E&OE
17 July 2008
Press Conference: Forum Ministerial Standing Committee [FMSC]
Tongan Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Sonatane Tu’a Taumoepeau Tupou
Thank you, and good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.
This is our second meeting of the Forum Ministerial Standing Committee on RAMSI. Last year we had a meeting in February in which we set out a number of principles, addressed a number of concerns articulated by the Solomon Islands Government and set a number of roadmaps by which to move forward the aspirations of rural development of the Solomon Islands. Now we have reached the stage where a number of developments have been implemented, a number of developments are going to be implemented, a number of issues are with the Solomon Islands Government. There will be a report to the Forum by the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands when they meet in Niue next month.
There was also a number of issues that has been referred to the Economic [sic] Consultative Mechanism Group to further address, particularly in relation to the Partnership Framework. This framework is a joint effort by this group and with the Solomon Islands Government. They have identified a number of issues that could be implemented, a number of issues that are probably outside of the criteria of bilateral and that may have to be addressed multi-laterally. But the meeting was very positive and there has been a lot of movement since February, and that is in itself very pleasing and I am very grateful to the Forum Secretariat, the RAMSI Special Coordinator and the Forum representative here, and with those few introductory remarks I would like to invite my colleagues who may wish to elaborate on of the issues that were addressed today.
Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Stephen Smith
Thanks very much. I was trying to encourage William to go first as the host.
Can I firstly thank the Chairman and our colleague Ministers for his chairmanship of our meeting. As he said, it was another productive meeting. I think we should reflect on just how successful our meeting in February was.
Our meeting in February really established a new partnership between RAMSI and the Solomon Islands to take RAMSI forward, to better reflect the priorities of the Solomon Islands Government so far as development assistance is concerned, but to take RAMSI into a new phase.
RAMSI is not about securing peace and security for peace and security’s sake – it’s about trying to help capacity building, to help put the Solomon Islands Government in the position of delivering services and prosperity to its own people and being able to do that in its own right, and so the decisions we made in February were very fundamental, very important. One of those which reflected the greater priority given to the Solomon Islands Government was to change arrangements to reporting. So now RAMSI reports effectively direct to the Solomon Islands Government before those reports go to the Pacific Islands Forum itself. There’s been very, very good work done by officials, very good progress, very good cooperation since February, and so very much of our meeting was to enthusiastically compliment officials on the work they had done and to encourage more work to continue.
An important decision we did make was to further development a Partnership Framework under which further work of RAMSI in the Solomon Islands will continue. We have given this job in the first instance to high level officials from the Solomon Islands Government, from the Pacific Islands Forum and from RAMSI itself to progress this work.
We welcome very much the suggestion by the Japanese Government that Japan could render some assistance to RAMSI and we’ve asked the Forum Secretariat to consult with all of the nation states, member nation states of the Pacific to get a response to this invitation to assist, and we’ve also asked the Forum Secretariat to enquire of Japanese officials more detail about the nature of assistance.
There are two issues to be balanced here. One is of course, we welcome very much Japanese engagement in our region, but secondly, RAMSI is of its very nature a regional instrument, so we need to balance the regional reflection and the regional nature and the Pacific Islands Forum nature of RAMSI. But we welcome very much the indication of support from the Japanese Government and we will progress that and be positively and constructively disposed to it.
There is one point I should make, which is in the outcomes and the press release. Australia’s financial contribution to RAMSI in a technical budget sense concludes at the end of June next year. As a consequence we are currently in the process of starting our budget processes and requirements to enable us to make a judgement about the financial contribution we will make to RAMSI from the first of July 2009 to the end of June 2013. Our budget cycles go on four year cycles, and I hope to be in a position at the next meeting of the Standing Committee to give an outline of the framework that we will be pursuing so far as our budgetary arrangements are concerned.
We are not expecting any great change. Our commitment to RAMSI is a long-term commitment, but we will be in a position, I hope, to advise the Forum, to advise the Standing Committee, of our general approach, at our next meeting. Our final decision of course will be subject to our usual budgetary arrangements, our next budget of course being in May of 2009.
So it was a very successful meeting, a lot of very good work is being done, we’re very pleased with the progress. Particularly we’re very pleased now with the spirit of cooperation of the partnership that RAMSI is now carrying forward with the Solomon Islands Government.
Thank you Mr Chairman.
Solomon Islands Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. William Haomae
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
In addition to what the Chairman and the Minister for Foreign Affairs have said, or course in Solomon Islands we defer to our guests, so that is the reason why the Foreign Affairs Minister of Australia would have to speak before me.
The Solomon Islands Government is very grateful for the progress made so far. We are satisfied, and as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Solomon Islands, I am happy with the outcome of the meeting, and we are very appreciative of the progress made so far. In addition to what the Chairman has mentioned, I just want to add something on the matter of procedure, because that was raised by the media during the previous meeting of the Forum Ministers’ meeting in February this year. The press release on the meeting has already is now in the hands of the media, I presume. The Forum Ministers’ meeting has come up with an outcome. The Ministers will be reporting to the Forum leaders’ meeting in Niue. Foreign Ministers do not issue communiqués. Any communiqué will have to be issued by the leaders’ meeting in Niue. That is an explanation I wish to make, because that was an issue that was raised by the media in the last meeting, I think from the Opposition in the Solomon Islands so I wish to clarify that point.
