Latest news with #SurangelWhippsJr
RNZ News
6 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Palau advocated for Taiwan participation at Pac Islands Forum
Palau's President Surangel Whipps Jr. says if Taiwan is booted out of this year's Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in Solomon Islands, the conference must be relocated.
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Pacific news in brief for 16 May
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has suggested changes to how motions of no confidence in the country are moved. Manele said there must be a balance between the right to move a motion of no-confidence, and protecting parliamentary processes from being abused. Two motions of no confidence against his Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) have been moved within a year in office, but ultimately withdrawn. SIBC reported Manele told parliament on Monday he will bring a paper to Cabinet to appoint a task force to do these reforms. Palau's President Surangel Whipps Jr has signed an executive order creating a working group to better protect Palau's ocean. He has called it a "whole government approach in securing Palau's waters." The Island Times reported the Coordinated Maritime Management Working Group brings together top officials from government agencies to respond more quickly and effectively to ocean-related threats. These include illegal fishing, safety emergencies, or foreign intrusions in Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone. The working group will be led jointly by the Bureau of Public Safety and the Bureau of Marine Transportation. Under the order, the group will meet monthly at the Joint Operations Center to review incidents at sea - such as search and rescue operations or encounters with suspicious vessels - and will also develop procedures, run annual training exercises, and work with foreign partners and the private sector. Cook Islands traditional leaders want cultural knowledge to be integrated into the teaching curriculum. The House of Ariki has developed an education manifesto at a four-day workshop alongside the education ministry of and Conservation International. It sets out recommendations for education to be built on indigenous knowledge. Conservation International spokesperson Schannel van Dijken said that many countries in the region have not been teaching their own history and culture. "Some of the core recommendations from that coming out, that's articulated in that document, is making Cook Islands Māori language instruction compulsory from preschool through to secondary levels; integrating traditional knowledge and cultural practices throughout the curriculum." Pat Conroy has retained his position in Cabinet following Tuesday's ministerial changes announced by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Conroy will continue as Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs. In a statement, he said he will continue to build positive relations with the Pacific family as part of the Albanese Government's commitment to supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous future for Australia and our region. Conroy said defence spending under the Albanese government had reached record levels, and he would continue to focus on strengthening the Australian Defence Force and local defence manufacturing.
The Guardian
08-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Palau president backs Australia's bid to host Cop31 climate summit after Dutton labels it ‘madness'
The president of Palau has strongly backed an Australian bid to host a UN climate conference on behalf of the Pacific, arguing that it would boost regional solidarity and clean energy investment and he would be 'deeply disappointed' if the attempt were abandoned under the Coalition. Speaking in Sydney, Surangel Whipps Jr stressed he did not want to offer a view on the Australian election but said leaders should heed the results of a Lowy Institute survey that suggested 70% of the population supported Labor's proposal for the country hosting the Cop31 climate summit late next year. His comments follow the Australian opposition leader, Peter Dutton, last week telling journalists that hosting the annual UN conference would cost 'tens of billions of taxpayers' dollars' and describing it as 'madness' and 'not something we're supporting'. Whipps, who was re-elected as leader of the US-aligned western Pacific nation in November and is in Australia to speak at a Smart Energy Council conference on Thursday, said it did not make sense to say Cop31 would cost billions – 'maybe they need to retool the math' – and that whatever was spent should be seen as an investment. Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter 'It's an investment in your Pacific brothers and sisters, it's an investment in ensuring that we have a healthy planet, it's an investment in ensuring that we build that Pacific solidarity and partnership that we need to have,' he said. 'Australia is the biggest island in the [Pacific Islands Forum] and needs to take that leadership role, and I'm hoping that the Australian public will continue to support us. I know it's easy these days to look inwardly, and any dollar spent sometimes we think is a waste of money, and it's important that we scrutinise – but at the same time let's be fair and use facts and really weigh the benefits.' Palau is an archipelago of more than 500 islands north of West Papua and east of the Philippines with a population of about 20,000. It is due to host a Pacific Islands Forum meeting three months before next year's Cop. Asked what its people would think if Australia decided not to bid for the event after three years of lobbying under Labor, Whipps said: 'I think we would be deeply disappointed.' He said countries in the Pacific were a 'civic family' and Australia was like 'an older sibling who is taking the lead and supposed to be caring for all of us'. 'We have common challenges and it's so important that we support each other in whatever endeavours that we're doing,' he said. Australia is vying with Turkey to host Cop31. A decision is due by the Cop30 summit in the Brazilian city of Belem in November, and possibly earlier. Australia has had broad support within a group of 29 largely western European countries responsible for deciding next year's host but the negotiation is a consensus process and Turkey has resisted significant pressure to withdraw its bid. It is not clear which city would host the event if the Pacific were successful. The South Australian government has launched a campaign that it should be in Adelaide, suggesting it would draw more than 30,000 people and could be worth $500m to the state. Sydney is also a possible candidate. Whipps said he hoped a Pacific Cop would help trigger investment in renewable energy across the region similar to the increase in Australia's main grid from about 20% to nearly 50% over the past five years. Labor has a goal of 82% of the country's electricity coming from renewable sources by 2030. The Coalition says it would slow the rollout and use more gas and coal if elected. Sign up to Afternoon Update: Election 2025 Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key election campaign stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion He said much of the Pacific still relied on diesel generators for electricity. Palau gets about 20% of its power from solar energy but Whipps said it would need support to expand further and overcome challenges in integrating it into their system. 'I think it would be fantastic to push for 100% renewable energy in the Pacific,' he said. 'We know the cost of diesel for us is much higher than coal. 'If we can have renewable energy at competitive rates to coal, as you have already demonstrated is possible in Australia, that seems like a win-win.' Some critics have said Australia should not host a Cop31 due to it being one of the world's biggest fossil fuel exporters. Whipps said his view was that countries that sold coal and gas were meeting a global demand and if they wanted to host a climate summit 'we should embrace them and we should help them because they're trying to be part of the solution'. 'It's a good thing that Australia will be willing to host because this is their opportunity to lead and show the world that there are alternatives,' he said. Whipps said if the bid were successful he hoped a 'Pacific champion' would be appointed to promote the region and the challenges it faces as the planet heats, including the importance of what is happening in oceans. 'We should look at how we can ensure that we have these healthy oceans, which are so critical to the survival of the planet,' he said. The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, last month said Labor hoped to host a climate summit and he would have 'more to say about that in the campaign'.
