please contact SUNGO CEO Roina Vavatau ph +685 22804.

Photo Caption: Members of the Falevao, Falefa and Lalomauga communities, in attendance at Samoa Umbrella for Non Governmental Organisations (SUNGO) independent water scheme training programme.
 

AUSTRALIA: Enhancing economic opportunities in the Pacific through PACER
Source: Australian High Commission Press Release

Australian Minister for Trade, Simon Crean speaks about PACER and Australia's involvement;

I am an enthusiastic supporter of the PACER Plus regional economic initiative, which seeks to build on the existing Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) - because I believe it can provide tremendous opportunities for the Pacific.

Pacific Island Forum Leaders reaffirmed the continuing importance of pursuing greater economic integration and trade as a regional priority at the Forum held in Niue last August. In fact, Leaders decided in 2008 that a detailed road map on PACER Plus should be prepared, with the view to Leaders agreeing at the 2009 Forum to the commencement of negotiations.

I believe that by working together through PACER Plus, we can help improve skills in the region to enable Pacific-sourced goods and services to be exported around the world, and be ready to grow strongly as the economic situation improves.
If PACER Plus is to result in tangible outcomes for the region and achieve sustainable economic growth, there must be political leadership shown and I am confident that by working together we can do it.

Australia’s motives

It is of concern to me that Australia’s motives in supporting regional trade liberalisation via PACER Plus have been misrepresented. I want to make clear that we support the PACER Plus regional initiative because we believe that individual Pacific island countries will benefit from it.

Quite frankly from the point of view of trade, Australia is not primarily pursuing the PACER Plus agreement from the perspective of its commercial benefit. Australia’s primary objective with PACER Plus is a more sustainable and prosperous Pacific - an aspiration that we all share.
This objective is borne out of all of the evidence that demonstrates that prosperity can be secured by countries engaging effectively in trade. We see trade as an opportunity, not as a threat. But we also see PACER Plus as part of a broader commitment to building the strength and capacity of our region.
In early 2008, the Australian Government signalled a commitment to a new era of cooperation with the Pacific, working in partnership with the countries of the Pacific to promote stability and growth.

The Pacific Partnerships for Development are a key feature of this new era of cooperation. Australia has now signed Pacific Partnerships for Development with Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Kiribati.

Through these Partnerships, Australia and signatory countries jointly commit to achieving improvements across priority sectors such as public infrastructure, health, education and governance.

However, we believe more can be done to strengthen individual economies.

The concept of trade underpinning growth is an essential component of what Prime Minister Rudd called ‘a new era of cooperation with the island nations of the Pacific’, in his landmark Port Moresby Declaration last March.

Enhancing economic opportunities in the region

Increasing trade flows is an important part of enhancing economic opportunities in the Pacific. But this isn’t a new idea. Australia’s economic growth has been enhanced by engaging with the global community through international trade.

Australia’s population and level of industrial development is not sufficient to generate the standard of living we enjoy. It is only through accessing a large global market that we can sustain our way of life.

Engaging with the global economy presents challenges, but it also presents enormous opportunities to generate greater prosperity. Trade stimulates the economy, offering our people greater choice in goods and services, improving competition and creating jobs.

We see trade and trade-related structural adjustment as a critical part of building economically viable and sustainable economies. Our own experience demonstrates this - but there are other examples in our region too. What has been done in the Cook Islands to replace tariff revenue and telecommunication and aviation liberalisation in Vanuatu are both good examples of the benefits of domestic reform to improve competitiveness.

But engagement with trade isn’t just about opening markets - it’s about ensuring that nations are competitive enough and productive enough to take advantage of liberalisation.
The Pacific already has access to the markets of Australia and New Zealand through SPARTECA. But it is structural adjustments and domestic reforms that will really enable the Pacific to take greater advantage of this market access, and that is where we envisage the development assistance element of PACER Plus will be able to provide real gains.
PACER Plus will be very different from other trade or economic cooperation agreements in which the Pacific island countries have participated. I would like us to work together as a region to avoid the tensions that have arisen in some of those other negotiations.

Australia wants to work with our Pacific neighbours to maximise the opportunities which come from greater levels of international trade, investment and capacity building in order to build stronger economies, and stronger communities in the Pacific.
 

(Photo: Australian National University)

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Parliament Building in desperate need of repair
Source: The National via Pacific Islands Report

A chair in Parliament House collapsed under the weight of the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare yesterday.

The 72-year-old "father of the nation" escaped injury but the incident happened in front of Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma, Gulf Governor Havila Kavo, senior InterOil Products Limited executives and the media.

The incident also confirms that the Parliament House, built in 1984, needs a major renovation operation.

Speaker Jeffery Nape warned yesterday the House faced a shutdown if the Government cannot find about K60 million quickly to fix up the building, a major landmark in the country.

Mr Nape said this after he heard about the Prime Minister almost hurting himself when a chair he was sitting in fell apart. The accident appened in the B3 conference room at around midday.

Sir Michael was about to sign agreements involving potentially lucrative gas and petroleum deals.

MR Nape said the finance procedures were too stringent and that hindered his office’s efforts to draw down on the K10 million parked in the trust account operated by the Parliamentary Services.

He said there were too many tight procedures to follow before the funds could be withdrawn from that trust account.

Mr Nape told this newspaper that since November last year only K300,000 had been released to fix the air conditioning system at the House

and since then parts sourced from overseas had not arrived in the country. "We may lose this building if we do not carry out the complete overhaul that the Parliament House needs and especially if Finance Department procedures are not loosened to allow us to draw down on the funds.

