Politics
Japan Pledges More For Island Nations
PM Koizumi dithers on trade pact with Pacific
Wanting to be a good host, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi explained to his visitors, leaders of Pacific nations who are members of the Pacific Islands Forum, the significance of the name of the meeting hall they had gathered in for last month's PALM 2003.
"This building where we are is called Bankoku Sinryou Kan, which means 'bridge of the nations'," Koizumi explained.
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"I hope this meeting will be based on that spirit."
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By the end of the two-day meeting at a beautiful seaside resort at Okinawa, Fiji's Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase, current chair of the Pacific Islands Forum and his colleagues of the 16-member nations of the Forum, had a declaration and joint action plan to prove their summit with Koizumi was indeed as steady and stable as a bridge.
Qarase, speaking after a joint press conference with Koizumi, was not able to attach a value to the total amount of assistance Japan has promised the Forum islands countries.
"If you are looking for a dollar value of the resources, it'll be difficult because the action plan is quite comprehensive and it will take time to prepare project documents and things like that," he told Pacific Islands journalists covering PALM 2003.
"When it comes to exchange of students, for example, provisions of scholarships, attending seminars and so on, I'm sure those can be implemented fairly quickly. But when you are dealing with environmental projects and so on, more time will be needed before implementation."
Qarase did venture to identify two features that made the Okinawa Summit different from the previous two summits. These were significant achievements, said Qarase. For the first time, and at a suggestion from the Pacific, leaders issued an action plan, where both Japan and the Forum countries committed themselves to actions on five common issues. These are measures aimed at:
- Enhancing security in the Pacific region.
- Providing a safer and more sustainable environment.
- Improving education and human resource development.
- Better health.
- More robust and sustained trade and economic growth.
The other feature the Fiji Prime Minister identified as an achievement of PALM 2003 was a review built into the joint action plan to ensure that both Japanese and Forum islands officials conduct annual appraisals.
"Prime Minister Koizumi is very committed to that, and I'm sure it'll take place and I'm certain there will be a first meeting of officials soon to see how the joint action plan is to be implemented."
Qarase would not admit it, but he and other Pacific islands leaders were pressing for a commitment from Japan to enter into a special trade pact with Forum nations, something more than the General System of Preferences (GSP) currently offered to island goods. GSP is offered to all developing countries, and for Pacific nations, GSP means Japanese assistance in merely holding trade shows and exhibition. Pacific trade officials though felt Japan ought to do more, and the best way would be to provide a special trade pact with Forum islands nations, in the same way the European Union offers African nations ŒEverything But Arms' assistance and Australia and New Zealand entering into a Closer Economic Relations agreement with Pacific nations under the PACER pact.
While Qarase opted to make an ambiguous reference to a need for a Japan/Forum Islands trade pact at the opening of PALM 2003 in Okinawa, it was his Papua New Guinea counterpart, Sir Michael Somare, and indicative of the tonnes of experience he brings into the summit as his country's founding Prime Minister, who told Koizumi of the islands' desire to enter into a trade deal. Somare made the call in one of his several interventions during the two-day summit, a presentation that while noted by Koizumi, was not eagerly accepted.
Pacific delegates told Islands Business that Koizumi was deliberately avoiding making a commitment on a PACER-type of a trade agreement, because once he makes a commitment, islands nations will expect Japan to deliver.
Not wanting to be rude, officials of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the summit did make a reference to an impending shift in Japan's policy on this. It is believed, Forum officials have been informed that an announcement on this will be made by Tokyo next month.
"So Koizumi doesn't want to let the cat out of the bag before the July announcement by giving us the green light for a trade pact between Japan and Forum islands countries," a Pacific delegate said.
"We're hopeful Japan will eventually do more in boosting trade and strengthening islands economies by entering into a trade pact with us."
Such a special trade treaty will pave the way Pacific officials hope, for a free trade partnership between Japan and the Pacific region, and one that complies with World Trade Organisation rules.
For now, all that the Pacific leaders could get from their host was the phrase, "Japan and PIF (Pacific Islands Forum) members will further explore other forms of enhancing economic and trade performance of PIF members," which both appeared in the Okinawa Declaration and the joint plan of action.
Critics could say Qarase and his colleagues failed to get an endorsement of a trade pact in Okinawa. But his aides didn't see it that way. "At least Japan didn't reject the idea totally, but has shown its willingness to talk," an adviser to the Forum chair said.
"That's a good enough place to start."
Drawing the most number of initiatives under the joint action plan is activities aimed at protecting the environment. Standing out as a sore thumb though is the lack of acknowledgement of the Pacific's strong opposition to Japan's use of the Pacific Ocean for the transshipment of nuclear waste, nor the islands' move to establish whale sanctuaries, clashing directly with Tokyo's push to have the international moratorium on whaling lifted. This is a far cry from Qarase's condemnatory statements made at last year's third summit in Fiji of leaders of the African, Caribbean and Pacific block of nations and the Pacific Islands Forum.
"Japan I must say has taken the initiative in relation to transshipments of nuclear waste, by providing and setting up a fund of US$10 million just in case there's an accident.
"We have been assured that's most unlikely, but $10 million is a lot of money in the Pacific region. We are not particularly satisfied with that though. There's no value you can put on human lives when an accident occurs. But at least Japan has been very positive."
