Oceania

The Seventh Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM7), co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan and H.E. Mr. Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr., President of Palau, was held at Spa Resort Hawaiians, Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan from 22nd to 23rd May 2015.

• (1) The leaders and representatives of seventeen countries including Japan and fourteen Pacific island countries (PICs) attended to PALM7 on the theme of "We are Islanders -Commitment to the Pacific from Iwaki, Fukushima: Building Prosperous Future Together-".
  Recognizing that continued and consistent effort is necessary to address the priorities of the PICs, the leaders decided to enhance cooperation in the coming three years with a focus on the following seven areas: (i) Disaster Risk Reduction; (ii) Climate Change; (iii) Environment; (iv) People-to-People Exchanges; (v) Sustainable Development; (vi) Oceans, Maritime Issues and Fisheries; and (vii) Trade, Investment and Tourism.
• (2) Moreover, Leaders' Declaration -Fukushima Iwaki Declaration- "Building Prosperous Future Together" was adopted as outcome of the discussion.
• (3) Prime Minister Abe announced that Japan will implement assistance of more than 55 billion yen in three years and will provide assistance for human resource development and people-to-people exchanges to 4000 people in order to advance PICs' self-sustaining development. Prime Minister Abe also announced that Japan will further enhance capacity development of PICs in the area of climate change and promote business exchanges between Japan and PICs. The leaders expressed their deep appreciation for Japan's generous support and their high expectations for Japan's continuous commitment.

(1) Opening Session

Prime Minister Abe gave a keynote speech entitled "A Beacon for Diplomacy toward PICs: Working to Establish a Society of Pacific Citizens" (PDF) .

(2) Session 1

A. PALM Process

Acknowledging that the relationship between Japan and PICs has been deepened and the challenges of the international community have changed since PALM1, Prime Minister Abe stated that he made an announcement of the new vision of Japan's diplomacy toward the PICs in order to respond to such changes. Prime Minister Abe also expressed his intention to define PALM as a series of process rather than a single event in three years in order to establish frequent and multilayered dialogues with the PICs.

The leaders welcomed and expressed their support for the new vision of Japan's diplomacy toward the PICs which was announced by Prime Minister Abe.

B. Japan's Assistance Package

Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan had extended support more than its pledge of 500 million US dollars made at the former meeting in the last three years and made significant achievement in the fields of natural disasters, environment and climate change, sustainable development, people-to-people exchanges etc.

Furthermore, he proposed the areas of focus in the next three years as follows: (i) Disaster Risk Reduction; (ii) Climate Change; (iii) Environment; (iv) People-to-People Exchanges; (v) Sustainable Development; (vi) Oceans, Maritime Issues and Fisheries; and (vii) Trade, Investment and Tourism and expressed his intention to utilize Japan's knowledge and experiences in order to cooperate with the PICs especially in these fields.

The leaders expressed their deep gratitude for Japan's continued support which is based on the PICs' needs.

C. Sustainable Development

Prime Minister Abe announced that Japan will extend cooperation based on a people-centered approach in infrastructure development, social services improvement and women and youth empowerment and will launch "Pacific-LEADs (Pacific-Leaders' Educational Assistance for Development of State)", a new long-term training program for young leaders in the Pacific.

The leaders expressed their gratitude for Japan's cooperation for development of socioeconomic infrastructure and of human resources, which contributes significantly to sustainable development of their countries and recalled for Japan's continuous support taking into account the needs of the PICs.

(3) Session 2

A. Disaster Risk Reduction

Prime Minister Abe expressed his sympathies to those who have been affected by Cyclone Pam and Typhoon Maysak that hit the Pacific region in March this year, and reiterated the importance of mainstreaming disaster risk reduction that was discussed at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to which the leaders expressed their support.

Prime Minister Abe also announced that Japan will provide support for strengthening the Pacific Early Warning System for Natural Disasters and for the expansion of the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Program in order to build a society resilient to natural disaster in the PICs.

