DPA In Briefs (previously Briefing Notes)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/1885/292043

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Open Access
Addressing Criminal Deportations to the Pacific Islands
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2024-10-01) McNeill, Henrietta
In the last decade, criminal deportations from Australia, New Zealand (NZ), and the United States (US) to Pacific Island countries (PICs) have substantially increased, driven by domestic politics securitising migration and crime. Deportations have raised regional concerns, including fears of potential transnational and domestic criminal activity if there is no formal reintegration support for returnees. Deporting states are key development and security partners to PICs, and should bear responsibility for the consequences of their deportation policies. Most people deported to Samoa, Tonga and Cook Islands for criminal activity are males aged 25–35.1 Returnees have been prosecuted, sentenced and incarcerated for their crime(s) in the deporting state, and would otherwise be released as free — if it were not for their non-citizen status. Each deporting state has different criteria and thresholds for criminal deportation, although there are shared features of the overall process. Key problems around criminal deportations are a lack of support prior to deportation; poor information sharing; a lack of financial support for reintegration; and the diplomatic repercussions of deportation policies. This In Brief discusses each of these problems, and summarises policy recommendations for Australia, NZ and the US as major deporting states based on a recent extensive study into criminal deportations to PICs (McNeill 2024).
Open Access
Ain’t No Sunshine when Xi’s Gone: What’s behind China’s Declining Aid to the Pacific?
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2021-11-12) Smith, Graeme
The much-awaited update to the Pacific Aid Map showed a sharp drop in China’s 2019 aid spend in the Pacific, despite the pressing development needs presented by COVID-19. While eight of the Pacific’s ten major donors also saw falls in their aid spends from 2018 levels, China Aid dropped the most, falling 31 per cent to just 6 per cent of overseas development assistance (ODA) in the Pacific, a far cry from 2018 reports that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was set to become the region’s leading donor based on committed aid funds. This In Brief strongly concurs with the map’s authors about the reasons for the relative decline. However, it’s doubtful that 2018 represents a ‘high-water mark’ for China’s aid to the region (Pryke and Dayant 30/9/2021), or indeed any sort of roll back in China’s presence. The nature of China’s engagement with the region is changing — in line with global trends — as China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and policy banks get more creative about how they fund their operations.
Open Access
Building Micronesian Climate-Proof Food Security through Intergenerational Collaboration and Community Model Farms
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2024-11-18) Puas, Gonzaga; Golightly, James; D'Arcy, Paul
Pacific Island nations are some of the most vulnerable nations on Earth to the negative consequences of global warming. Despite the diplomacy of Pacific nations at global forums on climate change mitigation, commitments made at these forums consistently fall short of the scientific agreed minimum global reduction of anthropogenic carbon emissions needed to avoid irreversible damage to planetary ecosystems. Ocean acidification levels in the Pacific are already more than 100 times greater than the maximum safe limit. Fish such as tuna and corals are sensitive to even one degree of variation in average water temperature, while crop production is extremely sensitive to changes in rainfall and temperature. Food security is a mounting concern in nations where the majority of citizens rely on subsistence farming for sustenance (Vandenbroucke et al. 2015). In response, many Pacific Island nations are at the forefront of promoting low-emission, cost-effective energy and climate-resilient, healthy and locally grown foods. This In Brief discusses the results of a recently completed Climate Change Adaptation Project on the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).1 The FSM economy is distinguished by US Compact of Free Association funding, a rich tuna fishery dominated by foreign vessels, high migration rates to US territories, and declining traditional farming knowledge among younger generations as a result of wage employment stemming from Compact monies (Puas 2021).
Open Access
Community Peace and Safety in Post-Conflict Bougainville. Part 1: The Crisis and Its Legacies
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2024-11-26) Dinnen, Sinclair; Kuai, Dennis; Forsyth, Miranda
Bougainville’s decade-long conflict, known locally as ‘the Crisis’, officially ended with the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA). This established the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) and set in train a complex pathway towards possible Independence that continues to play out today. However, legacies of the Crisis continue more than two decades later. One way to understand this is to go beyond the popular framing of the Crisis as having been between armed separatists and the Papua New Guinea (PNG) state and see it as one that also involved multiple local-scale conflicts between Bougainvilleans themselves. Its legacies today include individual and collective trauma, and enduring divisions and animosities that impact the wellbeing of communities and the ability of the AROB to move forward. The sons of combatants are now starting to ask questions about settling old scores. For many orphans and widows, the search for the bones of their lost ones continues to haunt them. In the first of this two-part In Brief series, we look at some of these legacies through the lens of current social order problems in the AROB. Our argument is that what today tend to be framed as ‘law and order’ issues, such as violence and endemic drug and alcohol abuse, are often linked in complex ways to the earlier crisis. Rather than relying on punitive policing responses, as is increasingly advocated, there remains a critical role for peacebuilding if underlying issues are also to be addressed. While new priorities are emerging, we contend that peacebuilding should continue as a major focus for Bougainville’s policymakers and external donors.
