First Māori Voice Opens UN Oceans Conference, Pushing For Marine Legal Rights
The United Nations Oceans Conference commenced today with a significant opening address that championed the Rights of Nature for all marine life, including the groundbreaking concept of legal personhood for whales. This pivotal message was delivered by Dr. Mere Takoko, CEO of the Pacific Whale Fund, alongside Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Director of Research at CNRS and co-chair of the One Ocean Science Congress. French President Emmanuel Macron was in attendance, highlighting the global significance of these discussions for the future of our oceans.
The opening presentation underscored the critical role of science and Indigenous knowledge to foster effective, culturally appropriate marine conservation and unlock vital nature finance. "Indigenous knowledge is not just a cultural heritage; it is a profound scientific methodology, honed over millennia of intimate coexistence with the ocean," stated Dr. Takoko. "Our traditional ecological insights are crucial for understanding marine ecosystems, their delicate balances, and the sustainable practices essential for their long-term health. This presentation marks a pivotal honour for the Pacific Whale Fund, demonstrating how Indigenous-led Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are a proven model for both ecological and financial success."
The Pacific Whale Fund and Moananui Sanctuary Trust emphasise that integrating Indigenous knowledge and holistic frameworks, deeply rooted in interconnectedness, is essential for integrated marine restoration. These initiatives exemplify the power of blending traditional wisdom with modern science, not only delivering effective conservation outcomes but also ensuring cultural appropriateness and community well-being.
The presentation served as a powerful call to action for global decision-makers to actively seek out and respectfully integrate Indigenous knowledge into all facets of marine conservation, recognising it as a powerful, proven pathway to a thriving ocean. The advocacy for the legal personhood of whales, a key initiative of the Pacific Whale Fund, represents a groundbreaking approach to marine protection, offering a new paradigm for our relationship with the ocean's most magnificent creatures.
The Pacific Whale Fund is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to ocean conservation through innovative legal, financial, and cultural frameworks, championing the recognition of whales as legal persons and the establishment of protected marine sanctuaries guided by ancestral wisdom.
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Empire In The Antipodes: Why The FBI's Wellington Office Is A Threat ToAotearoa
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The narratives of 'cybercrime' and 'child exploitation' are being used to justify foreign policing on Indigenous land, while drawing historical and contemporary connections to colonialism, Five Eyes hegemony, and capitalist control. Policing Beyond Borders The Federal Bureau of Investigation is, by legal definition, a domestic agency. It exists to enforce U.S. federal law on U.S. soil. Yet the FBI now operates over 60 Legal Attaché offices around the world, and the new Wellington branch has been upgraded to become one of them, tasked with responsibility not only for Aotearoa but also for Niue, Samoa, the Cook Islands, Tonga, and even Antarctica. This is a global policing project masquerading as international cooperation. The FBI has been present in New Zealand since 2017, managed through its Canberra office. What has changed is that now, the FBI is no longer a guest, it is a tenant with its own office, its own staff, and its own extraterritorial power. FBI Director Kash Patel's visit to New Zealand was not just administrative, it was ideological. At a press conference, he made clear that the new office was about 'countering the influence of the Chinese Communist Party in the Indo-Pacific.' While New Zealand ministers such as Winston Peters and Judith Collins quickly distanced themselves from this overt geopolitical framing, the cat was already out of the bag. The FBI is not just here to stop online paedophiles or drug traffickers. It is here to enforce the strategic goals of the American empire. The backlash was immediate. Beijing condemned the comments as provocative and destabilising. Thousands of Kiwis expressed their anger online. Some posted furious responses on social media. This is not a fringe reaction. It is the instinct of people who know, whether consciously or intuitively, that what is being done in their name is not for their protection but for their submission. 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FLNKS chief negotiator Emmanuel Tjibaou, who is also UC's chair, told local reporters he understood his signature on the document meant a commitment to return to New Caledonia, explain the text and obtain the approval of the political base. "I didn't have a mandate to sign a political agreement, my mandate was to register the talks and bring them back to our people so that a decision can be didn't mean an acceptance on our part", he said, mentioning a "temporary" document subject to further discussions. Tjibaou said some amendments his delegation had put on the table in Bougival "went missing" in the final text. 'Bougival, it's over' "As far as we're concerned, Bougival, it's over", UC vice-president Mickaël Forrest said. He said the time was now to move onto a "post-Bougival phase". Meanwhile, the FLNKS also consulted its own "constitutionalists" to obtain legal advice and interpretation on the document. 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They party confirmed that it had "formally rejected the Bougival project of agreement as it stands" following a decision made by its steering committee on 26 July "Since the fundamentals of our struggle and the principles of decolonisation are not there". Negotiators no longer mandated The decision also means that every member of its negotiating team who signed the document on 12 July is now de facto demoted and no longer mandated by the party, until a new negotiating team is appointed, if required. "Union Calédonienne remains mobilised to arrive at a political agreement that takes into account the achievement of a trajectory towards full sovereignty". On Tuesday, FLNKS president Christian Téin, as an invited guest of Corsica's "Nazione" pro-independence movement, told French media he declared himself "individually against" the Bougival document, adding this was "far from being akin to full sovereignty". 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With Gaza Smouldering, Ministers Renew Push For Two-State Solution At UN
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