The Region in Review: International Issues and Events, 1995
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The Region in Review: International Issues and Events, 1995 The resumption of French nuclear test- tion to the French test resumption in ing was the international issue that the United Nations, in Europe, and most preoccupied the Pacific Island in France itself. New Zealand also states in 1995. Nonetheless, concerns employed diplomatic sanctions and, in about sustainable development and September, unsuccessfully attempted to the search for ways to promote it revive its 1973 case against French remained high on the regional agenda. nuclear testing in the International In this respect, Australia became Court of Justice. ever more insistent in its attempts to The concerted campaign by regional encourage responsible management of nations to stop the tests was led by natural resources on the part of island Australia, which used its position as governments, particularly with regard chair of the South Pacific Forum to to logging in Melanesia. In the year maximize the regional response. Aus- under review mineral exploitation was tralia drafted a statement of protest to once more the object of controversy. France issued on behalf of the Forum Apart from the continuing conflict in and led a delegation to Paris in June. Bougainville, there were compensa- Forum environment ministers met in tion claims by landowners at the Ok Brisbane in August to discuss the eco- Tedi mine, and, most disturbing, the logical impact of the impending French Indonesian military perpetrated a test series. They issued a communiqué series of human rights abuses against arguing that the tests would contra- West Papuans near the Freeport mine vene two international environment in Irian Jaya. treaties to which France was party The June announcement by newly (sprep and unclos). Their request for elected French President Jacques an independent scientific mission to Chirac that a final series of nuclear undertake an environmental impact weapons tests would be held in French assessment at the site before testing Polynesia provoked an angry response commenced was refused by France. from the region. Islander concerns As part of the antinuclear protest focused on the dangers underground the Forum considered a proposal to tests posed to the environment and to boycott the tenth Pacific Games to be the health of people living in the vicin- hosted by French Polynesia in August, ity of the test sites. Antinuclear senti- but ultimately most Forum countries ment was also driven by fears that a decided to participate in the event. At test resumption would set back or pos- its twenty-sixth annual meeting, held sibly derail negotiations for a compre- 13–15 September in Madang, Papua hensive test ban treaty. New Guinea, the Forum issued a Unilateral measures by Australia strong collective statement condemn- included the suspension of elements of ing the resumption of French testing defense cooperation with France and a several days earlier. The declaration diplomatic offensive to rally opposi- called on France to pay compensation 410 political reviews • the region 411 for any environmental damage caused youth because of their low socio- by the tests. The sixteen nations also economic status in the territory. warned that if France proceeded with a Nevertheless, nuclear testing has second test its status as a post-Forum not acted as a catalyst for rapid decol- Dialogue Partner would be suspended. onization. The majority of Tahitians This threat to sever diplomatic ties still do not support secessionist parties, with France was carried out by Sir mainly because of the territory’s over- Julius Chan, the new chair of the whelming economic dependence on Forum, in the wake of another explo- France. In addition, the Madang sion in early October. Forum declined to link its antinuclear Pacific Islanders were not appeased campaign with decolonization, noting by hastily formulated French commit- that the future of French Pacific depen- ments to shut down the test site, sign dencies was a matter to be decided by the protocols to the South Pacific France and the territories. However, Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, and adhere the Forum did announce its intention to a zero-yield comprehensive test ban to scrutinize preparations for New once the planned test series was com- Caledonia’s 1998 referendum on inde- pleted. Instead island governments pendence. demonstrated their determination to On a positive note, delegates to the oppose French testing in various ways. Madang Forum felt there had been For example, Western Samoa banned progress with regard to fisheries in visits to its territory by French military 1995. In particular, Forum members ships and planes, the Cook Islands sent welcomed the adoption in August of a protest canoe to Moruroa, and the Agreement for the Implementation Nauru and Kiribati suspended diplo- of the Provisions of the United Nations matic relations with France after the Convention of the Law of the Sea first test. Popular