LISTENING TO THE PACIFIC

FRAMEWORK FOR PACIFIC REGIONALISM REGIONAL INITIATIVE SUBMISSION TEMPLATE 2016 The Framework for Pacific Regionalism The Framework for Pacific Regionalism represents a high-level commitment to pursuing deeper regionalism and

establishes a process for developing and prioritising regional public policy. It articulates the vision, values and

objectives of an enhanced Pacific regionalism. It also sets out an inclusive process by which anyone can propose

ideas for regional initiatives to address key challenges facing the Pacific. For more information, click here. Regional Issues and Guidance When preparing your submission, think carefully about why this is an issue of regional significance and why it

should be placed before the Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum. For further information on the process and

types of submissions being sought, please refer to the guideline below. To Submit a Regional Initiative 1. Complete the below regional initiative template below. 2. Submit initiative to the Forum Secretariat by deadline: 5pm, Fiji time, Sunday 10 April 2016. 3. Initiatives should be submitted to the Forum Secretariat, through one of the following ways:

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http://www.forumsec.org.fj/pages.cfm/strategic-partnerships-coordination/framework-for-pacific-regionalism/

FRAMEWORK FOR PACIFIC REGIONALISM – REGIONAL INITIATIVE TEMPLATE Please complete each section below. 1. Contact Details Please provide the following contact details: Name of individual or Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN) group submitting initiative PICAN is a regional network of 30 NGOs/CSOs from the Pacific who work to address

climate change in the region through the promotion of sustainable development principles.

PICAN is the Pacific regional node of the Climate Action Network International, which has

a membership of over 950 NGOs in more than 110 countries, working to promote action to

limit human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels.

Name and position of Mr. Krishneil Narayan, The Coordinator of Pacific Islands Climate Action Network primary contact

Email address :

Phone number

Fax number

Mailing address

2. Name of Initiative Proposing the ‘Pacific Climate Treaty’: A Regional Agreement to Enhance Implementation of the Global Climate Regime

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3. What is the common regional issue or challenge that this regional initiative aims to address?

You may also want to address the following: What are the causes of this issue? Are there links to national, regional or international goals/policies? Please limit your response to no more than 750 words.

This initiative aims to address the common regional issue of climate change. It will further strengthen the region’s role as a global leader on this issue and help ensure the swift and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Pacific island countries possess unique and particular vulnerabilities to the adverse impacts of climate change. Already,

with warming of around one degree Celsius, Pacific island communities are experiencing the consequences of more

extreme weather, sea-level rise, coastal erosion and ocean acidification. Pacific leaders have repeatedly re-affirmed that

climate change is the single most important issue facing the Pacific island communities.

For the atoll countries of Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands, communities already face severe challenges as

rising sea levels contaminate fresh water supplies, destroy food crops and swallow the land. Many Pacific Island countries are exposed to tropical cyclones and climate change is intensifying their destructive

impacts. The maximum wind speed and amount of rainfall associated with tropical cyclones is likely to increase this century. At the same time, storm surges are compounded by sea-level rise.

Gradual shifts in weather patterns and other slow onset changes are an equal threat. A very high proportion of

Pacific communities live in rural and remote areas. With most people relying on subsistence farming and fishing,

they are strongly affected by shifting rainfall patterns, as well as the impact of a warming and acidifying ocean upon

marine life – an important source of food.

It is clear that climate change - driven by the ongoing and short-sighted pollution of our atmosphere - presents a

catastrophic threat to our Pacific way of life. Despite decades of warnings, humans continue to emit greenhouse gases at

very dangerous levels, primarily through burning of fossil fuels. The increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere is driving unprecedented changes to the global climate system, with severe threats to ecosystems and human societies.

2016 has already seen events that have shocked the scientific community and dealt devastating blows to communities across the Pacific.

February registered as the most abnormally warm month on record, marking an upward surge in a trend that has

already seen fourteen of the fifteen warmest years on record occur since 2000, with 2015 the hottest of all. Cyclone Winston became the second devastating category five cyclone to make landfall in the Pacific within two

consecutive seasons, destroying entire villages in Fiji. Across the region, an exceptionally strong El Nino has exacerbated existing challenges. Climate change may mean

that these extreme El Nino events occur more than twice as often as in the past. Globally, we are witnessing the worst coral bleaching event ever recorded.

