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The 9th Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Conference
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Tonga
Communique
February
18, 2003
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The 9th NFIP Conference, January 18 - 24, 2003
Tonga Communique
The 9th Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Conference
"Now more than ever, as a mature Movement, let us rise and commit ourselves
spiritually, morally, politically and financially to identify all possible alternative means
to eradicate the roots of poverty in the Pacific. As the world moves into the new
millennium, Pacific Peoples must maintain our confidence as we continue to struggle
against colonial legacies from past centuries and the present day issues. Stolen land,
racism, colonialism, military presence, internal armed conflicts, nuclear radiation,
information propaganda, the HIV/Aids tragedy, foreign legal systems, trade
imbalance, green house gas emissions, crises associated with western democracy
and the total absence of good governance. We declare that our approach is one of a
non-violent revolution to regain our peaceful Pacific".
We the participants of the 9th Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific (NFIP)
Conference, hosted by the Human Rights and Democracy Movement in Tonga, and
held at the Tonga National Council of Churches Ecumenical Centre (TNCC) in
Vaololoa, Nuku'alofa, Tonga;
Reaffirming our commitment to the Peoples Charter for a Nuclear Free and
Independent Pacific and honouring our mandate in serving Pacific peoples and the
region;
Cherishing our survival as a Movement since 1975, with affiliated members in 33
countries within the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Zone;
Reconfirming our identity as an indigenous movement and our status as a civil society
non-governmental organisation, with unique distinct beliefs, spirituality, philosophy,
scientific knowledge, wisdom and skills;
Promoting our collective rights and freedom as basis of our individual respect to
community sense of belonging and accountability to peaceful coexistence;
Recognising the natural principles of good governance, which had always been part of
our Pacific sustainable communities, to be practiced at all levels of Pacific Society,
beginning in family homes where nurturing of community life begins, at village
communities, towns and the nation states;
Being aware of the critical times, given the increasing foreign control and domination
of our natural resources by powerful and rich countries of the world and the abuse of
power from within our own states;
Promoting liberating educational approaches to life for responsible citizenship where
individuals and groups are nurtured and developed to excel in their intellectual pursuit
to promote harmonious living;
Recognising the existence of Pacific wisdom to guide the formulation of specific
policies to protect Pacific families and communities in managing the HIV/Aids
tragedy;
Appreciating the comprehensive, forward-looking re-envisioning process of the Nuclear
Free and Independent Pacific Movement that captures our dreams for respect of
Pacific dignity and reaffirms our aspirations for indigenous peoples' self-determination;
Asserting that together as a Movement we must collectively contribute quality
leadership for life, coordinate training and information as well as becoming production
centres for quality human beings needed to build a new Pacific society;
Believing that collectively we have the strength and the confidence as a force to make
positive changes at all levels of society including our respective states;
The Pacific situation compels us, our partners and groups who stand for the same
cause, to collectively take ownership of our Pacific Ocean and the islands/lands given
birth to, and through the NFIP Movement pledge our commitment to the protection,
respect and dignity of the Pacific.
Our Call for Attention to Peoples' Struggles in Specific Countries and Regions
Kanaky
The 9th NFIP Conference:
*Calls on the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the United Nations Decolonisation
Committee to put pressure on the French Government, to honour and respect the
spirit of the Noumea Accord in accordance with the political engagements of
signatories at the time of its signing.
*Reminds the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to sustain the principle of sending an
international delegation regularly to Kanaky to evaluate the application of the Noumea
Accord.
*Calls on the President of the Republic of France to urgently establish the electoral
ground system written down in the Noumea Accord.
Guam
*Calls for the complete shutdown of US military bases on Guam and urges the
Government of Guam to seriously pursue substantive discussions with the US
Government to pursue self-determination objectives.
*Supports the facilitation of signatories to a region-wide petition supporting Guam's
self- determination.
*Recognises the need to raise public awareness on the damaging effects of military
installations and their associated threats to indigenous land.
