One of my informants in Fiji writes:
"An interesting development (yet to be confirmed) is that a number of Fijian groups and people strongly opposed to Fiji's regime have been invited to Cairns by the Forum Secretariat. They include lawyers, women's groups and human rights people. If true, this is a very surprising move and a very biased one, carefully calculated to incite opposition to Fiji."
Photo: One-eyed pirate.
3 comments:
This is incorrect.
FACT: The Forum Secretariat invited a number of experts from NGOs (Greenpeace) and intergovernmental organisations (SPC, UNIFEM and UNDP) for a series of side-events held in the margins of the Cairns Forum on climate change, regional and national human rights mechanisms and the vital importance of addressing sexual and gender based violence in the region. This had nothing (underline one) to do with Fiji and the reason a number of propel (UNDP, RRT, UNIFEM, etc.) came from Fiji is because it continues to remain an important regional centre. I am happy to help yopu dispel this rumour.
Rick, Thanks for this. If it's not too much trouble, would you be able to supply names of the institutions invited and their representatives? I'd then be in a better position to comment on your comment. This is not to dispute your statement that I'm sure is substantially correct, but some institutions and people, not mentioned in your list, could have sneaked in at the edges. The Forum -- and its relevant parallel meetings --certainly didn't seem overly keen to hear contrary voices.
Following is in response to your request on who was invited by PIFS for the side-events, (although I would prefer to leave the full list off your blog given I do not have permission from people on this list to ciculate their names):
FORUM SIDE EVENT FACILITATORS
CLIMATE CHANGE
UNDP
1. Mr Ajay Chhibber, UN Assistant Secretary General / UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director (Chair)
2. Mr Knut Ostby, Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, UNDP Fiji-Multi Country Office
3. Mr Jean-Luc Stalon, Snr Crisis Prevention & Recovery Adviser & Manager, UNDP Pacific Centre
UNHRC
4. Mr. Richard Towle, Regional Representative UNHCR Regional Office for Australia, NZ, PNG and the Pacific
5. Dr Lesi Korovavala, UNHCR Regional Office for Australia, NZ, PNG and the Pacific
Greenpeace, Australia Pacific
6. Ms Seni Nabou, Political Advisor,
7. Mr Jeremy Tager, Political Advisor
8. Ms Keiller McDuff, Communications Advisor
Department of Climate Change, Australia
9. Mr. Howard Bamsey, Deputy Secretary and Special Envoy
AOSIS
10. Ambassador Dessima Williams, PR Grenada to UN and Chair AOSIS
HUMAN RIGHTS
Regional Rights Resource Team/SPC
11. Ms Imrana Jalal, (Regional Human Rights Mechanism) Human Rights Adviser,
Amnesty International
12. Mr. Apolosi Bose, Pacific Researcher, Amnesty International, London
13. Ms. Hannah Harborow, Amnesty International Australia
14. Ms Louise Allen, Amnesty International Australia
15. Ms Caroline Shepherd, Amnesty International Australia
Asia Pacific Forum (APF) of National Human Rights Institutions
16. Mr Greg Heesom, Legal Counsel
SEXUAL & GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
17. Ms. Rita Taphorn, UNIFEM Pacific, (Chair)
18. Ms. Shamima Ali, Pacific Women's Network Against Violence Against Women
19. Ms. Vanessa Swan, Australian National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children
20. Ms. Merilyn Tahi, Pacific Women's Network Against Violence Against Women
As covered in my previous message, these experts and regional officials were there to provide information on a range of key regional issues, not Fiji, albeit many of these individuals live and work in Fiji given it remains our key regional centre.
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