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs for Papua New Guinea, Hon. Sali Subam
Thank you, Chairman.
I really haven’t got much to say in this gesture of statements to be heard from the leaders, but on behalf of the region, it is important that we give some degree of appreciation to the Australian Government for how Australian Government has come at a time when it was crucial in this aid of funding, particularly, to this RAMSI program, and as a region we’d like to appreciate through the Foreign Affairs Minister the commitment of the Australian Government and we believe that this commitment in terms of financial support to this mandated RAMSI program is going to conti8nue to bring some tangible change into the Government of the Solomon Islands. That is why we embrace this partnership and cooperative team spirit of understanding the significance of how this RAMSI is going to continue to progress and move forward the status, both political status, economical status and social status of this country.
Our Chairman, in his second leadership in this meeting, has done a remarkable contribution in taking further the spirit of this RAMSI, and it is the realisation of how much effort we have put as a nation in seeing the results that are beginning to turn out to be impacting the livelihood of every citizen of this nation. From Papua New Guinea’s point of view, we realise that vital role that Australia has played in this RAMSI program.
Mr Chairman, no other chairman could have given the drive in this occasion. I stand to join the other colleagues to commend you for bringing us further into this level, and we look forward to the outcomes of the next meeting in Niue. But with the well coordinated commitment of the different committees who had been tasked, so that the level in which the progress is going to take place that can lead to some decisions that we are going to make, is truly going to depend upon this committee’s work.
So equally like what is our mandate as a Ministerial group, the committee level groups is very, very important to prepare for the next meeting. But the Foreign Affairs Minister for Australia, coming with a very gracious presentation of what the budget support is going to be like to this RAMSI program is seen as another further solid commitment of Australia’s plan in this region.
Thank you very much.
Associate Minister for Foreign Affairs of Niue, Hon. Billy Talagi
Thank you, Chairman.
Firstly I would like to endorse the appreciation of the Standing Committee at this meeting, knowing that at the last meeting our former Premier was a member of the Committee. We have now had a change of government in which our Premier was supposed to be at this meeting, but unfortunately he is busy with preparation for the Forum, which will be held in Niue this month, which enables me as an Associate Minister to attend.
This is the first meeting that I have attended with RAMSI and I have learned a lot of what’s going on, and appreciate all that has been done by every organisation, especially the RAMSI, the ECM, Australia and the Solomon Islands Government in getting to have a dialogue which proves in progress at the moment which have been stated by the Chair and by Australia. It is very enlightening to know that the program has progressed extensively up until now, and we hope that it will continue. I also like to extend an invitation to Niue next month, because Niue will be the chair of the next Forum. I wish also to thank the current Chair, the Honourable Minister from Tonga, for the hard work that he has done during the past year. Lastly I would like to thank the Solomon Islands Government, the Foreign Minister, for being a great host to the Committee and all who participated at this Forum RAMSI meeting.
Thank you.
Journalist – National Express: Why has it taken the Solomon Islands Government so long ….and the review has not been dealt with by the Government? Is that not going to affect the wider process of review by the Government?
Mr William Haomae: Thank you. I take it that you are referring to the 2007 review report about the Forum. We have received advice from the Speaker of the National Parliament that there was no need for the report to be submitted to a Parliamentary select committee to deliberate on the report, and hence the Government has appointed a committee of officials consisting of permanent secretaries to deal with the report, to analyse the report and then report to the Cabinet. Once the Cabinet makes a decision on the submissions by the permanent secretaries, the officials, then the Prime Minister will of course announce the Solomon Islands’ position on it at the new Forum. That is the answer to that particular question.
On the other question of the review, the Foreign Relations Committee will be tasked after the meeting this month to review RAMSI. I do not wish to preempt what the Foreign Relations Committee may come up with, but the Government has in fact requested the Speaker of Parliament to give the task of reviewing RAMSI to the Foreign Relations Committee – Standing Committee, not a select committee. Thank you.
Journalist – OneTV: As RAMSI’s main financial contributor, what is your view of Japan’s request to contribute to RAMSI?
Mr Smith: Australia very much supports Japanese involvement in our region. Japanese engagement in the Pacific is an unambiguously good thing. When Foreign Minister (Masahiko) Koumura raised the issue with me in Kyoto recently I indicated that I would raise the issue at the forthcoming Standing Committee Meeting to get a view, that it was not a decision for Australia to make – it is obviously an issue for the Standing Committee or for the Forum itself. But my attitude, Australia’s attitude is we welcome Japanese engagement in the Pacific, we welcome their offer. We do need through the Secretariat to ascertain the view of Forum members, and also to more precisely identify what form of assistance the Japanese may be able to provide.