Open Access
Community Peace and Safety in Post-Conflict Bougainville. Part 2: Visions and Realities
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2024-11-26) DInnen, Sinclair; Forsyth, Miranda
In Part 1 of this In Brief series we argued that while growing concerns with crime and lawlessness have led the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) and other leaders to call for tougher policing and justice responses, there remains a critical need for continuing peacebuilding efforts. In Part 2 we discuss the ABG’s stated desire to develop truly autochthonous community and custom based policing, justice and security post-conflict. We contrast this intent with what has actually happened, particularly in terms of policing, and what is being planned as part of a new local security and governance approach following the referendum in 2019.
Open Access
Creating Inclusive Local Government Structures in Fiji
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2023-11-21) Baker, Kerryn; Kant, Romitesh
Under the local government structure in Fiji, the country is divided into 13 municipalities, each with a council responsible for local service delivery. Yet local government elections have not been held since 2005. The coalition government elected in 2022 intends to reinstate local government elections, with the first due to be held in 2024. This In Brief will explore the potential avenues for reform to create more inclusive local government structures in Fiji.
Open Access
Crime, Safety and Justice in Vanuatu: A Snapshot
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2023-09-29) Putt, Judy; Dinnen, Sinclair
The archipelago of Vanuatu comprises over 80 islands. More than two-thirds of its estimated population of 323,000 people live in rural areas, and over half of the population is aged under 25 years. This In Brief summarises some of the main themes emerging from a survey on perceptions of safety and justice in Vanuatu, the Vanuatu-Australia Policing and Justice Services Study (VPJSS), undertaken in 2022 on behalf of the Vanuatu-Australia Policing and Justice Program (VAPJP). Conducted by telephone, the VPJSS survey asked 1016 adults (53.6% men, 46.4% women) in different provinces about their perceptions of safety and the justice sector, including their experience of crime. The survey was supplemented by nine focus groups involving a total of 91 participants. The main aim of the study was to provide the VAPJP with baseline data for planning and future assessments. A research report has been released that includes more detail on the methodology and findings.
Open Access
Deepening Men’s Engagement with Supporting Women in Leadership Part 1: Men’s Supporting Roles in the Political Sphere
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2024-09-24) Meki, Theresa
In the last 20 years, gender and women’s leadership in particular has been a priority of international development in the Pacific region. This is an important agenda, particularly as women’s representation in Pacific parliaments continues to lag compared to other regions. While the primary focus is on improving women’s access to leadership positions and addressing patriarchal norms and structures, men’s involvement and participation is equally important, if not essential. This In Brief is the first in a two-part series drawing on findings from both authors’ doctoral fieldwork conducted in the Melanesian context between 2016 and 2019. These discussions aim to highlight the importance of men’s involvement in women’s leadership journeys and emancipation. This In Brief argues that men’s support is crucial in order for women to succeed in national politics, specifically men’s foundational role in the success of women’s political campaigns.
Open Access
Deepening Men’s Engagement with Supporting Women in Leadership Part 2: Approaches for Male Allyship in Bougainville
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2024-09-24) Masta, Mercy
This is the second instalment of a two-part In Brief series drawing on the authors’ doctoral research conducted in Melanesia between 2016 and 2019. Part one discusses how men are essential to women’s leadership success in the Pacific, especially in elections. However, shifting men, particularly those with societal privileges, from passive supporters to active advocates or allies for women’s social justice can be challenging. In this piece, I explore effective strategies for engaging men in supporting women’s leadership and combating violence, drawing on interviews with male allies from the Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation (NCfR) in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. I observe NCfR as a model of successful approaches to fostering male allyship and advancing gender equality by selecting allies, providing training and dedicating spaces for men.