Pacific islanders are not the victims of climate change. They are agents of change. Pacific island leaders have long spearheaded global attempts to tackle the problem of climate change. Indeed the first United Nations proposal calling

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for a multilateral approach to tackling the dilemma, what would eventually become the Kyoto Protocol, was drafted by Nauru and submitted by the Alliance of Small Island States in 1994.

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Leadership from Pacific Island countries and other vulnerable nations was instrumental in securing a solid outcome from the Paris negotiations. The Agreement commits the international community to pursue efforts to limit the global average temperature rise to 1.5

oC; requires that action on climate change promotes human rights, the rights of indigenous

peoples, gender equality and intergenerational equity; assures increased support for climate change adaptation, with

particular priority to Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States; and demands we find solutions for

those who face loss of land, homes and livelihoods due to our historical failures to act fast enough to curb carbon

pollution.

However, the gap between what the Agreement demands of the international community and the level of commitments that have so far put on the table remains extraordinarily wide. The science is clear – to secure even a 50% chance of keeping warming below 2

oC, 80% of known fossil fuel reserves must remain in the ground. By some accounts, we have

already exhausted the amount of carbon pollution we can afford if we’re to have a good shot at keeping global warming

below 1.5°C. In order to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and limit the most dangerous effects of climate

change, very rapid action will be needed over the next few years. 4. Briefly describe this regional initiative You may also want to address the following in this section:

How would this initiative contribute to a positive change to the region? Who are the main beneficiaries?

How would the initiative contribute to the vision, values and objectives of the Framework for Pacific Regionalism? Has the initiative been carried out previously? What are the key risks in implementing this initiative? Are there any complementary projects and programmes that are currently active?

Please limit your response to no more than 750 words.

1 See Moses, M. 2013. UN climate change negotiations: The role and influence of the Alliance of Small Island States. Speech

delivered by Marlene Moses, Nauru’s ambassador to the United Nations and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). February 19, 2013. Australian National University, Canberra.

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This proposed regional initiative consists of a ‘Pacific Climate Treaty’ that builds on the 2015 Paris Agreement.

In December 2015 and after more than two decades of negotiations, the international community reached the first truly

global agreement for tackling climate change. While the Paris Agreement was a critically important step, achieving its

goals will require greater commitment from governments worldwide in the near term.

If fully implemented, the sum of emissions-reduction commitments put forward by individual countries would still have

us on course for a catastrophic temperature rise of around 3°C. Under the Paris Agreement, governments have promised

to review their carbon emissions reduction targets and steadily increase them from 2025. However, Pacific island

communities cannot wait another decade for next steps to be taken to close the gap. Indeed the global climate system

cannot wait that long. We must all act now, with even greater determination and urgency, to address the issue of climate

change.

The Pacific Climate Treaty proposed here would complement the 2015 Paris Agreement. It would constitute a new

regional source of law – binding across an area nearly a fifth of the Earth’s surface. The Treaty would, inter alia, ban the

construction of new mines and exploration for fossil fuels anywhere in the collective exclusive economic zone of the 16

member states of the Pacific Islands Forum. One important reason for the slow pace of global action to reduce the emissions responsible for climate change is ‘the widely held assumption that fossil fuel pollution is normal and permissible.’

2 However we know that we must move

away from carbon emitting technologies as soon as possible. We know that a greater investment in renewable energy is

needed. A Pacific Climate Treaty regulating investment in carbon-intensive mining – the first of its kind anywhere in the

world – would send a powerful signal to the global energy and mining sector that the era of fossil fuels is coming to an

end. The world must, and will, move towards a zero emissions future.

Pacific leaders are already spearheading the movement for an immediate halt to new fossil fuel mines. In 2015 [then] President of Kiribati, H.E. Anote Tong, penned an open letter to world leaders ‘calling for a global moratorium on new coal mines’.

3 In September 2015, leaders of the Pacific Islands Development Forum issued a ‘Suva Declaration’ that

called for: ‘a new global dialogue on the implementation of an international moratorium on the development and expansion of fossil fuel extracting industries, particularly the construction of new coal mines, as an urgent step towards decarbonising the global economy’.

4 Also in September 2015, leaders from the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall islands,

Nauru, Niue, Palau and Tuvalu issued a Smaller Island States Leaders’ Port Moresby Declaration on Climate Change which called for ‘a global moratorium on all new coal mines.’

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2 Gage, A. Wewerinke, M. 2016. Taking Climate Justice into Our Own hands: A model climate compensation act. Vanuatu

Environmental Law Association.

