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Mr Chairman,
Thank you for this opportunity to provide the Special Committee with some comments from the administering power’s perspective.
I shall be brief partly because, after regular annual reports from New Zealand and Tokelau and five fact-finding missions, the Committee is already conversant with the situation in Tokelau; partly because the Secretariat’s working paper covers recent developments comprehensively and well; and partly because you have just heard direct from the authentic representative of Tokelau, Faipule Pio Tuia.
Last year we reported on Tokelau’s new governance structures and restructured public services, its decisions on a draft constitution, its increasingly active role around the Pacific, the signing of the Joint Statement on Principles of Partnership, the steps taken to improve service delivery from New Zealand, Tokelau’s assumption of full responsibility for its budget and the General Fono’s landmark decision to actively explore with New Zealand the decolonisation option of self-government in free association.
The past twelve months have seen an intensification of work on all these fronts. In August 2004 the Acting Ulu of Tokelau attended the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Apia. That same month New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Rt Hon Helen Clark, made an official visit to all three atolls. While there she witnessed the signing of a new, three-year agreement on economic support between Tokelau and New Zealand. Your predecessor HE Robert Aisi was able to visit Tokelau in October last year to attend a workshop run by Tokelau’s Special Committee on the Constitution. In November the six-person Council for Ongoing Government visited New Zealand for a series of meetings with the Governor-General, Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Leader of the Opposition and the principal Tokelauan communities in New Zealand. In January elections were held for the offices of Faipule and Pulenuku. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade had a further formal meeting with the Council in Apia earlier this year.
In between and around these meetings and events – and I have highlighted just a few of them - work has proceeded on Tokelau’s draft constitution and a draft Treaty of Free Association pursuant to the decision of the General Fono.
Good progress has been made on the draft constitution, which was approved in principle by the May 2005 General Fono for a further round of discussions in all three villages in the coming weeks.
Agreement has also been reached on the main elements to be incorporated in a treaty and its supporting documents – for example, Tokelau’s ongoing entitlement to New Zealand citizenship, future economic support and administrative and technical assistance, support for Tokelau’s International Trust Fund and a programme to preserve Tokelau’s culture and language. The draft texts will be the subject of further consultations in the three villages before they are considered again by the General Fono in August.
At the same time, work is well advanced on the legislative amendments that will be required in New Zealand to give effect to a decision by Tokelau to become self-governing.
Although a final decision has yet to be made by the General Fono on the timing of the act of self-determination, you have heard the Ulu of Tokelau express the wish that the United Nations will dispatch a mission to Tokelau to witness that important event. I wish to confirm before the Committee that New Zealand shares Tokelau’s wish in that regard, and we shall communicate this formally to the Secretary-General as soon as a decision is taken by Tokelau on the timing of the referendum.
Tokelau faces a number of extreme challenges – for example, smallness, isolation and a lack of natural resources. It has shown that it is prepared to face up to those challenges. But it needs – and, I believe, deserves - support from the international community as it does so.
In February of this year Tokelau received a direct hit from a Force 5 tropical storm. The cyclone caused considerable damage. With help from its friends, Tokelau has staged a strong recovery. Mr Chairman, your own message of sympathy and support on behalf of this Committee was greatly appreciated. The cyclone was however a timely reminder of just how vulnerable these tiny atolls are. I should note here that the UNDP office in Apia was among the first to offer help to Tokelau. This was yet another case of the UNDP demonstrating that it has both the capability and the will to deliver timely and practical assistance to small countries like Tokelau. That assistance – and the UNDP ranks second only to New Zealand in terms of its support for Tokelau – is greatly valued.
In the past couple of years New Zealand has significantly raised the level of economic support provided to Tokelau. In addition to the three-year agreement covering regular budget support, it is providing special assistance in the areas of power supply and shipping services. It is also committed to working with Tokelau to build the Trust Fund as rapidly as possible to a level where it will provide an independent source of revenue to future generations of Tokelauans. Just this week our Minister announced a further contribution of $7.5 million to that Fund. It is our and Tokelau’s hope that this Committee and the United Nations more generally will encourage member states and regional organisations to add their own weight to this cause. To that end, it is planned to hold a donors’ roundtable meeting for Tokelau’s International Trust Fund here in New York following the act of self-determination. I am pleased to inform the Committee that the UNDP has agreed to facilitate this meeting.
The next few months will be a challenging and important time for Tokelau. As the Ulu noted, Tokelau will be looking to this organisation, specialised agencies and its Pacific neighbours for continued support and encouragement as it proceeds along the path to self-determination. For its part, New Zealand looks forward to staying in close touch with you and your colleagues on this Committee, and your excellent Secretariat, as Tokelau approaches this historic moment.
Along with the Ulu and Mr Aukuso, I shall be happy to respond to any questions that you and your colleagues might have.
