At the 2011 Pacific Islands Forum in Auckland New Zealand, the Cook Islands Government may be the only delegation with official NGO representation.
Kairangi Samuela of Punanga Tauturu Inc has been accredited to the Government delegation as an indication of the Government recognition of civil society and NGO partnerships in economic and social development. It is even more significant that it is a women’s NGO representative.[1]
Punanga Tauturu Inc (Cook Islands Women’s Counsellng Centre) is a Women and Children focused NGO whose objectives include creating a positive legal framework that recognizes the rights of women and children in accessing Justice in terms of domestic violence and other forms of gender based violence. They work to empower women through the provision of information and training programmes on legal literacy and human rights
The Cook Islands Prime Minister, Hon. Henry Puna agreed that Samuela be recognised as a member of the delegation and be included in debriefings and discussions during the Forum. Samuela acknowledges that it is a privilege to be given this level of access into Government negotiations and is working hard to understand how the processes work and identifying how NGOs can better influence the process during build up, and in the Forum itself.
Samuela says that she is quickly learning the different acronyms for organisations and understanding “diplomatic” talk in terms of negotiations. “These meetings are different from NGO meetings that are often loud and passionate and I am receiving support from various Government reps on the delegation in understanding the issues being raised, the ways to effectively engage in these spaces, and the opportunities for substantive impact.”
Where are the women?
Samuela says that the lack of women in decision making positions in the Pacific Islands is clearly obvious at the Forum meeting in Auckland. There is only one female representative (Timor Leste at ACP meeting) and also Government delegations are made mostly up of men. This is also visible in the delegations of the Crop Agencies of the Pacific, for example Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPF), and the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS).
It has been suggested that this may be due to the issues of discussion taking place at the Forum which include Tourism, Trade, Energy, Climate change, which are generally male dominated areas of skills and expertise. However, Samuela disputes this notion saying that if we look at the tourism industry across the Pacific these are mainly dominated by women workers, e.g. hotels, restaurants and other service sectors, which should make it even more important that women are promoted and recognised in outcomes documents at the highest level of talks. This is the case for many other Pacific industries.
“Regardless, it is essential that women are always adequately represented at all levels of decision-making, including in national parliaments, in local government and at Forum meetings”, says Kairangi Samuela.
It is also noted that there is a Forum section on the participation of women and the work being progressed in this area with UNWomen and the SPC in the Small Island States (SIS) discussion paper, and it is hoped that due seriousness and time is devoted to this discussion.
Climate Change funding?
Through the Small Island States (SIS) communiqué, the Premier of Niue had requested the Forum to develop stronger language to reflect the concerns of Pacific leaders in the delays in release of funds for financing Climate Change and also to recognise that climate change related impacts are already occurring and that assistance is urgently required.
The President of Kiribati also put forward a proposal to the SIS meeting to recommend that the Small Island States put forward stronger language to international talks on Climate Change issues. President Tong said that he had attended many international meetings regarding the COP discussion and is concerned that most of the language is about prevention with little recognition that work needs to be done now to address existing issues for many small island states. He is concerned that the International Committee seems to view Climate change as a mid level importance when Kiribati and other small island states view climate change work as urgent and impacts already at “extreme” levels, and that the small island states need to reiterate language that is reflective of this in the communiqué from the SIS.
He urged the small island states to mobilise now to deliver for the Durban COP17 talks in Nov-Dec this year to ensure that issues are attended to urgently including the need to address the release of funds for Climate change.
Punanga Tauturu believes that government and NGO delegations to COP17 and the Earth Summit in Rio+20 in July next year must support the meaningful participation of Pacific women, young people and Indigenous groups working on issues of gender, economic and ecological justice and human rights.
A recent statement by women advocates from across Pacific states indicated that the Pacific needs “policies and programs that empower communities, families and individuals, rather then exposing us to market assault and the changes in climate that affect land, livelihoods, handicrafts, indigenous medicines, staple food, symbolic wealth and our caring social relationships that include women’s informal networks of mutual support.” [2]
For more information: Kairangi Samuela, Punanga Tauturu Inc, Email: kairangi.samuel@gmail.com
Source: DAWN/Punanga Tauturu Inc.