3 Tong, A. 2015. Open letter to world leaders calling for a moratorium on new coal mines. Note that President Tong’s call

was backed by dozens of world renowned scientists and economists, including former NASA Goddard Institute Director Dr. James E Hansen, Dr. David Suzuki, Nobel laureate in economics Professor Kenneth Arrow, Professor Hans Joachim Schellnuber and Ian Dunlop.

4 Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF). 2015. Suva Declaration on Climate Change.

5 Pacific Islands Forum. 2015 Smaller Island States Leaders’ Port Moresby Declaration on Climate Change.

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This proposed initiative – a new Pacific Climate Treaty – builds on the moral and political leadership already shown by

Pacific island states. Action to tackle climate change has already been identified as a regional priority under the

Framework. The treaty is intended to form part of an extended regional work-plan, under the Framework for Pacific

Regionalism.

In addition to strengthening the global mitigation efforts, the Pacific Climate Treaty may also consider treaty-chapters

that enhance action across all elements of the Paris Agreement, including: regional cooperation on climate change

adaptation (including adaptation finance), provisions to address permanent loss and damage arising from climate change, and regional solutions for people at risk of cross-border displacement.

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Within the framework of the Pacific Climate Treaty, the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network is also proposing the

possible establishment of a Pacific Climate Change Commissioner or a Pacific Climate Change Commission who would

be tasked to oversee the implementation of the treaty. This could either be a new office or be hosted within existing

regional entities under the Framework for Pacific Regionalism.

Note: The Pacific Islands Climate Action Network has commissioned an international law expert, Dr. Margaretha

Wewerinke of the University of the South Pacific, to investigate potential elements of a Pacific Climate Treaty. The

findings of this research report can be made available to the Pacific Islands Forum Officials Committee Special

Subcommittee on Regionalism, upon request. 5. Why does this initiative require the attention of the Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum?

Please consider whether this initiative requires the attention and consideration of the Leaders of the Pacific

Islands Forum in order to be implemented and outline why this is the case. Could it not be overseen or

implemented at the level of Ministers, officials or by a regional agency?

Please limit your response to no more than 750 words. A Pacific Climate Treaty is clearly an issue for Pacific political leaders.

In August 2015 the Pacific Islands Forum Officials Committee decided that climate change should be one of five regional policy priorities to be considered by island leaders. At the Forum Leaders’ meeting, held in Port Moresby in September, Leaders issued a Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Declaration on Climate Change Action which declared that ‘an increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius would severely exacerbate the particular challenges facing the most vulnerable smaller island states of the Pacific’.

7 If we are to avoid temperature rise beyond 1.5 degrees it is clear that Pacific Island

Forum Leaders must continue to show the global leadership and determination they have in recent times. A firm political commitment from leaders would be required to guide officials who would be mandated to investigate,

6 Please note that the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network has commissioned an international law expert, Dr Margaretha

Wewerinke, to investigate potential elements of a Pacific Climate Treaty. The findings of this research report can (on request) be made available to the Pacific Islands Forum Officials Committee Special Subcommittee on Regionalism.

7 Pacific Islands Forum. 2015 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Declaration on Climate Change Action

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and then to negotiate, a Pacific Climate Treaty. Ultimately, it is the leaders Pacific Governments who sign and ratify new

regional agreements. Furthermore, to drive a global shift away from fossil fuels and effectively find solutions to loss and

damages from climate change, any new Pacific Climate Treaty must be championed by island leaders through joint

diplomacy on the world stage.

The Pacific Islands Forum has a proud history of joint diplomacy. Forum members have previously worked together to

lobby the international community around issues of concern to Pacific island states, like nuclear testing and

decolonisation. Forum leaders have taken on some of the world’s largest powers, and won. Joint diplomacy through the

auspices of the Pacific Islands Forum has culminated in regional treaties on resource protection, environmental issues,

tuna access; and prohibitions on driftnet fishing, the dumping of radioactive wastes in Pacific waters, and nuclear testing.

8 Members of the Pacific Islands Forum also worked together to have New Caledonia re-inscribed on the UN list

of territories to be decolonised.