*Calls for the return of land to indigenous Chamorro.
Te Ao Maohi
*Continues to support Tavini Huiraatiraa on the rightful claims of the Maohi people for
self-determination and their call for re-inscription on the United Nations List for Non
Self-Governing Territories as has been granted to Kanaky.
*Requests the French Government to follow-up on nuclear test consequences on the
health of the former workers of Moruroa and Fangataufa and their families and take full
responsibility to appropriately compensate the test victims.
Maluku
*Recognises Maluku Independence as declared on April 25 in 1950.
*Recognises Front Kedavlatan Maluku (Moluccas Sovereignty Front) as the legitimate
organisation and voice of the Maluku people to regain their rightful independence.
*Resolves to lobby the UN to review the registered cases of the Republic of South
Moluccas: S/1842 & S/1873
*Calls on the United Nations to pressure Indonesia to de-annex Maluku from
Indonesia.
*Calls on the Human Rights Commission and the UN Decolonisation Committee to
send a Fact Finding Mission to Maluku to investigate Crimes Against Humanity and
make sure the perpetrators are brought to justice.
West Papua
*Calls on all members of the Pacific islands Forum countries to support a resolution
at the United Nations General Assembly for the re-inscription of West Papua on the
UN List of Non Self-Governing Territories.
*Calls on the Geneva-based Human Rights Commission to send a mission to West
Papua to investigate crimes against humanity and to ensure that perpetrators are
brought to justice.
*We call on the Government of Aotearoa/New Zealand, the Chair of the next Pacific
Islands Forum and the Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat to facilitate
peaceful dialogue between the Government of Indonesia and the leaders of the West
Papuan movement as provided for in the 2002 Forum Communique.
*Continues to condemn Indonesia's trans-migration and illegal settlements in Maluku
and West Papua.
*Calls on all West Papua support groups globally to upgrade international advocacy
and lobbying for independence of West Papuan.
*Applauds the Government of Vanuatu for their important diplomatic support for the
people of West Papua, including permission to open a West Papua peoples'
information office in Port Vila.
Rapa Nui
*Calls for the emancipation of 3000 indigenous people who compose Rapa Nui and
have been struggling against Chilean occupation since the late l880s.
*Acknowledges the establishment of the Rapa Nui Parliament, which was created by
the people of Rapa Nui to protect their land, human rights and heritage.
*Calls upon the Chilean Government to commit itself and honour past verbal promises,
which are not respected.
*Recognises the need to publish and disseminate information on Rapa Nui's struggle
for Independence.
Ka Pae'aina
*Condemns the US occupation of Ka Pae'aina and its destruction of the Aina.
*Continues to advocate for reconciliation of Hawaii's independence and neutrality in
the United Nations, the South Pacific Forum, the world Court and other international
arenas;
*Supports the call for all Kanaka Maoli to practice all aspects of their religion, culture
and beliefs on Mauna Kea.
*Demands that Pacific Islands and Pacific Rim nations boycott joint military exercise
with the US in and around Ka Pae' aina.
*Calls on the US to take positive steps to limit the number of telescopes on Mauna
Kea.
*Requests the State of Hawaii, the University of Hawaii and/or the Institute for
Astronomy to schedule payments of realistic rents for all observatory uses on Mauna
Kea.
Ainu Moshiri
*Reaffirms our commitment to support and act in solidarity with the people of Ainu
Moshiri in efforts to promote and further their self-determination and cultural identity.
Tonga
*Supports the call by the Human Rights and Democracy Movement in Tonga for a
referendum on Constitutional Reform and their proposal for a more democratic
government.
*Calls for the respect of the Pacific Islands countries' 200 miles Exclusive Economic
Zones and to prohibit the transportation of nuclear materials through them.
*Recognises the historical links between the Pacific peoples' identity and the Pacific
Ocean. As such the Pacific peoples' rights over their Lands and Ocean must be
recognised and nurtured at all times.
