Kiribati

1News can reveal Kiribati has withdrawn from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) with immediate effect, plunging the regional body in to crisis. …incredible ...

…incredible reporting from Barbara Dreaver that Kiribati has walked from the Pacific Islands Forum into the open arms of China… Official sources told 1News Kiribati has become increasingly isolated and has refused to engage at a diplomatic level. 1News can reveal Kiribati has withdrawn from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) with immediate effect, plunging the regional body in to crisis.

There are growing suspicions Beijing is behind the country's exit, with Kiribati close to US military installations and marine resources.

Now to be outside those mechanisms it would be a benefit for a country like China”. Concerns were also raised over reform packages made under the Suva agreement last month, which aimed to restore political unity and encourage Micronesian countries to remain in the forum. The Kiribati President said his country did not sign the deal.

A delicious treat that many i-Kiribati people are enjoying as they celebrate Kiribati language week.

If it hardens immediately, then the caramel is ready to make into a lolly. One way The Spinoff has decided to preserve and promote the Pacific languages this year is through recipes of traditional foods and drinks. “I got the recipe from the lady’s granddaughter,” she says.

While dealing with the effects of climate change, Kiribati is currently experiencing a terrible drought. According to Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito.

“Given the current crisis this theme sums up how the 3,225-strong Kiribati people who call Aotearoa home feel . This also aligns with the Pacific Language Weeks overarching theme of sustainability in what is the first year of the UNESCO Decade of Indigenous Languages. While dealing with the effects of climate change, Kiribati is currently experiencing a terrible drought. According to Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio, this makes Kiribati Language Week 2022 a unique occasion to consider the future.

Kiribati has withdrawn from the Pacific Islands Forum. This is a big setback as the PIF Leaders Forum starts in Suva from tomorrow.

The letter also reads that the country also requested for the forum to be deferred, due to it coinciding with Kiribati National day, but claims this request was never considered or acknowledged. A letter sighted by FBC News, shows that this also includes the refusal of Puna to step down, arguing that the position was promised to Micronesia in the past. It was also one of the five Micronesian nations which had announced that they were leaving the forum last year, citing that they felt betrayed by bigger nations.

Taneti Maamau, President of Kiribati, speaks at the meeting with Pacific Island Forum Leaders. RNZ understands Kiribati President Taneti Maamau's reasons ...

Country's president says it will not be attending forum because of failure to address concerns of Micronesian countries.

“It’s very clear that geostrategic competition is the backdrop to this PIF in ways it never has been before. “Kiribati has taken the sovereign decision to withdraw from the Pacific Islands Forum with immediate effect. It’s the first time since the cold war that the Pacific is really in the crosshairs of major powers,” said Dr Wesley Morgan, a senior researcher at the Climate Council, who is in Suva for the forum.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern plans to attend the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting in Fiji this week, just days after the head of state ...

The highly-anticipated Pacific Islands Forum, meeting face-to-face for the first time since the pandemic began, is already off to a rocky start after ...

"Absolutely. The leaders themselves have made that declaration loud and clear. The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent - a long term vision for critical challenges like climate change - may be endorsed at the forum this week. The single greatest threat to the region is climate change and that's not going to change because the islands are facing that on a day to day basis."

The Pacific Forum leaders meeting is dealt a major blow as Kiribati confirms it has withdrawn from the forum "with immediate effect".

Additionally, Micronesia has asked that the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC), a position also held by the PIFS secretary-general and housed in Suva, is to be moved to a Micronesian state along with a new forum sub regional office. Current Marshallese Ambassador to the United States and dual Palauan citizen Gerard Zackios was the Micronesian state's nominee to the position of the forum secretary-general at the last vote of the Leaders Retreat in Tuvalu in 2019. Also in the agreement is the induction of recruitment procedures for the top job to formalise the 'Gentlemen's Agreement' so the job rotates among the three sub-regions. Tension between the Micronesian states and the office of the secretary-general of the PIF has been high since the Micronesian candidate for the top job narrowly missed out to Puna. However, it was not considered. Last week, New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta, who is confirmed to be attending the meeting in Suva headed by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, said the forum is "at the heart of our engagement with the region".

Pacific Islands Forum is already off to a rocky start after Kiribati withdrew.

