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Niue: Frustrated over lack of support

Thursday 28 August 2014 | Published in Regional

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Niue’s premier Toke Talagi says he is frustrated by a lack of financial support for the Smaller Island States Unit of the Pacific Islands Forum and is considering leaving the sub-group.

The Smaller Island States Unit was established by the Pacific Islands Forum in 2006 to provide special financial benefits and support for smaller islands and ensure the needs of these states are adequately represented at the forum.

Talagi says the unit has made no difference to the smaller island states.

“We’re promised assistance but at the end of the day, over the past three or four, five years since I’ve been part of the Forum there’s been no substantial difference in the manner in which we are treated versus those in the larger countries,” he said.

“We don’t get any special assistance from the donor funding, we don’t get any special allocation of resources provided for the Pacific Islands Forum from regional institutions.

“So I don’t see any particular reason why we should continue.”

Many initiatives to support the Smaller Island States Unit have been floated by PIF member states.

Cook Islands have suggested the Forum set aside a percentage of donor funds especially for smaller island states, while Papua New Guinea wants to open a regional office to process offers to the unit.

He says such initiatives would be welcome, but is sceptical they will become a reality.

“I’d like to see some more tangible, practical assistance, particularly in terms of financial resources to enable small island states to respond to such things as climate change and sustainable economic development for our countries,” Talagi said.

“To date nothing has transpired, so I got frustrated.”

Members of the Smaller Island States Unit include Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau and Tuvalu.

Niue’s fellow member states have urged Talagi to remain in the group.

At the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau last month, Tuvalu’s prime minister Enele Sopoaga urged the small island states to stay focused on working together.

“The main idea is to continue to be on the same canoe and use leverage to voice our concerns, unique concerns, to the wider forum membership and of course to the wider international community,” he said.

Palau president Tommy Remengassau shared Sopoaga’s sentiment.

“Only as a unified group can we present our unique issues in a unified fashion, and we are trying to do that,” Remengassau said.