Solomon Islands
*Condemns the Solomon Islands of breaching the Waigani Convention in accepting
Taiwanese human waste dumping on the island of Makira for short-term economic
gains and calls on all Pacific Island governments to honour the Waigani Convention by
banning the dumping of any industrialised countries waste within the Pacific region.
Fiji
*Calls on the Fiji Government to recognise the needs of deprived indigenous land
owners and to include their representatives when selecting members to the Land
Tribunal Committee.
Melanesia
*Calls on the Melanesian Spearhead Group to declare the Melanesian region a Peace
Zone.
*Recognises the special need to dialogue with partners for financial assistance to
support human security, rehabilitation, reconstruction and community development in
Solomon Islands, East Timor and Bougainville.
*Calls on the Australian Government to re-allocate development aid from the so-called
"Pacific Solution", to programmes supporting refugees and internally displaced people
from West Papua, Bougainville, Solomon Islands and other Pacific conflict zones.
Aotearoa and Australia
*Expresses concerns about the disproportionate incarceration and deaths of
indigenous people in Aotearoa and Australia, and notes that the causes of this
include: increasing poverty; violation of indigenous and treaty rights; and alienation
arising from the imposition of colonial educational, social and political systems.
*Opposes the ongoing expansion of prisons and the increasing imprisonment of
indigenous people and supports instead the further implementation of indigenous
based justice systems.
*Recognises the need to share information regarding indigenous campaigns to oppose
widespread incarceration of indigenous peoples and prison expansion.
*Sends a message of solidarity to the Nga Puhi iwi for their stand opposing the
desecration of their land, environment and spiritual beliefs, and saluting their
consistent fight for the survival and livelihood of their people.
*Especially concerned about the planned prison development at Ngawha in Aotearoa,
and the added insult of the plans to build it on the most sacred healing centre of the
Nga Puhi people.
*Supports the Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta (the senior Aboriginal women from Coober
Pedy, South Australia) in their opposition to nuclear waste dumping;
*Supports the Yankunytjatjara, Antikarinya and Kokatha indigenous communities in
their opposition to Australian Government plans to construct a low-level nuclear waste
facility in the deserts of central Australia - the National Radioactive Waste Repository;
*Calls for the dissemination of information on nuclear waste hazards with these
indigenous communities and support their Irati Wanti campaign: "The Poison -Leave
It" (www.iratiwanti.org);
*Condemns the Australian Government's secrecy in approving the project's
Environmental Impact Statement on Christmas Eve 2002 to avoid public scrutiny, and
calling for them to abandon the proposal.
*Supports the 2040 youth submission made at Waitangi Aotearoa on February 6,
2001 to promote, encourage and assist Rangatahi (youth) in Maori development and
self-determination.
Philippines and East Asia
*Calls for the creation of a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in North East Asia. which
would prohibit weapons in Japan, North Korea and South Korea, and would call on the
nuclear weapons states not to use or threaten the use of nuclear weapons within the
zone
*Calls on all stakeholders to engage in meaningful dialogue to construct a mutually
acceptable plan of action to address the root causes of the deterioration of
relationships and destabilisation in the region of Northeast Asia.
*Declares our support for Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic and Hydrogen bomb
survivors' class action suit for compensation and recognition.
Our Commitment
The 9th NFIP Conference declares the following commitments:
*We declare the Decade for the Protection of Oceans 2004-2014 and pledge our
commitment to lobby Pacific nations and the United Nations to recognise the Decade
of the Ocean.
*We urge our partner organisations regionally and globally to launch a campaign for a
new self-understanding of the Pacific, not as small-scattered atolls, but the Pacific
being the largest ocean mass in the world, as recognised by the UN Convention on
the Law of the Sea and the Barbados Programme of Action. (i.e. when putting all the
rest of the continents together they still fit inside the Pacific Ocean).
