Page 27 - IB FEB 2018

Opinion

Interconnected: The technical and ethics in a warming planet

tics and individual life- Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas spoke of how
styles to combat it. It en- in the Pacific, one in four Pacific people
courages admission that lived below their national basic-needs
“our common home” is poverty line, and called for stronger and
falling into serious disre- decisive global actions on equality and
pair, and urges that: “We human rights issues in the region.
should be particularly in- Of the alleged human rights violations
dignant at the enormous in West Papua, the Honourable Tabimas-
inequalities in our midst”. mas said: “We cannot continue to turn a
deaf ear to the long-standing allegations
Reflections, ex- of human rights abuses in West Papua.
changes In 2016, Pacific Islands Forum Leaders,
Pope Francis empha- in recognition of the importance of this
sised “the need for a issue, agreed that this issue remain on
global outlook, interna- their agenda.”
tional cooperation and
solidarity, and a shared The Technical and the Ethical
strategy, which can pre- On the eve of the papal audience, the
vent us from remaining Forum Leaders were hosted by the Gov-
Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna offers gift to Pope Francis indifferent in the face ernment of Australia to a dinner during
of grave problems such which His Excellency, Monsignor Paul Gal-
as the deterioration of lagher, the Vatican Secretary for Relations
the environment and of with States said that the Paris Agreement
the health of the oceans, was attentive to vulnerable countries, that
which is itself linked to it demonstrated a decisive moment for
the human and social environmental action and how collective
deterioration experienced action was always more effective.
by humanity today”. What struck me and something I believe
His Excellency Baron has been the core of what Pacific peoples
Waqa, the President of have been advocating for, through our
Nauru and incoming Pa- governments and the activism of our
cific Islands Forum Chair civil society, was Monsignor Gallagher’s
alluded to Pacific peoples’ reference to the “two legs” upon which
acknowledgement that we the Paris Agreement, or any other de-
are all responsible for tak- velopment agreement for that matter,
ing care of planet Earth, must stand on – the technical leg and the
and particularly as stew- ethical leg.
ards for the future popu- However successful we are and will
lace of The Blue Pacific. become with technology advances and
Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Tabimasmas meets Pope Francis “We are here to seek your in accessing and mobilising financial re-
support to strengthen our sources, the deterioration of our environ-
tions, choices made as individuals which message to the World. The 1.5 degrees ment and the earth’s system will continue
unabated until the States members of the
incubate consumerism and nurture a Celsius threshold for us is a matter of United Nations commit to including socio-
throw-away culture. It calls on humanity survival. There is no other choice for us,” cultural considerations. Approaches for
to approach societal issues in a holistic His Excellency Baron Waqa said.
manner, one that recognises technical The Prime Minister of Cook Islands, socio-economic well-being must recognise
advances and ethnical practices enhanc- Honourable Henry Puna described the that humanity play an enormous role
and if this is overlooked or disregarded,
ing each other, rather than choosing one ocean as our livelihood, emphasising our the benefits of our development will be
over the other. enduring stewardship responsibilities over forever skewed.
The papal audience reaffirmed the criti- it. One of the challenges shared by PM
cal importance of enhancing social respon- Puna was the nonchalant way that many A fundamental change of attitude in the
sibility with appropriate and strategic use who are not entirely reliant on the ocean way we live our lives is imperative, and
we must consider embracing such change
of our technical know-how and financial treat it and its resources, and as a result for all Pacific peoples, Prosperity and for
prowess, and discouraging the propensity how and why our fisheries continue to the Planet.
for global indifference. be plundered by illegal, unregulated and
Laudato Si characterises climate change unreported fishing by distant water fish- To contact Dame Meg Taylor,
as a human rights issue calling for radical ing nations. r
and urgent transformation of global poli- Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Honourable email media@forumsec.org

Islands Business, February 2018 27