We know that Pacific island governments can show the political leadership needed to tackle global challenges. It has

been done before. In 1985, in the context of nuclear tensions between great powers, member states of the Pacific Islands

Forum negotiated a South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (the Rarotonga Treaty). That treaty was an arms control

agreement which banned the manufacture or possession of nuclear weapons amongst member states. The nuclear free

zone encompassed a huge portion of the Earth’s surface. Today, an interconnected network of six regional nuclear-

weapons-free-zones encompasses the collective territory of 112 United Nations member states. Furthermore, those states constitute ‘an international lobby group to work for the global elimination of nuclear weapons’.

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In the same way that the Rarotonga Treaty today forms part of a series of interconnected regional treaties controlling

nuclear weapons, it is likely that a new Pacific Climate Treaty will provide a model for governments in other regions of

the world to implement similar agreements. In future, an interconnected series of regional treaties – all banning the

construction of new mines and exploration for fossil fuels – could provide the powerful signal needed by markets and

investors the world over if we are to shift to low-emission economies, and if we are to avoid utterly catastrophic changes

in the global climate system.

All members of the Pacific Islands Forum have long recognised the need for urgent action to address the causes of a

changing climate. Now is the moment of truth. Pacific leaders have an opportunity to continue to show global leadership

by negotiating a flagship Pacific Climate Treaty. We cannot afford to do too little. A failure to effectively tackle climate

change will be the burden of our children, and generations to come.

6. Attachments** Please attach additional information in support of this initiative. Please attach no more than 3 pages. 8 See Fry, G. 2015. Recapturing the Spirit of 1971: Towards a New Regional Political Settlement in the Pacific. State, Society

and Governance in Melanesia (SSGM) Program. Australian National University, Canberra.

9 Hamel-Green, M. 2014. Antinuclear Campaigning and the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone (Rarotonga) Treaty, 1960-85.

Labour History Melbourne.

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7. Uploading initiatives to the Forum Secretariat website

In line with the process outlined in the Framework for Pacific Regionalism, all submitted initiatives, inclusive of all attachments, will be publicly available via the Forum Secretariat website.

8. Guidelines and Contact Details

For further information on completing this template, consult the submissions guideline below or contact Pacific Regionalism Adviser Joel Nilon at the Forum Secretariat:

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http://www.forumsec.org.fj/pages.cfm/strategic-partnerships-coordination/framework-for-pacific-regionalism/

Submission Guidelines

These guidelines are designed to assist those submitting regional initiatives through the Framework for Pacific

Regionalism. For more information contact Pacific Regionalism Adviser Joel Nilon at the Forum Secretariat:

1. About the Framework for Pacific Regionalism The Framework for Pacific Regionalism represents a high-level commitment to pursuing deeper regionalism and

establishes a process for developing and prioritising regional public policy. It articulates the vision, values and

objectives of an enhanced Pacific regionalism. It also sets out an inclusive process by which anyone can propose

ideas for regional initiatives to address key challenges facing the Pacific. For more information, click here.

2. How do I submit a regional initiative? To submit a regional initiative, complete all sections of the submission template and submit to the Forum Secretariat by no later 5pm, Fiji time, Sunday 10 April 2016.

Submissions must be made on this template. Submissions made directly via email, letter or other format will not be considered.

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http://www.forumsec.org.fj/pages.cfm/strategic-partnerships-coordination/framework-for-pacific-regionalism/

3. Who can submit an initiative?

Any interested stakeholder can submit a regional initiative. This may include individuals, or groups of individuals

or organisations, including government, civil society (including church or religious organisations), the private

sector, community groups, multilateral agencies and CROP agencies.

4. What information is required? In completing the regional initiative template, you should:

a. Identify and seek to respond to issues and challenges that are common to the Pacific region and that could be best addressed through a regional response.

b. Demonstrate that a high level political decision needs to be made.

This is not a process for seeking endorsement of existing projects or activities. No standing fund exists in

which to allocate funds to initiatives that are endorsed. Submissions that consist of projects or initiatives that

may be ordinarily carried out under the governance arrangements or work-plan of the submitting organisation are

unlikely to be successful.

c. Demonstrate how the initiative would contribute to one or more of the objectives of the Framework for Pacific Regionalism.

5. What assistance will the Forum Secretariat provide through this process The Forum Secretariat will provide general advice and suggestions to those making submissions. This advice will

include clarifying the information set out in this guideline, such as how initiatives can be completed and

submitted; the type and level of information sought; the assessment process; and clarification of the overall

process. 6. Assessment process Step 1 The Forum Secretariat will collate all submitted initiatives and check them for completeness.