*We stand in solidarity to eradicate the corruption epidemic of new neocolonial
practices by our own people who abuse government and leadership powers presently
permeating the region and contributing to the unjust distribution of resources and
powers, thus widening the gaps between the rich and the poor.
*We recognise the importance and respect of the cosmologies and ways of life for all
cultures of the Pacific peoples.
*We recognise and promote Pacific indigenous communities who continue to control
and conduct their lives in accordance to the indigenous belief systems and philosophy
of life as models of sustainable livelihood.
*We recognise youths as supportive partners in the NFIP Movement who are ready to
take proactive role in strengthening youth programmes.
*We recognise the importance of village, island and nation states collective rights and
ownership of their natural resources and support the promotion of community-based
resource management.
*We will continue to mobilise Pacific voices to protest, lobby and advocate against the
use of the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands and the people under colonial jurisdiction as
guinea pigs for military, atomic and nuclear weapon testing.
*We will be spiritually guided, politically self-determining and economically
self-sustaining in deciding, defining and designing our own destiny.
*We will define our own socio-economic and political status and reject any definitions
that are not consistent to our own understanding and concepts.
*We will protect our intellectual property rights for our own benefit and our future
generation against selfish economic gains, bio piracy and genetic engineering.
*We will continue to lobby for the protection of traditional knowledge at regional and
global level and for WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) and its member
governments to reconceptualise the approach to the protection of Intellectual Property
and indigenous knowledge.
*We will set up a network of Pacific Peace Monitors to monitor and report on the
status of Peace in their communities.
*We will advocate for the continuous study of the effects of climate change in Pacific
Islands, especially in places like Tarawa where water is becoming scarce and there is
contamination of well water pores from sea level rise, over-population and lack of
proper waste disposal.
*We will do everything in our power to combat the HIV/AIDS tragedy as a new enemy
in the Pacific and call on Pacific governments to formulate specific policies to protect
its population and to ensure that management programs are set up to help families
have a more sympathetic approach to victims.
*We will take control of our responsibilities to nurture and wisely use our land, ocean
and natural resources to sustain the present and the future human security needs
against total poverty.
*We will maintain our unique values of family cohesiveness, community sense of
belonging, loving, caring and sharing at all levels of society as the basis of our social
and economic security.
*We will build on the foundation of our indigenous value systems and wealth of
philosophy that give us the wisdom and confidence to be in control of our own lives
and exercising our collective responsibilities in nurturing peaceful coexistence.
*We will promote community perspectives of collective ownership of good governance
at national level (accountability, transparency, judicial independence, structural
sustainability and substantive democracy).
*We will identify with priority issues of village, island, urban, state, regional and global
communities and continue to build a strong viable society with the deep sense of our
Pacific way.
*We will ban all activities that contribute to global warming such as mining, logging,
hazardous waste disposal, militarism, trans-national corporation, Star Wars and
transportation of toxic waste.
*We will continue to reject negative effects of globalisation and extract only foreign
values that will give permanent benefit to us.
*We will promote tourism that respects the dignity and integrity of Pacific peoples, our
culture and environment and promote the mutual sharing of values of life, where
participants establish relationships that affirm and bring meaning to life, thus
contributing to building a harmonious, just and peaceful society.
*We will only accept aid from organisations and agencies that respect our
independence, and assist in areas we determine, based on genuine partnership
agreements that contribute to the long-term sustainability of our communities,
institutions and organisations.
*We will liaise with partners, especially in Region 3 (Australia/Aotearoa), to provide
financial, material and moral assistance for West Papuan lobbying at the 2003 Pacific
Islands Forum in Aotearoa and subsequent regional and international meetings.
*We will promote human rights and good governance in the region and ensure that
women and youth are intentionally encouraged to participate in all activities at all
levels of decision making.
*We will continue to study the quantity and complexity of issues facing Pacific
peoples, particularly tomorrow's leaders and the youth of today, recognising the
wealth of information and knowledge that exists among the Pacific peoples.
