Ministry Statements & Speeches:
The Chair of this Special Committee – Your Excellency Walton Webson, Vice-Chairpersons, the Rapporteur, Distinguished Members of this Special Committee, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.
On behalf of New Zealand and the Administrator of Tokelau, I would like to say malo and greetings to you all.
Mr Chair
This is an exciting time in New Zealand’s relationship with Tokelau. Late last year the New Zealand Government decided to scale up the position of Administrator and to appoint someone whose sole focus will be this role.
This decision reflected the importance New Zealand places on its relationship with Tokelau. It was made both in response to requests from Tokelau’s leadership, and in acknowledgement of the need for the Administrator to spend longer periods of time on the atolls to further build trust and understanding between New Zealand and Tokelau.
As well as this positive development, New Zealand has announced a ‘reset’ of its approach in the Pacific. This has resulted in increased focus on the region and a new sense of momentum in our Pacific relationships.
So against this backdrop, we are confident that the Tokelau-New Zealand relationship will flourish and we will continue to deliver tangible benefits to the people of Tokelau.
Mr Chair,
In accordance with our obligations under the UN Charter, over the past three decades New Zealand has progressively devolved its administrative powers to Tokelau and supported the development of its governance institutions. For example,
- in 1986 a separate court system was established;
- in 1993 public service responsibilities were transferred; and,
- in 1996 Tokelau’s national decision-making body, the General Fono, was given the power to make national laws.
In 1994, the Administrator delegated most of their powers to the General Fono, and in 2004 a revised delegation recognised the village councils on each atoll as the source of administrative authority. Tokelau’s current governance arrangements thus reflect a unique combination of local traditions and models from abroad.
The developments I have outlined meant that by the 2000s, Tokelau had attained a substantial degree of self-government and was ready to hold a referendum on becoming self-governing in free association with New Zealand.
The vote was held in February 2006, but as you know, narrowly missed the two-thirds majority required for a change of status, as did a second vote held in 2007. We note, however, that the close results reflected considerable desire by the Tokelauan people to achieve greater self-governance.
Mr Chair
Since the independence referenda Tokelau has put further questions about self-governance on hold. However, in practice it exercises a substantial degree of self-government already.
New Zealand is committed to supporting Tokelau to develop its capacity and confidence in self-governance. In particular we encourage Tokelau to consider how best to balance the needs of its individual villages with those of the entire nation.
Mr Chair
New Zealand stands ready to support Tokelau in carefully and deliberately considering the Question of Tokelau when Tokelau chooses to revisit this matter.
In the meantime, and at the behest of Tokelau, our support is focused on improving quality of life of the people living on the three atolls.
We do this through a combination of direct support to Tokelau’s budget, and working with Tokelau on specific projects. I want to name a few of these.
Firstly, transport. Tokelau is incredibly remote. With no air services, it is dependent on a cargo ship and ferry to get to and from its nearest neighbour Samoa, which is around 500km away.
Ships cannot berth in Tokelau because its atolls are surrounded by coral reefs. To transfer from ship to shore, passengers and cargo must take small barges through narrow channels. These channels are old so in December 2017 New Zealand announced a NZ$15.8 million investment to upgrade the channels, and work began in May this year.
Secondly, on telecommunications. Tokelau’s remoteness makes it dependent on the internet to connect to the rest of the world. New Zealand, in December 2017, announced a NZ$22.2 million investment to connect Tokelau to undersea fiber-optic cables that will provide a much faster connection. Faster internet will help deliver better communications and improved health and education services including telemedicine and distance learning.
Third, on fisheries. As we told the Committee last year, Tokelau’s revenue from fisheries has increased significantly. To protect and enhance this significant revenue stream, in 2014 Tokelau’s Government requested reforms to the way Tokelau’s offshore fisheries were governed and managed. New Zealand has worked closely in Tokelau to put in place important governance of fisheries.
Finally, a word on the important issue of climate change. As the Ulu said in his statement last year to the Committee, “the reality of today’s climate change for Tokelau is visible” and “the impacts on our people are overwhelming”. Tokelau is experiencing changing weather patterns, changes to its coastal environment, and the acidification of its lagoons.
On a practical level, New Zealand is supporting Tokelau’s efforts to adapt to these changes, including through a project to reduce the risks of coastal inundation from storms and sea-level rise.
New Zealand is also committed to supporting Tokelau’s voice on the global stage. Tokelau regularly joins New Zealand’s delegations to international climate change negotiations. For example, Tokelauan officials were active participants in our delegation to the Conference of Parties most recently in Berlin. This is likely to mean increased recognition for Tokelau’s climate mitigation work, as well as greater focus on its vulnerability to the effects of climate change.
Mr. Chair
In conclusion, New Zealand is committed to improving the quality of life of our most remote citizens. We welcome the ongoing interest of the Special Committee in Tokelau and we thank you for the opportunity to share our perspective today.
Fakafetai, and thank you.
Ross Ardern, Administrator of Tokelau