protests throughout (unclos) relating to the conservation the region maintained the momentum and management of straddling fish of the antinuclear campaign. stocks and highly migratory fish The resumption of testing revived stocks. The agreement opened for sig- regional interest in the remnants of nature in December. Forum leaders felt French colonialism in the Pacific, espe- that comprehensive regional fisheries cially French Polynesia. Protests by the management arrangements, and a Tahitian independence movement structure in line with unclos obliga- received extensive and sympathetic tions to administer them, should be coverage in the international media developed as a matter of urgency. and attracted rhetorical support from Member countries of the Forum regional leaders. France was widely Fisheries Agency (ffa) continued their held responsible for provoking the campaign to obtain multilateral fishing destructive riots that took place in access arrangements with Asian coun- Pape‘ete after the first test in Septem- tries, similar to the one that currently ber. These riots erupted not only in exists with the United States. Ffa mis- response to the nuclear test, but also as sions were sent to Korea and Taiwan a result of disaffection by indigenous to discuss this proposal, and these two 412 the contemporary pacific • fall 1996 countries look likely to be the first to involvement in the Forum Fisheries agree to multilateral terms, whereas Agency. Japan remained suspicious of the con- Overexploitation of timber re- cept and preferred bilateral ties. In mained an issue of great concern to the recent years, one of the region’s bar- Forum and, notably, to Australia as the gaining strengths with distant-water region’s primary aid donor. Asian tim- fishing nations has been a unified ber companies, mainly from Malaysia, approach to fisheries negotiations, but continued to log Melanesian forests at cracks were beginning to appear in ffa unsustainable levels and provided solidarity. The Federated States of inadequate financial returns to host Micronesia has expressed the view that governments. Vanuatu had earlier initi- countries rich in tuna, like itself and ated controls to stop the rapacious Kiribati, are not getting a fair deal out exploitation of its forests. The Papua of the multilateral treaty with the New Guinea government was under United States, because they are effec- extreme pressure from the World Bank tively subsidizing other ffa countries to improve its forestry practices as a with fewer fish stocks. FSM Foreign condition for receiving a major loan. Minister Asterio Takesy claimed sub- In the Solomon Islands, however, logs regional and bilateral fisheries access continue to be harvested at several arrangements had been more beneficial times the sustainable rate. Systematic to his country in the past and could logging of West Papuan forests is also well be so in the future. under way but, as a province of Indo- The Forum Fisheries Agency contin- nesia, Irian Jaya is beyond the purview ued its efforts to prevent poaching and of the Forum. increase returns from fish stocks to the The Madang Forum wanted to island nations. Plans are underway by adopt a “Code of Conduct on Log- the agency to develop a vessel monitor- ging” to enforce sustainable forestry ing system to be installed on foreign management in the principal Pacific fishing vessels; it would greatly facili- logging countries. Because of stiff tate ffa’s monitoring of vessel move- resistance from the Melanesian states, ments and catch reports. Another issue the code was endorsed but not for- of concern to the agency is that, mally adopted. As a result it is not despite the huge catch taken in Pacific legally binding and, if they see fit, indi- waters, the fishing industry provides vidual countries can continue unsus- few jobs for Pacific Islanders. It is tainable logging practices. In a devising schemes to promote more separate move, the Australian govern- high seas fishing by local vessels and to ment decided in December to ban encourage foreign companies to use imports of timber from countries that services and facilities in the islands do not have appropriately managed themselves. Finally, Director Victorio forests, in line with a United Nations Uherbelau recommended that the Tropical Timber Agreement recently French and United States Pacific terri- signed by Australia. tories either have associate member- The Solomon Islands had begun to ship or some other form of increased implement forestry reforms under the political reviews • the region 413 government of Billy Hilly. These tor and terminated support for the reforms included the establishment of Timber Control Unit. This measure a Timber Control Unit funded by Aus- amounted to an annual reduction in tralia to curb malpractice by foreign bilateral aid from a$11.2 million to timber companies. The change in a$9 million. The funds were to be government and return to power of diverted to “more responsible” Pacific Solomon Mamaloni in late 1994 led to Island countries. these reforms being reversed in 1995.