*We will establish an effective youth network in order to facilitate communication
amongst youth on critical survival issues of the Pacific.
*We will analyse and facilitate peoples' liberation through social action for economic
empowerment and the democratisation of our communities and nations.
*We will establish within every triennial NFIP Conference the Indigenous Leaders
Forum, the Women's Forum and the Youth Forum.
*We will lobby our respective Pacific governments to put in place policies and laws to
deal with refugees and internal displaced persons in the region.
*We will ensure the effective and continuous participation of civil society actors in
ACP-EU co-operation and lobby Governments to rectify legislative constraints
hindering effective dialogue between Civil Society Organizations (CSO) with states on
development cooperation, trade and political matters.
*We will monitor the agenda and dialogue between civil society and governments at
national, regional and global levels.
*We will dialogue with the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat for the adoption of an NGO
Policy that will allow for the following: accreditation of CSOs; observer status in Forum
Official meetings and all ministerial meetings; circulated information and access to an
NGO room with facilities during Forum meetings; membership in CROP (Council of
Regional Organisations and Programmes) working groups; zccess to press briefings;
and liaising with the organisers of the NGO Parallel Forum.
We Pledge Our Support
*We will continue to support the struggles for self-determination against all forms of
colonialism in foreign occupied nations of the Pacific as our collective responsibility.
*We will continue to advocate for the survivors of experimental nuclear testing in the
Pacific and will advocate to ensure that funding for medical needs is available for as
long as their health is in jeopardy.
*We will support Indigenous Peoples in the development of new frameworks/regimes
for protecting indigenous knowledge systems on their own terms, the establishment of
effective community policy initiatives, meaningful participation of indigenous people in
discussions about their own knowledge and access to genetic resources.
*We support the review processes of National Constitutions in Pacific Island nations.
*We will continue to support national human rights campaigns.
*We will support youth initiatives to advance indigenous systems of education,
justice, government, health, communication, land and the environment, particularly
amongst other indigenous youth.
Our Call to Pacific Leaders
*We call on spiritual leaders, indigenous and traditional leaders, church leaders, civil
society organisation leaders, government leaders, the business community,
multinational corporations and world leaders to practise accountability, good
governance and transparency to bring justice to the present economic disparity in the
Pacific region.
*We urge Pacific Island Governments to take full advantage of the ownership status of
the Pacific Ocean and ensure that the rest of the world recognises its role to global
humanity and respects it by first consulting Pacific peoples and authorities to utilise
the resources or to use it for other purposes.
*We call on Pacific Island leaders, governments and parliaments to uphold their
sovereignty and not comprise upon foreign influence.
*We urgently call on Pacific governments to formulate policies on indigenous values to
be included in education curriculum at all levels of education to avoid the erosion of
our cultural heritage.
*We call on all Pacific governments to ensure that peace, justice and human rights
education are included in all schools, colleges and universities.
*We call on all Pacific Island nations who maintain standing armies governments to
do away with the military concept by significantly reducing their military budgets and
channelling the public funds into socially useful programs such as health, education,
employment initiatives and support schemes for communities and individuals in need.
*We request Pacific governments to stop all government initiated propaganda and
tactics that destabilise our communities and the region and work together with
communities and civil society organisations to build a strong, viable Pacific
community.
*We reiterate our call for the Pacific Islands Forum countries to collectively support
the re-inscription of all Pacific colonised countries on the UN List of Non
Self-Governing Territories as a Pacific commitment to the United Nations declaration
of the Second UN Decade to Eliminate All Forms of Colonialism.
*We urge Leaders of Pacific Islands countries, civil society organisations and partners
to continue to advocate for the ban of the trans-shipment and dumping of all
radioactive and toxic waste in the Pacific region.
*We call on the Pacific island governments to honour and implement the Waigani
Convention on Hazardous and Radioactive Waste and we condemn the continued
shipments of plutonium and high-level radioactive waste through the Pacific Ocean.