"We have not had a full renovation since it was built," Mr Nape said.

He said: "We still have to draw down on the K10 million parked in our trust account but we can’t at the moment because of the tight procedures put in place by the Finance Department."

The comments by Mr Nape and the incident involving Sir Michael come at a time when Members of Parliament, especially those at the B Wing,

have been complaining endlessly about the air conditioning system in the building which has not been functioning, the smelly carpets, ceiling and furniture falling apart, toilet taps leaking and the generally stuffy working environment in the House.

Yesteday, a Post-Courier reporter accidently went into an MP’s office and saw him sitting at his workstation bare breasted because it was too hot in his Parliament office.

This week several governors and MPs were caught conducting meetings in the lobby, while some said they were operating from their houses because of the situation in Parliament. Mr Nape stressed that his office needed up to K60 million to do a complete overhaul of the building and assured that he would look into those matters.

He said they bought a standby generator and that parts for the air conditioning system were bought from overseas and he would check with the Clerk’s office to get an update.

Photo Caption: Parliament House, built in 1984, needs a major renovation operation.
 

(Photo: Solomon Star)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Three wrestling heroes arrive home unnoticed
Source: Solomon Star

Three National wrestlers who done the country proud at the recent Oceania and South Pacific Championship in Samoa have arrived home yesterday (March 06, 2009) unnoticed.

Teibana Mase, Masunu Pugeva and young Tabweisi Brown Baraisi stepped down at the Honiara International Airport with a total of eight medals - five gold, one silver and two bronze.

They were welcome by few family members, friends and relatives in a colourful reception upon arrival. Mase who competed in the Greco Roman 96 Kilogramme won two gold in the free style category.

Pugeva snatched three gold in the Greco Roman 74 Kilogramme in both junior and senior categories.

He also collected a bronze in beach wrestling.

Young Baraisi competing in the 54 Kilogramme categories won one bronze and one silver in his first international outing.

Solomon Islands Amateur Wrestling Association (SIAWA) Development Officer Katea Ueresi who helped trained the boys said they have achieved their mission.

“I’m with the boys for what they have achieved for the sports and the country.

“Their training and preparation have paid off. Now I want to invite new wrestlers to come and join in training and praised God for our achievement”, he said.

President of SIAWA, Tongoua Tabe praised the boys for the fine achievement.

He said this is the first time for locals wrestlers to win more medals under an indigenous dominated association.

“This has brought the sports to new heights. The potential of the game in the country is undoubtedly a real medal earner for the country."

“I thank the boys for their brilliant performance”, he said.

Tabe also acknowledged Ueresi for his hard work in shaping the boys.

Meanwhile, Ueresi wants to acknowledge the hosts Samoa for its hospitality, Y Sato, the Government, National Olympic Committee of Solomon Islands and Honiara High School for providing them with a training venue.

“The Honiara High School have been a huge help in the preparation of the boys allowing as to train in the school during the rainy season prior to the championship and we a very thankful to the school”, he said.

Photo Caption: National wrestlers just returned home from the recent Oceania and South Pacific Championship in Samoa; Teibana Mase, Tabweisi Brown Baraisi and Masunu Pugeva.
 

(Photos: South Pacific Regional Environment Programme)

WORLDWIDE: Ramsar convention on Wetlands of International Importance underway
Source: South Pacific Regional Environment Programme Press Release

There are six designated Wetlands of International Importance, or “Ramsar sites,” in the Pacific islands region. Effectively managing these Ramsar sites is a significant challenge.

Pacific island parties to the Ramsar Convention: Fiji, Republic of Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Samoa, will participate in training next week to help improve the management of their wetlands. The training addresses a need acknowledged under the Pacific Islands wetland initiative, and was also raised more recently at the Oceania regional Ramsar meeting in April 2008.

The five Pacific signatories to the Ramsar Convention have united with 153 other countries around the world to promote the conservation and wise sustainable use of wetlands. The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is working with these Pacific island countries on their Ramsar Convention obligations, as well as assisting others who are interested in becoming a party to the Convention.

“We want to help the Pacific island parties by training and familiarising them with the Ramsar management planning process and provide them with the tools and guidelines to strengthen and develop specific management plans for the wetland sites,” said Vainuupo Jungblut, SPREP’s Associate Ramsar Officer.

“The main focus for this workshop is to help build the capacity to develop management plans for the management of existing Ramsar sites and other nationally significant wetlands.”

The training will be interactive, including group work, discussion of case studies and the sharing of information about what works and what hasn’t, within the different Pacific island country parties. As a follow-up to this training, the organisers are planning to provide participants with “homework” to put their newly acquired skills to practice through developing draft management plans for existing wetlands or potential Ramsar sites.

The workshop will be held from March 9 - 13 in Nadi, Fiji. It is being coordinated jointly between SPREP, IUCN Oceania Regional Office and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat.

For more details please contact SPREP's Associate Ramsar Officer Vainuupo Jungblut E: [email protected] T: (685) 21929 F: (685) 20231 W: www.sprep.org

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Conference of the Parties 2008 in Changwon, Korea.

Photo 2 - SPREP's Associate Ramsar Officer, Vainuupo Jungblut (L) and  representative for Palau, Collin Joseph (R) at the convention.

Photo 3 - Representatives (L-R) from Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Samoa at the convention.

Photo 4 - Lake Lanoto'o, a designated Ramsar Wetlands site of conservation in Samoa.