Open Access
Developing a Home-Grown Independence Constitution in Bougainville: Part One — Context and Process
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2024-06-18) Regan, Anthony J.; LeRoy, Katy
On 6 May 2024, the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) released the first draft of its proposed independence constitution. The ABG is a highly autonomous sub-national government in Papua New Guinea (PNG), with strong aspirations for Bougainville (population about 350,000) to soon become the first independent country since South Sudan in 2011. This two-part In Brief analyses the political and constitutional context, Bougainville’s prior constitutionmaking history, the current constitution-making process (Part One), and key features of the content of the draft (Part Two).
Open Access
Developing a Home-Grown Independence Constitution in Bougainville: Part Two — Key Features of the Draft Constitution
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2024-06-18) Regan, Anthony J.; LeRoy, Katy
This is the second part of a two-part In Brief concerning the history, context and key features of the proposed independence constitution that is in the process of being developed for Bougainville.
Open Access
Developing Pharmaceutical Legislation in the Federated States of Micronesia
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2021-11-12) Puas, Gonzaga; Samo, Marcus
In the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), pharmacies are largely unregulated, giving rise to a lack of quality control over medicines and potentially exposing the public to harmful consequences. A joint state and national response was to adopt the FSM Medicine Policy in 2012 which served as guidance for the pharmaceutical industry (DHSA 2012). A 2017 review of the sector found that a legislative and regulatory regime is urgently required to assure quality control and thus increase the public’s confidence in the medicines available (DHSA 2017). Assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Australia was provided to collaborate with the Department of Health and Social Affairs for the purposes of creating the legislative framework. This In Brief provides an overview of the existing pharmaceutical legal regime and the legislative framework that has been proposed to replace it.
Open Access
Diverging Resilience Realities: Reflections on Conceptual Differences of Climate Resilience Building in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2024-04-17) Bland, Lauren
Resilience has become a prominent concept in development policy, describing the intersection between climate, disaster risk reduction and development (Bahadur et al. 2013). However, resilience lacks a universal definition, meaning it is often applied differently across disciplines and contexts. This In Brief reflects on differences in conceptual understandings of resilience using the case of Aotearoa New Zealand’s (henceforth Aotearoa) Resilience Approach in the Pacific. It ultimately highlights the need for deeper intercultural dialogue to bridge conflicting worldviews for more coherent and contextually grounded resilience policy and practice.
Open Access
The Enduring Nuclear Legacy in the Marshall Islands: Recent Developments
(Canberra, ACT: Department of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2024-03-28) Firth, Stewart
This In Brief examines the recent renewal of the Compact of Free Association (COFA) between the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), which was the site of the largest nuclear explosion in the United States (US) test series conducted from 1946 to 1958. Called BRAVO, the explosion at Bikini Atoll on 1 March 1954 spread radioactive fallout over Bikini and atolls to the east, leaving a legacy of contamination and injury that persists to this day. In a demonstration attended by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna, hundreds of people marched in Majuro, RMI, on 1 March 2024, marking 70 years since BRAVO became a defining event in the country’s post-war history.
Open Access
Foreign Actors, Geopolitics and Riots in the Pacific
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2024-02-13) Ride, Anouk; Zhang, Denghua
Incidents of collective violence that include targeted violence against migrants or outsiders are a growing concern in parts of the Pacific region. Urban riots targeting Asian businesses have occurred in three Pacific countries since 2006. The most recent example involved Port Moresby, Lae, Goroka and some other locations of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in January 2024. Focusing on interactions between Chinese migrants and Pacific Islanders, this In Brief outlines how competition between these two groups, and geopolitical competition more broadly, can inflame domestic politics, unrest and insecurity in the Pacific. There are, of course, many factors contributing to or associated with particular riots, as shown in recent analyses of PNG’s riots. This paper outlines two examples of Pacific riots, each with its distinct characteristics and background, in order to highlight some key security considerations. The two cases presented are from Tonga and Solomon Islands.