*We call on Pacific Island governments to ratify, adhere to and where required,
strengthen relevant international agreements relating to hazardous and toxic
substances. (E.g. Stockholm and Basel Conventions).
*We call for a region-wide campaign banning the presence of military installations in
the entire Pacific, both in the North and South.
*We continue to urge Pacific nations to strengthen their existing laws to ban violence
against women in the region.
*We encourage Pacific Island countries to take control of the management,
sustainable use of their ecosystems and at the same time contain and manage
wealth, the outflows from mining and to ensure the local eco-systems and
communities retain their quality and integrity.
*We urge Pacific governments to monitor currents of globalisation and develop
appropriate national laws and policies to combat the negative effects of globalisation. .
*We call for the rehabilitation of concepts, techniques and strategies of indigenous
environmental guardianship to ensure the survival and wealth of our cultures, as it is
dependent on the wealth of flora and fauna.
*We request the South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP) to
monitor the types of Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) activities to be carried
out in the Pacific.
*We call on Pacific leaders to seriously discuss the relocation of displaced Pacific
peoples as a result of activities resulting in sea level rise, both among themselves and
with leaders of industrialised countries who are mostly responsible for greenhouse gas
emissions.
*We call on Pacific governments to pressure the industrialized countries especially
Australia to take the necessary steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to
mitigate global warming and ratify the Kyoto protocol.
*We request Pacific governments to make careful and transparent assessments of
applications for access rights by the European Union, Japan and other Distant Water
Fishing Nations.
*We call on Pacific Island governments to sign and ratify international human rights
instruments (CERD, CEDAW, ICCPR, ICESCR).
*We call on Pacific governments to sign and ratify the Rome Statute for the
establishment of the International Criminal Court as a means of ending impunity for
perpetrators of crimes against humanity.
Our Call to World Leaders and Nuclear Powers
*We call on the United States of America together with other nuclear powers to stop
all development of new nuclear weapons, any preparation to resume nuclear weapons
testing and to abandon the buildup of nuclear armaments in the Pacific or anywhere in
the world.
*We further call on the nuclear powers to undertake to ban and abolish all nuclear
weapons without any further delay.
*We call on the US to meet its agreed obligations to return, clean up, restore and pay
appropriate compensation for land contaminated or otherwise degraded as a result of
its use for military activities in the region
*We call for an immediate end to the continued illegal occupation of Palestinian land
and we demand the Israeli government's swift compliance in implementing the
recommendations of the Mitchell Report and all UN Resolutions.
*We call for an immediate withdrawal of US troops and military equipment in the area
around Iraq as well as an immediate end to the inhumane UN economic sanctions,
which have led to the death of more that 500,000 Iraqi children under five years old
from entirely preventable causes since their imposition in 1991.
*We call on the Japanese Government to recognise the claims of, or pay
compensation to, many victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic and hydrogen
bombs.
*We call on the United Kingdom, the United States and France to take full
responsibility of the state of environmental radioactivity and nuclear tests victims in
the Pacific and fully compensate the victims.
Our Condemnation
*We condemn the continuous colonial mentality used in this 21st century of
'conquering to acquire natural resources' without proper consultation processes and
calls on the leaders of industrialised countries to recognise and respect Pacific Island
peoples as custodians of the Pacific Ocean.
*We condemn the current US policy of pre-emptive use of force and the threat of
nuclear weapons.
*We condemn the human rights abuses that are still being perpetrated against
Palestinian civilians by the Israeli military and that are an affront to us all as human
beings.
*We condemn the United States nuclear policy in Micronesia, which by virtue of their
special relationship under the Compact of Free Association with the US allows for the
importation of nuclear materials, harbouring of nuclear powered ships/vessels, and
other nuclear materials into these countries, preventing these Pacific States from
becoming party to the Rarotonga Treaty.
*We condemn the United States for continuous expansion of military installations on
Guam and the increase of its missile testing range on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall
Islands.
