Fiji's centre stage role at global climate talks this week is a world away from the notoriety it's earned over the years for coups and military strongmen.
The country's prime minister Frank Bainimarama is presiding over the COP23 summit in Bonn and has been pushing the interests of small island countries which are at the forefront of dealing with global warming.
A professor of development studies at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji Vijay Naidu told Sally Round that's been generally welcomed in Fiji.
Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji and President of the COP23.
Photo: AFP PHOTO / PATRIK STOLLARZ
Transcript
VIJAY NAIDU: There is a sense of pride amongst many Fijians, you know that our country is right there on centre stage, which is very unusual, and in a positive way. You see in the past centre stage meant some negative activity in Fiji, particularly military coups, so this is very positive for us and some of our sports achievements have also contributed to that positivity but this is at a another sort of level so I think in Fiji there is generally a sense of pride and Mr Voreqe Bainimarama has done very well. The extent to which there'll be an uptake and push for the achievement of the Paris Agreement is still under negotiation and there is some criticism of Fiji already taking a strong line rather than being a neutral non partisan chair but given that we represent small island developing states that are most vulnerable one has a lot of empathy for the prime minister's position and Fiji's position.
SALLY ROUND: You said there has been some surprise that Fiji has been taking, not so much a neutral role, but been quite critical in its role as president at these talks.
VN: That's true. If you look at Morocco as being president of COP22 what you found in terms of international publicity, you hardly heard anything about Morocco but with COP23 you actually have a lot publicity internationally and of course especially in Fiji. But the commentators have said the chair should be neutral but as I said that can be interpreted in different ways . I think, I also feel, the chair should take some leadership role rather than being just a neutral arbiter of the discourse so in that sense I think Bainimarama is doing a good job.
SR: And the talanoa style of discussion that has been experimented with at these talks, has that been working?
VN: Well you know it's in one sense a bit contradictory because that bula, talanoa thing is supposed to be based on open frank discussions until you reach consensus, but you know I think they would be heard also along the way.
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