Page 28 - Islands Business March 2022

Region Region

“THE GAME PLAN FROM THE

OUTSIDE IS TO DIVIDE AND

CONQUER”: PUNA

By Nic Maclellan be taken at their level. I know that the Forum Chair and other
leaders, including Australia and New Zealand, have been work-
Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna has ing behind the scenes to try and effect a reconciliation.
recently returned from missions in Europe and New Caledonia.
In this issue, he talks regional geopolitics, the Blue Pacific Have any of the MPS concerns been resolved, or are there
2050 strategy, Forum unity and his future with Islands Business ongoing stumbling blocks?
correspondent Nic Maclellan. Following the February 2021 meeting where the problem
arose, our officials and leaders have been working on a reform
Throughout 2021, five Micronesian countries announced package. That package has actually been agreed to by the
plans to withdraw from the Pacific Islands Forum. Has avoid- leaders, and has formed the basis for the dialogue mechanism
ing the split been hampered by the lack of a face-to-face that was put in place. There is appetite for change, if it is war-
summit between leaders? ranted and justified.
The pandemic has closed borders and made it very difficult
to engage on a face-to-face basis. That has been one of the To resolve the crisis, there has been media speculation
challenges over the last two years, the fact that you can’t en- that you might fall on your sword, ending your term early
gage face-to-face, which is the basis of the Pacific Way. When- or not seeking a second term. Have you come to a decision
ever there is a problem, we get together and talk it through. personally about that?
I’m a firm believer that we can talk through any problem. I’ve No, I haven’t. I think that the situation is still very fluid, but
seen it happen many times in the past, many times, and it I’m not part of this discussion, which is at the leaders level. I
always works. really can’t comment further at this stage. In the meantime,
however, my focus ¬ working with the team at the Secretariat
How do you react to the announcement by the Microne- – is to get on with our work to deliver on the leaders’ priori-
sian Presidents’ Summit in February, that they’ve temporar- ties.
ily rescinded their planned withdrawal from the Forum?
All of us have reacted very favourably. It’s a major plus and What are the main drivers of current tensions within the
thank you to the Micronesians for doing that. It gives us time Forum, the University of the South Pacific, PIDP and other
and scope to get together and talk through these issues. CROP agencies? Is it tensions between the Smaller Island
With the borders now gradually reopening, the leaders will States and larger Forum members, or disregard of Microne-
have the opportunity to discuss this, because the decisions will sian concerns, or a generational change in leadership?

28 Islands Business, March 2022