*We condemn the Australian Government's immoral policy of establishing asylum
seeker detention camps in Pacific island countries such as Nauru and Papua New
Guinea, especially as holding of these refugees in detention camps without
independent legal advice breach provisions of the Nauru and Papua New Guinea
Constitutions.
*We condemn Australia's Foreign Minister diplomatic pressure on Vanuatu to limit its
support for the West Papuan cause, and calls for Australia to support the right to
self-determination for the people of West Papua.
Our Appreciation to the Host
We, the delegates of the 9th NFIP Conference, held in Nuku'alofa, Tonga wish to
express our profound thanks to the Human Rights and Democracy Movement in
Tonga for hosting this historic and first NFIP Conference to be held in Tonga.
The 10th NFIP Conference
The 9th NFIP Conference:
*Resolves to accept with thanks the offer of Samoa to host the 10th NFIP Conference
in 2006.
*Encourages the PCRC Executive Board and Secretariat to liaise with NFIP members
and partners to organise the conference in Samoa, with West Papua and Guam as
fall back options.
In the spirit of our Pacific Way, we now call on all Pacific stakeholders to ensure that:
*The Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Zone is protected as a Peace Zone.
*The Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands and Pacific Peoples are respected.
*Indigenous Peoples are given the right to determine the future of their countries.
*Responsibility is taken in promoting and protecting our sustainable natural
environments.
*People are free from economic oppression and/or exploitation.
*Fundamental freedoms of each individual is highly regarded and respected within our
collective freedom and rights.
We declare that our approach is a non-violent revolution to regain our peaceful Pacific
and we will be alert at all times to exercise our fundamental right to self-defence and
protection in any conflict situation.
STATEMENT FROM THE PARTNERS
Preamble:
The partners who were represented at the Partners Caucus Meeting at the 9th NFIP
Conference concluded the following:
With regard to lobbying support, partners expressed the need for PCRC, particularly
through its campaign desks, to be committed to identifying key issues and
articulating them to partners, and for partners to be committed to identifying
opportunities and articulating them to PCRC.
That PCRC recognises that the legitimacy and effectiveness of our lobby support,
accountability to back donors and education activities is dependent on the open and
responsive flow of communications.
That partners should be committed to raising issues and events of potential relevance
to Pacific civil society so that PCRC may assess their relevance and possible actions
to be taken.
That partners remain conscious of PCRC's need to attain financial sustainability and
will assist in this goal as far as their capacity allows.
That in the consideration of a broad and equal partnership, there should be open
exchange of information and opinions on issues of significance. These should be
based on trust and loyalty, which allows constructive feedback to strengthen each
other and the partnership
Apart from PCRC/NFIP identified issues, the partners present have identified the
following issues for (potential) collaboration:
*EU fisheries in the South Pacific
*Migration convention
*Globalisation
*West-Papua
*Pacific Solution
*Empowerment
*Southern hemisphere nuclear weapon free zone
Expression of Commitment and Loyalty
As advocacy, funding, networking and social justice partners present at the 9th NFIP
Conference in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, we commit ourselves to working in common cause
with the NFIP and PCRC to further the aspirations of Pacific Islanders.
We bring our diverse strengths, capacities, constituencies and priorities to our
collaborative efforts to further the goals of Pacific Civil Society of which the NFIP and
PCRC are important representatives.
Our role and actions include supporting the goals of Pacific Civil Society by among
other approaches:
*Expressing solidarity;
*Raising awareness;
*Strengthening coalitions;
*Advocating policy change;
*Building capacity;
*Raising money.
_____________________________________
The full Report of the 9th Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Conference including
the full sets of Resolutions will be compiled in a Conference Report and sent to all
delegates and affiliates of the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Movement.
Contact email: [email protected]; Website:
www.pcrc.org.fj
Telephone (679) 3304 649: Fax: (679) 3304 755
Address: Pacific Concerns Resource Centre
Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji
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