"Absolutely. The leaders themselves have made that declaration loud and clear. "This is where Australia and Prime Minister Albanese really need to fill the gap by actually demonstrating to the Pacific that Australia is serious and committed with respect to climate action." The single greatest threat to the region is climate change and that's not going to change because the islands are facing that on a day-to-day basis."

While Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern will be in attendance at the summit in Fiji this week, regional solidarity has ...

Last month, the United States announced a ‘Partners in the Blue Pacific’ body with the support of Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom. For those in attendance, climate change is top of the agenda. Regional unity has been dealt a huge blow on the eve of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit with Kiribati withdrawing from the body.

Key points: President Taneti Maamau wrote to PIF chief Henry Puna, informing him Kiribati would pull out of the forum; Last month the Suva Agreement had been ...

However, Kiribati wasn't part of that pact and now President Taneti Maamau has written a lengthy letter to Mr Puna, declaring that his country cannot sign the Suva agreement and that it will pull out of the forum. Kiribati has announced it will push ahead with its withdrawal from the Pacific Islands Forum, delivering a damaging blow to the regional body on the eve of its most important meeting in years. Officials were hoping the meeting would allow leaders to heal a rancorous leadership dispute which has threatened to split the forum, after Micronesian nations — including Kiribati — accused other Pacific countries of breaking a "gentleman's agreement" to hand the Secretary-General position to their candidate.

RNZ Pacific has seen a copy of a leaked letter, dated July 9, from Kiribati President Taneti Maamau to the forum's Secretary-General Henry Puna, in which he ...

Additionally, Micronesia has asked that the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC), a position also held by the PIFS secretary-general and housed in Suva, is to be moved to a Micronesian state along with a new forum sub regional office. Also in the agreement is the induction of recruitment procedures for the top job to formalise the “Gentlemen’s Agreement” so the job rotates among the three sub-regions. To ensure equal representation, an additional deputy secretary-general position is to be created and filled by other candidates to ensure each region can be represented all the time in the Forum Secretariat. Current Marshallese Ambassador to the United States and dual Palauan citizen Gerald Zackios was the Micronesian state’s nominee to the position of the forum secretary-general at the last vote of the Leaders Retreat in Tuvalu in 2019. However, this was not considered. Tension between the Micronesian states and the office of the secretary-general of the PIF has been high since the Micronesian candidate for the top job narrowly missed out to Puna.

The withdrawal of the remote Pacific island nation of Kiribati from the region's key diplomatic group has overshadowed the Pacific Islands Forum as leaders ...

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Kiribati also wanted the meeting delayed. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

The 51st Pacific Forum leaders meeting scheduled to start tomorrow has been dealt a major blow after the Kiribati government confirmed it has withdrawn from ...

Additionally, Micronesia has asked that the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC), a position also held by the PIFS secretary-general and housed in Suva, is to be moved to a Micronesian state along with a new forum sub regional office. Tension between the Micronesian states and the office of the secretary-general of the PIF has been high since the Micronesian candidate for the top job narrowly missed out to Puna. However, it was not considered.

By Kirsty Needham SUVA, Fiji (Reuters) - The withdrawal of the remote Pacific island nation of Kiribati from the region's key diplomatic group has ...

Kiribati also wanted the meeting delayed. Kofe said the "geopolitical competition and tug of war that we are seeing right now between China and the U.S." had been discussed in Friday's meeting, and ministers had said "the Pacific really needs to define their future themselves and the terms in which we will engage China and the U.S.". "Kiribati has taken the sovereign decision to withdraw from the Pacific Island Forum with immediate effect," said a letter from Kiribati to the forum secretariat, circulated to several Pacific media outlets on Sunday.

Kiribati has quit the premier bloc of Pacific island nations, fracturing the group just as its leaders launch a summit to grapple with rising seas and ...

Regional powers Australia and New Zealand -- both members of the Pacific Island Forum -- have stressed the bloc's importance in deciding the security strategy of the region. "The development and security challenges that we face today, from Covid-19 to climate change and ocean pollution highlight the critical importance of regional and multilateral cooperation." Leaders from more than a dozen forum nations are meeting in Fiji's capital Suva from July 12-14 at a pivotal time when China is seeking to expand its diplomatic and security engagements in the region.

When asked if it had the potential to destabilise the region, Ardern said on Monday that it is a decision made by Kiribati "for its own reasons".