Regarding the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan will continue its effort to provide as much information as possible to the international community and requested the leaders to continue to support Japan's effort without being misled by rumors. The leaders expressed their appreciation for Japan's provision of information.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Abe proposed to designate November 5 as "World Tsunami Day" in order to deepen understanding of tsunamis and raising awareness of the importance of taking precautionary measures against tsunamis, based on a famous historical facts of predecessor who saved the precious lives by emitting an alarm at an early stage. The leaders expressed their support to this proposal.

B. Environment and Climate Change

Prime Minister Abe introduced the following as Japan's main measures regarding climate change, which is a priority agenda for the PICs:

• (I) Assistance for capacity development to address climate change for vulnerable countries including the PICs based on "Adaptation Initiative";
• (II) $1.5 billion financial contribution to the Green Climate Fund (GCF);
• (III) Assistance to develop the Pacific Climate Change Center of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and capacity development through the Center; and
• (IV) Assistance for introduction of renewable energy and promotion of efficiency in diesel power plant in order to enhance energy security

Prime Minister Abe announced that Japan would cooperate in order to reach an agreement on a new international framework applicable to all Parties at COP21 which would be held in Paris at the end of 2015.

The leaders stated that climate change is a factor that prevents sustainable development of the PICs and stressed the necessity of the continuous support by Japan and other development partners for the PICs' efforts to address climate change. In this connection, the leaders expressed their gratitude for Japan's concrete assistance in the area of climate change including its contribution to the GCF.

C. Oceans, Maritime issues and Fisheries

Prime Minister Abe underscored the importance of promoting cooperation in the field of oceans as a maritime nation sharing the Pacific Ocean, and the leaders confirmed to work together for sustainable use of marine resources such as proper conservation and management of fishery resources including measures against illegal fishing. Prime Minister Abe requested the leaders of the PICs to give consideration to stable operation of the Japanese fishing vessels in the Pacific region.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Abe reaffirmed the importance of maintaining maritime order as a maritime nation in accordance with principles of international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in order to ensure "Open and Stable Seas", to which the leaders of the PICs expressed their support. Prime Minister Abe also stressed the importance of refraining from unilateral actions that increase the tension and acting based on the principle of the rule of law.

D. People-to-People Exchanges

Emphasizing the importance of "human", Prime Minister Abe announced that Japan aims to promote people-to-people exchanges and human resource development. The leaders expressed their request to advance people-to-people exchanges in broad areas including young generation, business exchanges etc.

(4) Session 3 (Working Lunch)

A. Trade and Investment Promotion

Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan aimed to promote business exchanges including information exchanges and business matching and announced Japan's intention to implement a program consisting of trade and investment workshop in the PICs and dispatch of the economic mission to the PICs every year.

Recognizing that promotion of tourism deepens mutual understanding and strengthens the friendly relations, Prime Minister Abe announced that Japan would hold a Pacific Islands Tourism Ministers Meeting this year in Japan to support the measures toward promotion of tourism of Japan and the PICs.

The leaders expressed their high expectations for Japan's efforts for trade, investment and tourism promotion.

B. Cooperation in the international arena

Prime Minister Abe announced Japan's resolution to work in close cooperation with the PICs to achieve concrete results on UN Security Council reform in this year that marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations. The leaders expressed their continuous support to Japan's position and efforts in the international arena including the UN.

Prime Minister Abe expressed his determination to contribute even more proactively to securing peace, stability and prosperity of the international community including the Pacific region under the policy of "Proactive Contribution to Peace" based on the principle of international cooperation, and the leaders welcomed Japan's determination.

(5) Closing Session

Prime Minister Abe proposed to hold the third Ministerial Interim Meeting about one and a half year after PALM7 in order to follow-up and to start the preparatory process for the next PALM. Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan would consider the possibility to hold the third Ministerial Interim Meeting in one of the PICs in case the PICs wish to do so.