View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ScholarSpace at University of Hawai'i at Manoa Political Reviews Micronesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 michael lujan bevacqua, elizabeth ua ceallaigh bowman, monica c labriola, clement yow mulalap Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 peter clegg, lorenz gonschor, margaret mutu, chris nobbs, ‘umi perkins, steven ratuva, forrest wade young The Contemporary Pacic, Volume 30, Number 1, 125–213 © 2018 by University of Hawai‘i Press 125 Micronesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 Reviews of Kiribati, Nauru, Northern independence, with varying degrees of Marianas, and Palau are not included success. in this issue. The assumption of the chair of the Forum—a one-year term—was a Federated States diplomatic and political coup for the of Micronesia FSM, marking the first-ever chairing The Federated States of Microne- of the Forum by the FSM govern- sia (FSM) enjoyed a season of calm ment, but it was nearly derailed before during the period under review, it began. When a Forum member certainly in contrast to the tumult of assumes the chair, it typically hosts recent years. But in foreign relations, all other Forum members in its ter- the federation grappled with tempera- ritory for a major annual meeting. mental and tempestuous regional The gathering is a significant logisti- and international forces, even as it cal challenge, where the new chair attempted to enhance its stature as a welcomes not just the Forum members constructive member of the interna- from the Pacific but also “dialogue tional community. partners” from around the globe, Two major developments domi- including the United States, China, nated the foreign side of the ledger for and Japan. The FSM was slated to the FSM during the period in review: host the forty- seventh meeting of the the assumption by the FSM govern- Forum from 7 to 11 September 2016 ment of the chair of the Pacific Islands in Pohnpei. A few months before the Forum, an intergovernmental group- meeting, however, FSM government ing of independent and self- governing officials publicly expressed concerns states in the Pacific (including Austra- about the logistical capacity of Pohn- lia and New Zealand) whose stated pei to host the meeting, particularly in aim is to enhance the economic and terms of lodging. In response, the FSM social well-being of its members government asked foreign delega- through cooperation between those tions attending the meeting to limit governments and relevant regional their delegations to heads of state or and international agencies (pifs heads of government, their spouses, 2017); and an escalation of efforts by and five support personnel for each the Government of Guam to address delegation—a tall task for Forum the growing number of inmates members such as Australia and New in Guam prisons from the FSM, Zealand, as well as the major dialogue including through unprecedented partners, all of which typically bring and legally questionable means. In large delegations and hordes of media each situation, the FSM attempted to personnel to the annual Forum meet- navigate various thorny issues while ings (KP, 23 June 2016). projecting an aura of authority and By the time the Forum meeting 126 political reviews • micronesia 127 rolled around, the FSM government vulnerabilities to climate change and seemed to have addressed the logisti- disasters and to mainstream relevant cal hassles involved—including by management approaches throughout enlisting homestays to accommodate their policy making in all sectors, excess participants—and so the gov- ideally in time for the entry into force ernment was able to turn its attention of the Paris Agreement on climate to substantive discussions. The meet- change (pifu 2016a). The FSM gov- ing’s official theme was “Small and ernment was already well situated to Far: Challenges for Growth” (Wyeth carry out the frdp, because the FSM 2016). In addressing the theme, the had enacted a law in January 2014 meeting tackled a wide range of that called on all departments and line regional issues, including fisheries, agencies of the FSM government to maritime surveillance, pacer-Plus incorporate climate change and natu- trade negotiations, the 2030 Agenda ral disaster risk management into their for Sustainable Development, and annual budgeting and policy making climate change (fsmis, 19 Sept 2016). (fsmis, 9 Jan 2014). The adoption of On climate change, the smaller, devel- the frdp was an example of the FSM oping members of the Forum banded government using its position as chair together to push for a proposal from of the Forum to push for an issue the Forum to the Green Climate Fund, of importance and relevance for the which is a mechanism under the FSM—and whose operationalization United Nations Framework Conven- would not be a major new burden for tion on Climate Change (unfccc) the FSM government. that finances adaptation and mitiga- Forum Leaders also