Multilateralism at work: the France-Oceania Summit

Noumea

On 19 July 2021, France and the Pacific came together for the 5th France-Oceania Summit. Convened virtually due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Kausea Natano (in his quality as Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum), the Summit focused on issues of sustainable use and management of the ocean, climate change and biodiversity, Covid-19 response and recovery, enhancing connectivity, strengthening infrastructure and building resilience.

One might be forgiven for asking why this meeting is important or what value yet another conference adds in the already crowded international agenda?

The answer is, however, clear: the France-Oceania Summit is a unique event in that it convenes leaders from all Pacific Island Countries, alongside those of Australia, New Zealand and French Pacific Territories, together with the President of France. It is the only regular high-level meeting between the last EU Member State with a presence in the Pacific and the countries of the “Blue Pacific” continent.

Its value is in its capacity to foster substantive dialogue on issues of major import, not only for the Pacific region but globally. It is important as a platform for building common positions and joint leadership in the build-up to key events such as the upcoming Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP 15 and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP 26, or in the past in the lead-up to and at COP 21, during which the Paris Agreement was adopted.

This summit was also an opportunity for the participants to reaffirm their commitment to regional solidarity, cooperation and multilateralism to overcome the multifaceted development, security and other challenges faced by the Pacific region.

The importance of this commitment cannot be overstated, in the current global and regional context where the very foundations of multilateralism have been challenged, where Pacific regionalism has been shaken, and where collective action is more than ever needed to halt ocean degradation, stem the tide of biodiversity loss, ensure sustainable use and manage natural resources, keep any increase in global warming to under 1.5°C, facilitate equitable access to vaccines, foster a Paris Agreement-compatible Covid-19 rebuild and strengthen resilience and regional security (to name but a few).

Against this background, President Macron’s clear affirmation that France stands “shoulder to shoulder” with the Pacific in jointly facing crucial security and development challenges, alongside the announcements (from France, New Zealand and others) of additional support to help strengthen maritime surveillance, increase funding for climate action, nature-based solutions and regional cooperation, align with calls from the region’s leaders for genuine partnerships and greater coordination between development partners.

The France-Oceania Summit is therefore not just another meeting. It is an illustration of multilateralism at work and an excellent example of positive partnerships to help address regional (and global) challenges and amplify the Pacific’s voice on key international issues.

Blog Category
Blog Post
0
Division
Corporate
Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
Headquarters
SPC's European Office
Countries

Author(s)

Cameron Diver

Deputy Director-General Operations and Integration (Noumea)

Mr Cameron Diver has been appointed Deputy Director-General Operations and Integration at the Pacific Community (SPC), based in Noumea since January 2021.

Mr Cameron Diver previously served as the Deputy Director-General (Noumea) at SPC for seven years, where he was responsible for SPC’s operations and divisions based at its New Caledonian headquarters, together with its Micronesian Regional Office and European liaison office. He holds degrees in law and arts from the University of Auckland, a Master’s degree in law and a Diploma of Advanced Studies in public law and international relations from the University of New Caledonia. Mr Diver is a citizen of both New Zealand and France and is fluent in SPC’s two official languages: English and French.

Displaying 1 - 8 of 8
2161
SPC's European Office
2162
Headquarters
1429
Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
1543
Corporate
2161
SPC's European Office
2162
Headquarters
1429
Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
1543
Corporate
Climate Change
biodiversity
France
Blue Pacific
UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC-COP)
UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC-COP)
Climate Change
biodiversity
France
Blue Pacific
UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC-COP)
UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC-COP)
France
France
Blog Post
Blog Post