Open Access
Funding Equality: Reimagining Fiji’s Political Landscape through Gender-Inclusive Political Party Funding
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2024-05-20) Kant, Romitesh
Recent reforms in political party funding by Fiji’s new coalition government have reignited crucial discussions about the foundations of democratic participation and representation. With increased financial allowances for members of parliament and substantial annual grants for political parties, these reforms are intended to strengthen the structural framework of Fiji’s political landscape. However, they glaringly overlook a critical dimension: the promotion of gender diversity in the political arena. The 2022 general elections have highlighted a significant regression, with a decrease in women’s representation in parliament and their continued underrepresentation in appointments to statutory boards. This In Brief argues that the financial reforms, while structurally significant, represent a missed opportunity, in failing to address the underlying gender disparities that inhibit women’s political participation. The paper instead proposes targeted reforms that align Fiji’s political financing mechanisms with its commitments to gender equality and social inclusion (GESI). By examining effective legislated and non-legislated measures from various global contexts, the paper makes recommendations aimed to bridge the gap between Fiji’s democratic aspirations and the lived reality of Fijian women, ensuring a more inclusive political landscape that reflects the diverse makeup of Fijian society.
Open Access
Gender Quotas and the 2021 Samoan Constitutional Crisis: What Next for the ‘10 Per Cent Law’?
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2021-10-06) Baker, Kerryn
While parliamentary gender quotas have been increasingly adopted around the world since the 1970s, they have proved less popular in the Pacific region. To date, the only independent Pacific state to adopt a parliamentary gender quota is Samoa, which introduced what was colloquially known as the ‘10 per cent law’ through a 2013 constitutional amendment. The law mandates a minimum level of women’s political representation; if this threshold is not met at a general election, the highest-polling unsuccessful women candidates can take up additional seats in parliament. This In Brief examines the implications of the constitutional crisis following the 2021 Samoan general election for its gender quota legislation, and how a similar situation might be avoided in the future.
Open Access
How the China Card is Played in New Caledonia
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2022-07-05) Morini, Daryl
As China's international profile grows, debates over Chinese influence occupy a significant role in New Caledonian politics, as elsewhere. The idea that independence from France will inevitably result in New Caledonia being strategically dominated by China is a popular theme in the rhetoric of the nonindependentist 'no' camp, which seeks to remain French. But the independentist 'yes' camp, which strives for New Caledonia to become a sovereign state, neutralises this claim by transferring fears of China back towards France and the 'no' camp. Both camps use the China card to try to influence Australia’s position on New Caledonia in their favour. French government officials and academics also play up the threat of China to the French Pacific. However, hard evidence of Beijing's alleged designs on New Caledonia is circumstantial and, so far, less compelling than for almost everywhere else in the Pacific.
Open Access
Inclusion and Participation of People Living with Disabilities in the PNG General Election
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2023-11-23) Kuman, Joe
The Papua New Guinea (PNG) government’s stated value of ‘Free, Fair and Safe Elections’ calls for a ballot box accessible for all eligible voters, but this is often not the case for a significant proportion of the population (ANU DPA 2018). While this issue has been recognised for many years, the particular challenges facing people living with disabilities (PLWDs) is a more recent concern highlighted by international and civil society organisations (CSOs) and taken up by the PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC), which affirms the PNG government’s Social Inclusion Policy. Whether PLWDs have effectively participated in election processes is an open question. This case study, undertaken as a study within a larger study of the 2022 elections, assessed how PLWDs participated in the 2022 national general election, in order to assess how inclusive the election systems and practices were of PLWDs. While it is important to acknowledge that many of the problems of access faced by PLWDs during PNG’s elections are also faced by those living without disabilities, the findings show that inclusion of PLWDs is far from the reality. This research, carried out by PLWDs, is the first time PLWDs have been formally engaged in election observation in PNG and is the first discrete study to focus on the particular problems they face.
Open Access
Inclusive Research: A Niu Approach to Participant Recruitment in the Pacific
(Canberra, ACT: Dept. of Pacific Affairs, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University, 2023-06-23) Young, Cameron D.; Filoi, Rosa; Tabangcora, Beatrice; Tabiru, Whitmon; Tonga Mohenoa Taka, Tevita
Pacific research that explores sensitive health topics like domestic violence would benefit from a new approach to participant recruitment. Few Pacificcentred recruitment methods exist, and standard recruitment practices may not reflect the cultural contexts of researched communities. This In Brief presents a niu (‘coconut’ in many Pacific languages) metaphor for inclusive Pacific recruitment that explicitly centres the needs of the most vulnerable within a research project.