On their part, Forum islands nations pledged to provide resources for the development and implementation of waste management policies. Japan, on the other hand, wants to help the Apia-based South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme develop a regional strategy on waste management as well as fund waste disposal facilities in the region. Islands nations must also introduce measures to protect their coral, reefs, mangroves and water while Japan promises to participate and cooperate in the preparatory conference of the proposed Tuna Commission.
Solomon Islands and Bougainville have been promised additional Japanese help in post-conflict re-construction under the joint action plan. This Japan will do through "the collection of small arms and light weapons," and also in "peace consolidation activities such as the re-building of infrastructure which would contribute to job creation and vocational training for ex-combatants and involuntarily displaced people."
The University of the South Pacific is a major beneficiary too, with Japan promising to assist its distance-learning programme by funding an IT Centre, providing hardware and expertise. Additional initiatives to improve education in the Pacific region include Japan's promise to help build 100 schools over the next three years.
Development of villages in the region will also benefit from Japan's assistance in the joint action plan, with the Asian Productivity Organisation's Green Productivity for Integrated Community Development (GP-ICD), to be piloted in Fiji villages.
With Alexander Downer of Australia and Phil Goff of New Zealand representing their respective Prime Ministers to the Okinawa PALM 2003, the two with Koizumi issued a joint statement, pledging Canberra and Wellington's support to Japan's joint plan of action with other members of the Forum. Downer and Goff both stressed the need to ensure effective donor co-ordination with Tokyo.
Some Pacific delegates, especially from the smaller islands states, saw this commitment from their three wealthier neighbours as alarming. It seems they want a multilateral approach to assistance in place of bilateral relations.
Their fear is that such a policy will only benefit bigger countries like Papua New Guinea and Fiji, to the detriment of tiny islands like Palau or Tuvalu.
The summit of Pacific Islands Forum leaders with Japan's Prime Minister is a Japanese initiative, held every three years in Japan. The host meets the cost of four delegates from each of the 16 member countries of the Forum.
Apart from Qarase, also in attendance at the PALM 2003 were Somare, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea; Sir Alan Kemakeza, Prime Minister of Solomon Islands; Edward Natapei, Prime Minister of Vanuatu; Prince ŒUlukalala Lavaka ŒAta, Prime Minister of Tonga; Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister of Samoa; Young Vivian, Premier of Niue; Tommy Remengesau, President of Palau; and President Kessai Note, of the Marshall Islands. Cook Islands was represented by Dr Terepai Maoate, its deputy Prime Minister; Kiribati by the chair of its Council of State, Tion Otang; and Tuvalu by Panapasi Nelesoni, Secretary to Government. Australia, New Zealand and the Federated States of Micronesia were represented by their Foreign Ministers. Nauru did not send a delegate.
Through the sponsorship of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, 15 journalists from across the Pacific were invited to cover the summit that began with a trade exhibition in Tokyo and ended in Okinawa, Japan's southernmost island. Japanese foreign ministry officials say it cost them US$700,000 to host PALM 2003, begging the obvious question, what does Japan expects in return?
Koizumi, in his joint post-summit media conference with Qarase, spoke of his government's desire to be a "good neighbour." Qarase for his part described the summit as a partnership between the Forum and Japan.
Forum officials were quick to reject any suggestion that the summit is Tokyo's way of softening Pacific Islands positions on thorny issues like whaling and transshipment of hazardous waste. They do acknowledge that Japan, like other developed and wealthier nations, is mindful of the voting power of these small, impoverished, islands nations in international forums like the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation.
In fact at the Okinawa summit, Qarase, in expressing gratitude to his host, announced Fiji would withdraw from seeking a place in the United Nations committee on sustainable development to make way for Japan. Whether Tokyo had specifically asked for this, aides to Qarase would not say. But it is clear that such friendly gestures won't be the last.
In closing PALM 2003, Prime Minister Koizumi, his aides later said, made a mention of the need to focus on matters that bind not separate Japan from the islands of the Pacific.
"If we focus on land boundaries, then we are separated," Koizumi reportedly told islands leaders. "We should rather focus on the ocean, because the ocean links us together."
Islands leaders could not have hoped for a better statement of affirmation and assurance than this.
Theirs will be the hope that Koizumi and those of his successors will indeed continue to see the Pacific Ocean as a building bloc for greater trade and more cooperation.
PALM 2003 Action Plan
Political Environment
Dealing with good governance, socio-economic disparity, land tenure and
resolving conflicts;
Terrorism, international crime
Concerns about the impact of terrorism and other transitional crimes like
money laundering, people and drug trafficking;
Human Security
Minimising vulnerability of Pacific islands to many other forms of threats
like natural disasters, economic turbulence, polluted environment and
diseases;
Safer, more sustainable Pacific environment
Leaders want countries that have yet to ratify the Kyoto Protocol to do so in a timely manner. PICs and Japan pledge to explore ways and means to support actions aimed at improving the Pacific Islands' understanding and responses to climate change
Managing vulnerability of islands requires a cross-sectoral strategy
Improved education, human resource development
Education is important to the future development of the Pacific region.
Healthier Pacific Islands
Deteriorating health conditions and its negative effects on the social
development of Pacific island countries are a matter of concern.
More robust, sustained trade, economic growth
Trade and investment is a pillar of sustainable development