Step 2 The Forum Secretariat will, in collaboration with CROP agency officials and other experts as required,

conduct a first round of assessment of all submitted initiatives using the tests for regional action (see

Table 1 below).

Step 3 The Forum Secretariat will provide all assessed initiatives to the Specialist Sub-Committee on Regionalism

(SSCR), which will assess initiatives against the vision, values and objectives set out in the

Framework (see Table 2 below). Reports on current regional initiatives under the Framework for

Pacific Regionalism that are in progress will also be considered by the SSCR when they assess

initiatives.

Step 4 Based on its assessment of all submissions, the SSCR may recommend a limited number of initiatives to

Forum Leaders. Those initiatives recommended to Leaders will be first sent to the Forum Officials

Committee for commentary and incorporation on the Leaders’ annual meeting agenda. Forum Leaders will then receive the final recommendations of the SSCR and make decisions on these at the annual

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Forum Leaders Meeting. In 2016 this meeting will take place in the Federated States of Micronesia

Proponents whose initiatives have been selected for Leaders’ consideration will be informed of this selection

within two weeks of the SSCR’s decision. All proponents will be informed in due course of the outcome of their

submissions.

7. Leaders’ decisions on initiatives

Forum Leaders’ decisions on initiatives will be publicly announced through the Forum Leaders’ Communique

that is issued at the conclusion of the Leaders’ meeting. As directed by Leaders, the Forum Secretariat will initiate

implementation of the decisions in consultation with the proponent, the proposed implementing agencies, funding

partners, and other relevant organisations or stakeholders.

8. Further help and feedback

For further information or guidance or to provide feedback on the process, contact Pacific Regionalism Adviser Joel Nilon at the Forum Secretariat:

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Table 1 – Tests for Regionalism

TEST CRITERIA FOR REGIONAL IMPLEMENTATION

Market test The initiative should not involve a service that markets can provide well.

Sovereignty test The initiative should maintain the degree of effective sovereignty held by national governments (countries, not regional bodies, should decide priorities).

Regionalism test The initiative should meet one of the following criteria at a sub-regional or regional level, in support of national priorities and objectives:

establish a shared norm or standard

establish a common position on an issue

deliver a public or quasi-public good which is regional (or sub-regional) in its scope realise

economies of scale

overcome national capacity constraints

complement national governments where they lack capacity to provide national public goods like security or the rule of law

facilitate economic or political integration

Where benefits accrue sub-regionally, the contribution to broader regionalism should be clear.

Benefit test The initiative should bring substantial net benefits, as demonstrated by a cost-benefit analysis. The distribution of benefits across countries and across stakeholders within the region should also be considered—particularly with respect to:

The relative costs and benefits for smaller island states (an “SIS test”)

How inclusive the proposal is of all stakeholders who might benefit from regionalism.

Political oversight test The initiative should require the Leaders’ attention and input (as opposed to being within the mandate of Ministers or other governing bodies).

Risk and sustainability test The initiative should demonstrate a robust risk and sustainability evaluation, be based on a sound implementation plan, be supported by some identified funding, and demonstrate available capacity and experience for successful implementation.

Duplication test The initiative should not be currently under progress by another organisation or process, and there should be no duplication of effort.

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Table 2 – Vision, Values and Objectives of the Framework for Pacific Regionalism

Vision: Our Pacific Vision is for a region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity, so that all Pacific people can lead free, healthy, and productive lives

Values: We value and depend upon the integrity of our vast ocean and our island resources. We treasure the diversity and heritage of the Pacific and seek an inclusive future in which cultures, traditions and religious beliefs are valued,

honoured and developed.

We embrace good governance, the full observance of democratic values, the rule of law, the defence and promotion of all human rights, gender equality, and commitment to just societies.

We seek peaceful, safe, and stable communities and countries, ensuring full security and wellbeing for the peoples of the Pacific. We support full inclusivity, equity and equality for all people of the Pacific. We strive for effective, open and honest relationships and inclusive and enduring partnerships—based on mutual accountability and

respect—with each other, within our sub-regions, within our region, and beyond.

These Pacific regional values will guide all our policy-making and implementation.

Principal Objectives: Sustainable development that combines economic social, and cultural development in ways that improve livelihoods and well-being and use

the environment sustainably;

Economic growth that is inclusive and equitable; Strengthened governance, legal, financial, and administrative systems; and Security that ensures stable and safe human, environmental and political conditions for all.

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