PACIFIC WORKING GROUP DECEMBER MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CANBERRA 000032

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2019
TAGS: AS EAID FJ JA PREL
SUBJECT: PACIFIC WORKING GROUP DECEMBER MEETING


1. (U) The Trilateral Strategic Dialogue (TSD) Pacific
Island Working Group (PWG) meeting was hosted by Australia on
December 1 in Canberra.

Australian delegation:

Richard Rowe, First Assistant Secretary, Pacific Division
Ravi Kewalram, Assistant Secretary, Pacific Regional and New
Zealand Branch
Tony Huber, Director, Pacific Bilateral Section
Peter Budd, Director, Pacific Regional Section
Stephen Henningham, Director, Fiji and Strongim Gavman
Program Section
Berenice Owen-Jones, U.S. Political and Strategic Section
Jane Lake, Pacific Branch, AusAID
Julliette Brassington, Director Melanesia, AusAID

Japanese delegation:

Kiminori Iwama, Director, Oceania Division
Toshihide Ando, Counsellor, Embassy of Japan
Naoki Semmyo, Second Secretary, Embassy of Japan

US delegation:

Alcy Frelick, Director, EAP/ANP, Department of State
Andrea Appell, Political Officer, U.S. Embassy Canberra


2. Participants agreed the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) in
Niue in August was one of the strongest Forums yet, as
reflected in the communiqu. The message sent was strong
and significant and dealt directly with the contentious issue
of Fiji.


3. (SBU) FIJI
Participants agreed to commit their strong support to the
Forum position on Fiji and will monitor the issue for further
consideration at the next meeting of the TSD PWG. The
Ministerial Contact Group will meet December 10-12 and will
report on Niue Plus, Greg Urwin's successor as PIF Secretary
General, and plans for the next PIF Post Forum Dialogue. As
host of the next Post Forum Dialogue, GOA would like input
from the US and Japan on how to make the meeting more
constructive, beneficial and interactive.


4. (SBU) DONOR COORDINATION IN THE PACIFIC
Participants agreed that donor coordination was an important
goal to improve the effectiveness and value of development
assistance to Pacific Island countries (PICs). Australia
would like to see a deliverable from this and ideas will be
discussed at the next TSD PWG. It was suggested the PIF
might be a good venue for working on donor coordination,
however, AusAID said the PICs don't want donor countries
using "their meeting" for other purposes.


5. (C) SASAGAWA FOUNDATION AND JOINT COAST GUARD EFFORTS
Japan was very sensitive to discussing Sasagawa as a
potential partner in maritime security and asked if
approaches were made to the other members of the TSD. The
GOJ and the Foundation do not agree on issues in the Pacific
and the Foundation has not been involved in the GOJ processes
regarding this initiative.


6. (SBU) The meeting resulted in a TSD PWG Draft Action
Agenda which follows:

Fiji
Participants agreed to commit their strong support to the
Forum position on Fiji and will monitor the issue for further
consideration at the next meeting of the TSD PWG.

Donor Coordination in the Pacific
Participants agreed that donor coordination was an important
goal to improve the effectiveness and value of development in
the Pacific Island countries (PICs).
It was agreed that representatives from the foreign affairs
and aid agencies of Australia, Japan, the US and New Zealand
would look at meeting in February or March 2009 in Japan as
part of preparatory work for PALM V and noted the potential
value of donor coordination as a theme for the 2009 PIF
Leaders' Meeting for donor countries to consult with PICs on
opportunities for donor harmonization.

Proposed Micronesian Coast Guard
QProposed Micronesian Coast Guard
Participants agreed that once they receive the letter from
the Micronesian Leaders' Meeting on the coast guard proposal,
they will liaise further on their response to any requests
made.
Participants will further consider the possibility of a joint
experts working group to discuss the best use of any

CANBERRA 00000032 002 OF 002


available funding to help improve Micronesia's maritime
security capability.

Energy Security
Participants agreed that it was important to avoid
duplication in their efforts to assist PICs achieve energy
security and to this end they would undertake a stock-take of
their activities on the issue to report to the proposed
meeting in Japan next year.

Global Financial Crisis
Participants agreed to monitor the effect of the current
global financial crisis and subsequent economic downturn on
PIC's and to consider possible options for addressing the
situation.

Engaging Other Donors in Regional Coordination
Participants agreed to instruct their posts in the Pacific to
assess the level and effect of international assistance on
PICs and report this to capitals for the purpose of
identifying cases where other donor's aid practices wore
detrimental to achieving long-term economic and political
stability in PICs.
The TSD would then consult on a joint message to encourage
better aid and governance practices.

Next Meeting of the TSD PWG
Participants proposed to hold the TSD PWG meetings on a
bi-annual basis instead of four times a year as was previous
practice. but to make use of opportunities to meet in the
margins of other meetings where all parties are present or
meet on an ad hoc basis if necessary.
Participants suggested to rotate the hosting of the TSD PWG
in order to broaden the range of representation and
engagement of US and Japanese officials at future meetings.

Japan offered to host the next TSD PWG on the margins of the
PALM V preparatory meeting.

CLUNE