Minister Sio appointed as advocate for Small Island States

Minister of Pacific Peoples and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honorable Aupito William Sio has been appointed by the Commonwealth and by the United Nations to be Aotearoa’s advocacy champion for Small Island States. 

For as long as colonisation has existed in the Pacific, category systems have been put in place, one of which is the term “the Pacific” which has become homogenised as one big group of people. Even within our own knowing, that the Pacific is made up of many different countries, ethnicities, cultures and so much more, there is a tendency to focus on the larger islands. In this reality the voices of the smaller islands can sometimes become lost or minimised, a minority within a minority. This is particularly relevant regarding global issues facing the Pacific region including security and climate change. 

In 1991 the Pacific Island Forum formally recognised the needs of smaller island states through the development of the Smaller Island States Leadership Forum and subsequently forming the SIS grouping within PIF. 

The countries that form the SIS group are Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands sand Tuvalu. 

In a media release from NZ Government Minister Sio says “Aotearoa New Zealand as a Pacific country is particularly focused on the interests of Pacific Small Island Developing States in our region. 

“This is a mission to get the global community to support these states, and to strengthen their resilience, especially around the pressing issue of climate change. 

“I want to see an ambitious and effective global response to climate change; and for development partners and creditors to work more closely with small states to identify solutions to their access to finance, climate finance and debt sustainability challenges. 

“If you ask Pacific leaders – what is the biggest security and economic threat to our region, they will universally say: it is climate change. Aotearoa New Zealand stands with the Pacific on climate change. 

“We will strengthen Pacific island countries’ long-term environmental, economic, social and climate change resilience through our partnership. So I want the international community to work with small states to do the same, as these are all long-standing priorities for Pacific island countries. 

“I look forward therefore, to working with other advocacy champions to seek and highlight international action on small states’ priorities,” said Aupito William Sio.