Pacific News Briefs

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has met with the Governor of the Yunnan Province, Wang Yubo, while on his trip to China.

The Fiji government said Rabuka and Wang Yubo explored opportunities for cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Rabuka said Fiji could learn a lot from Yunnan about innovative agricultural practices and development of infrastructure and tourism.

Governor Yubo told Rabuka Yunnan stands ready to enhance cooperation in trade and investment, people to people exchanges, poverty alleviation programs, and anti-narcotics strategy and higher education.

NEVADA NATIONAL GUARD COMPLETES EXCHANGE MISSION WITH SAMOA

The Nevada National Guard completed its first State Partnership Program (SPP) exchange mission with its newest partner nation, Samoa, last week. This exchange, a medical engagement, focused on best practices between the Nevada National Guard, Samoan Fire and Emergency Services Authority (SFESA), and the U.S. Army Reserve’s 1984th United States Army Hospital Detachment.

Topics related to pre-hospital support across a variety of scenarios and subsequent injuries. The first day focused on pre-hospital trauma life support, including collaborative instruction on airways, breathing, circulation, and ventilation. Day two consisted of trauma-life support involving brain injuries, including hemorrhaging and shock. The final day saw the continuation of pre-hospital care and disability considerations. Day three also highlighted the importance of making a secondary assessment and running through simulations.

“The entire exchange was a great success,” said Staff Sgt. Mason Burkhart, Nevada Army National Guard flight paramedic.

Burkhart was among three of the 2-238th GSAB flight paramedics Nevada sent to Samoa for the SPP exchange. The 1984th United States Hospital Detachment previously worked with SFESA for six months on a variety of medical engagements.

Collaboration between the Nevada Guard, U.S. Army Reserve, and SFESA better prepared Samoa for their upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Burkhart said.

The biennial summit meeting of the governmental leaders from all Commonwealth nations is scheduled for Oct. 21- 25.

“Samoa is one of the best in the world when it comes to providing quality trauma treatment with limited resources,” Burkhart said. “Utilizing their expertise directly translates to providing treatment in an austere combat environment.”

The SPP began in 1993 with 13 partners following the end of the Cold War. Thirty-one years later, it includes 92 partnerships with 106 nations and is a key U.S. security cooperation tool that facilitates collaboration across all aspects of civil-military affairs.

(Nevada Joint Force Public Affairs)

TONGA TRACKING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

Tonga could soon be able to track its own progress towards achieving targets for reducing greenhouse emissions.

Tonga's Department of Climate Change is working with stakeholders and partners to submit a proposal on the setting-up of the Tonga Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) project.

The CBIT project comes under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) of the Paris Agreement.

The project will cost US$1.3 million and is expected to run for three years if approved, and focuses on overcoming barriers in data management, institutional arrangements, and capacity-building.

The department worked with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in conducting a validation workshop for the CBIT project.

The GGGI said as part of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, signatories are expected to both set national targets for reducing green house gas emissions - referred to as climate change mitigation - and establish the key plans to adapt to climate change.

"This project will enhance Tonga's ability to establish and track the nation's progress towards these targets in a transparent manner, in line with what all parties to the Paris Agreement have agreed to," the GGGI said in a statement.

Mihwa Wi, project manager for CBIT at the Global Green Growth Institute, acknowledged the existing efforts and current progress under the Enhanced Transparency Framework.

"The CBIT project is designed to build on these established systems by strengthening them and addressing the existing gaps," she said.

Wi said the project offers significant capacity-building opportunities for all involved in climate actions, with the aim to be better equipped to contribute to Tonga's climate resilience and transparency goals.

The GGGI said while Tonga's greenhouse gas emissions are very small, requiring developed countries and large polluters to complete this same process sets a basis for showing how much small countries like Tonga are disproportionately suffering the consequences of climate change, while not having contributed to it in any significant way.

(RNZ Pacific)

COMMONWEALTH HEADS MEETING

New Zealand is assisting Samoa to strengthen safety and security in the country as it prepares to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October.

It is expected to be attended by King Charles, who will deliver an address to leaders and representatives of the 56 independent Commonwealth nations.

On Thursday at the Faleolo International Airport, prime minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa and New Zealand high commissioner Si'alei van Toor marked the handover of security scanning equipment to be installed at the international airport and conference venues.

Si'alei van Toor said the support is underpinned by a partnership spanning more than 15 years, which has brought together the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority, the Samoa Airport Authority, and other Samoa Government enforcement and border agencies.

(RNZ Pacific)

TONGA ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY

Banana boxes are being sent from New Zealand to Tonga, with donations including clothing, household utensils, and medical goods.

The St Vincent de Paul organization in Porirua, near Wellington, is sending the goods for a new shop for the Tonga St Vincent de Paul Society.

Arthur Schultz from St Vincent de Paul said the new shop will be the main lifeblood in terms of a consistent income to support their programs.

"It's what they request; it's not what we think they should have," he said.

"The Tongan project is going to [get] give them [to] take ownership of and help the needy with their own country.

"So that's the focus in the banana boxes and that will assist the set-up of this shop predominantly in Tonga."

(RNZ Pacific)