It's the first time Pacific leaders will meet face to face since 2019. "Never before has the forum faced such a crisis. "The forum has sought to try and resolve those… But that doesn't stop us from being to work together," she said. I think actually rather it demonstrates efforts have been made and I imagine efforts will continue to be made." Our job as a forum is to make sure we work with Kiribati as they have requested on issues like climate change and of course the forum does all it can that unity going forward."

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Kiribati has left the Pacific Islands Forum "for its own reasons", playing down any external factors but saying that the ...

In short, it holds forum members to decide collectively on matters that affect the region as a whole, as opposed to individual nations. After much negotiation, Pacific Island leaders struck a deal in June, which is expected to be clarified at the forum. Signed in 2000, this was established to co-ordinate responses to regional crises. "The Pacific Island Forum has been heralded as being an opportunity to patch up disagreements among the nations in attendance. we should also bring those issues to a place where we can have that dialogue together." Concerns were also raised over reform packages made under the Suva agreement last month, which aimed to restore political unity and encourage Micronesian countries to remain in the forum. A forum chair rotates every year and members meet annually. There are 18 member countries and 18 observer countries. But that is their own decision." "A number of countries have had relationships in the Pacific for a number of years," Ardern said. "The withdrawal from this meeting by Kiribati, and the non-attendance by the Marshall Islands means there is a great deal of work to do to restore the solidity and credibility of the Forum for it to be an authoritative voice on Pacific issues and concerns." Nauru has also confirmed it will not attend the forum due to its recent Covid-19 outbreak, the Marshall Islands will miss the forum due to legal issues and Cook Islands will not attend either due to its upcoming election.

The withdrawal of the remote Pacific island nation of Kiribati from the region's key diplomatic group has overshadowed the Pacific Islands Forum as leaders ...

Kofe said the "geopolitical competition and tug of war that we are seeing right now between China and the U.S." had been discussed in Friday's meeting, and ministers had said "the Pacific really needs to define their future themselves and the terms in which we will engage China and the U.S." Kiribati also wanted the meeting delayed. The withdrawal of the remote Pacific island nation of Kiribati from the region's key diplomatic group has overshadowed the Pacific Islands Forum as leaders arrive in Fiji for the first in-person meeting in two years.

The Prime Minister is downplaying suggestions China played a role in Kiribati breaking ties with the Pacific Islands Forum, saying that while the move is ...

“That does not take away from the individual sovereignty of any nation to determine the relationships that it has. “Would it be preferable of course for everyone to be at the table? Reader donations are critical to what we do. Absolutely. Will it stop us continuing work in those areas that even Kiribati identify as being critical for the region? “Some of us have had the opportunity to see that first hand - this is not a hypothetical - and so I expect the region will want to see from within region members a firm commitment to our own contribution, our own mitigation, but what we are doing to support one another.” “Ultimately they haven't been able to do that to the satisfaction of Kiribati. I don't believe that means that as a whole, that's a sign of a wider disunity - I think actually rather it demonstrates the efforts have been made, and I imagine that efforts will continue to be made.”

By Kirsty Needham SUVA, Fiji (Reuters) -Tensions between China and the United States, and the withdrawal of the remote Pacific island nation of Kiribati, ...

"Maintaining the unity and solidarity of the Pacific family is critical for us to be able to navigate many of these issues that we are facing," he said. "This geopolitical competition will continue and it is important the Pacific focuses on the issues that are critical to the Pacific - climate change and the conservation of our resources," Kofe said. China operates a large fishing fleet in the Pacific and is seeking greater access to one of the world's richest fishing grounds.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern believes Kiribati's withdrawal from the Pacific Islands Forum does not speak to wider disunity amongst its members.

What notice ... does the region expect to have? "What voice does the region expect to have? And is it reasonable to expect that as a family, we try and provide for those needs first and foremost?"

Kiribati has quit the premier bloc of Pacific island nations, fracturing the group just as its leaders launch a summit to grapple with rising seas and ...

Regional powers Australia and New Zealand -- both members of the Pacific Island Forum -- have stressed the bloc's importance in deciding the security strategy of the region. "The development and security challenges that we face today, from Covid-19 to climate change and ocean pollution highlight the critical importance of regional and multilateral cooperation." Leaders from more than a dozen forum nations are meeting in Fiji's capital Suva from July 12-14 at a pivotal time when China is seeking to expand its diplomatic and security engagements in the region.