adopted the tion projects. Stressing the difficulty Pohnpei Ocean Statement: A Course they experience in accessing the Green to Sustainability. In acknowledgment Climate Fund and similar funds, these of the centrality of the ocean to the members called on the developed cultures, identities, and livelihoods members of the Forum (ie, Australia of Forum members, the document and New Zealand) to assist them in canvasses various threats to the ocean their efforts to access the funds (rnz and to its potential uses for sustain- 2016a). Additionally, and of more able economic development, including immediate consequence, the Forum marine pollution; ocean acidification; Leaders endorsed the Framework for coral reef degradation; and illegal, Resilient Development in the Pacific: unreported, and unregulated fishing. An Integrated Approach to Address It calls for the enactment and perpetu- Climate Change and Disaster Risk ation of genuine and durable “part- Management (frdp). With memo- nerships for action” in relation to ries of widespread devastation from ocean-based sustainable development, Typhoon Maysak and Cyclones Pam as articulated in the samoa Pathway and Winston still fresh in the minds adopted by the Third International of Forum members, the frdp casts Conference on Small Island Develop- climate change and natural disasters ing States in 2014 (UN Conference on as potent development challenges and Small Island Developing States 2014). calls on Forum members to address The Pohnpei Ocean Statement also 128 the contemporary pacific • 30:1 (2018) endorses the convening of an inter- West Papua tested the ability of the governmental conference to negoti- FSM as Forum chair to corral diver- ate an international legally binding gent views and produce a consensus instrument to regulate the conserva- outcome. With various governmental tion and sustainable use of marine and nongovernmental organizations biological diversity of areas beyond in the region pushing for broad and national jurisdiction (eg, the high sustained involvement of the Forum seas), in order to address major gaps in the issue, there was general recog- in international ocean governance nition among Forum members that (pifs 2016b). The FSM has been a the Forum meeting in Pohnpei had to major player in the push for such a address the matter in some substantive conference, including in negotiations form (rnz 2016b). at the United Nations. Prior to the holding of the annual In addition to advocating for the Forum meeting, the FSM gave a hint adoption of two major outcome docu- of how it might approach the issue ments, the FSM officially joined the as chair. On 23 August 2016, Presi- Smaller Island States (sis), a subgroup dent Christian received a delegation of Forum members (ie, Cook Islands, dispatched by the Government of Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Solomon Islands to inform him about Niue, Palau, and Tuvalu, in addition the Pacific Islands Coalition for West to the FSM) established in 2006 to Papua (an initiative spearheaded facilitate the provision of technical, by the Prime Minister of Solomon logistical, and financial assistance Islands, the Honorable Manasseh to Forum members characterized by Sogavare), and to invite President limited development capacities and Christian to attend the inaugural fragile and vulnerable natural environ- meeting of the coalition the follow- ments (pifs 2016b). FSM President ing week. Solomon Islands has taken Peter M Christian called the induc- the lead in recent years in pushing tion of the FSM a “great honour” for international support for the that the FSM had “wanted for a long self-determination aspirations of the time” (Maclellan 2016). With the people of West Papua, as well as for FSM seated, the sis tackled several international condemnation of alleged critical issues, including the develop- human rights abuses suffered by the ment and broadening of regional air people of West Papua (including transport options (eg, Air Niugini and bodily harm in addition to the stifling Air Nauru service into the FSM) and of self-determination initiatives) at the the crafting of a joint proposal of sis hands of the Government of Indo- members to the Green Climate Fund, nesia, the administering authority in all in accordance with a regional strat- West Papua (Wyeth 2017). Recogniz- egy adopted by the sis earlier in 2016 ing that reality, President Christian’s (pifu 2016b). response to the delegation took two The Forum meeting was not all tacks: On the one hand, self-determi- smooth sailing, however. The ques- nation should be a matter resolved tion of how to address the self-deter- internally and with the support and mination struggles of the people of involvement of all concerned parties; political reviews • micronesia 129 but on the other hand, human rights to Indonesia and internal processes are universal rights that must not be rather than substantive involvement of denied to any people, and the interna- the Forum in the matter.