There are two issues here which need to be considered. One is an offer by Japan which Ministers welcome. The second is there is regional integrity to RAMSI. Authority from RAMSI comes not just as a result of the actions of the Solomon Islands Government, but also comes from the Pacific Islands Forum and the regional integrity of that Forum, so it’s a question of weighing up those considerations.
I think Ministers are positively disposed to that consideration, and the information we require we expect to have at our next meeting and we can deal with that in six months’ time, but from a general point of view Australia very much encourages Japanese engagement in the Pacific, and this is an example which in my view we’re keen to encourage, provided we balance the regional architectural requirements of RAMSI itself.
Journalist – Solomon Star: Has the timeframe for RAMSI been discussed?
Mr Smith: There was no discussion of the timeframe for RAMSI, but there are two general principles which apply, and I referred to one earlier, which is the new phase, the new partnership, the new RAMSI partnership, the basis on which we’ve been proceeding since our February meeting, is to more precisely coincide RAMSI’s capacity building efforts, or nation building efforts, to coincide those more precisely with the priorities of the Solomon Islands.
The second thing is, this may well be a long haul endeavour. We didn’t have a conversation about timetable because the job’s not yet done, and the way in which we view, Australia views, that job is initially there was a very serious need for the restoration of peace and stability, a security need.
In the last couple of years we’ve seen very substantial improvements in that, and so now the job moves from securing peace and stability to nation building. And that’s where I think the refreshing change came in February where there was unanimity that we had got sufficient stability in peace and security terms to move to the next phase, whether it’s RAMSI assistance or bilateral assistance on education, on infrastructure, on health, on any of these matters. So we haven’t put a timetable on the length that RAMSI will be required. We’ll make that judgement by viewing the outcomes.
For the present, we’re all very much in agreement that it’s a good partnership going forward, we want that partnership to bring better living standards and prosperity and better service delivery to the people of the Solomons. And this point is very much the view of the Solomon Islands Government as well, that the ultimate responsibility for that has to go to the Solomon Islands Government, which is why we now see, in a sense, a transferring of emphasis to the priorities of the Solomon Islands, and the priorities of the Solomon Islands Government.
Journalist – Solomon Star: What is your view on the Solomon Islands review of RAMSI?
Mr Smith: All Ministers were happy to support the proposal put forward by our colleague from the Solomon Islands. RAMSI has nothing to fear from a review of its procedures, a review of its arrangements. Doing a review is a good thing. The Solomon Islands Government have determined to review the 2007 report through high ranking officials. The results of that review will be considered by both the Solomon Islands Government, and by the Standing Committee of Forum Ministers.
It’s a good thing from time to time to review operations. In our own way we did that in February as a Standing Committee when we embarked upon the new framework and the new partnership, so RAMSI has nothing to fear from the review. The review of itself I think will be a good thing. It is always helpful to take stock from time to time to see whether the things that you’re doing have improved, or whether your priorities need to be changed, or whether you need to bring some slight changes to the way which you’re operating. The review itself will be a good thing, conducted as it will be by high ranking officials in the Solomon Islands Government.
Journalist – Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation : Which areas has the Solomon Islands Government singled out for development assistance from RAMSI?
Mr William Haomae: The Government, in consultation with RAMSI, has come up with a Partnership Framework, and the Partnership Framework actually reflects the priority areas of the CNURA (Coalition for National Unity and Rural Advancement) Government. The Forum Ministers meeting has tasked officials consisting of RAMSI, the Forum Secretariat and the Solomon Islands Government to work on the draft framework, which will be the basis for the work of RAMSI in Solomon Islands. So that is what is happening now. The Government in consultation with RAMSI has formulated a Partnership Framework and once this Framework is … (inaudible) … the Framework will go to the Forum Ministers meeting in December, after the officials have deliberated on that particular Framework, but yes, the Framework actually outlines the Solomon Islands Government priority areas. It is a document of the Government so I do not want to delve into the details of it, but that has been done.
Journalist – OneNews: Is there concern that the Government is politicising RAMSI’s activities? (paraphrased)
Mr William Haomae: If I may respond to that particular question, with anything that may fall outside the current mandate of RAMSI, and is included in the Framework, that will have to be decided by the leaders, at the leaders’ level. It won’t be decided by the officials. So if anything to do with the areas that are within the current mandate of RAMSI, then it will be dealt with through the mechanism that is in place, but in areas that fall outside the mandate of RAMSI, then it will have to be decided by the Forum leaders.
Journalist – OneNews: Have the Forum Ministers discussed the recent case in which two RAMSI officers were involved in an accident which claimed the life of the local woman, and that the family has asked for $500,000 worth of compensation? Has this been discussed at all?
Sonatane Tu’a Taumoepeau Tupou: This was an issue which we discussed this morning. We expressed profound regret that there was a death involved in this, and that RAMSI Special Coordinator and the Government of Samoa are working on a formula for this particular incident. It is a tragic incident. It is one of the first, I think, in the five years since RAMSI. But a death is a death and it has been addressed, so it is left to the Coordinator and the Government of Samoa. The Government of Samoa, I might add, is very concerned, and I think they have expressed their condolences and they are looking at the formula for addressing this tragic event.
[Ends]
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