Polynesian Leaders Group

Last updated

Polynesian Leaders Group
Polynesian Leaders Group logo.png
Logo
Polynesian Leaders Group.png
Seatby rotation
Members
Leaders
 Chairman
Flag of Samoa.svg Afega Gaulofa
Establishment2011

The Polynesian Leaders Group (PLG) is an international governmental cooperation group bringing together four independent countries and eight self-governing territories in Polynesia.

Contents

The idea of a Polynesian regional grouping had been discussed for several years, notably in response to the Melanesian Spearhead Group, a regional grouping for countries in Melanesia. In September 2011, Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi initiated a meeting with the leaders of Tonga, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands and Niue on the margins of the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Auckland. These initial talks led to a second meeting in Apia which, on 17 November, led to a memorandum of understanding formally establishing the Polynesian Leaders Group (PLG). [1] [2]

The Group does not have a fixed Secretariat at present, despite initial suggestions that one would be established in Apia. [1] [2] [3] The Group held its first formal meeting in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands in August 2012. [4]

History

The idea of a 'Polynesian Alliance' in order to address social and economic issues within the Pacific has been discussed since the between the 1870s and 1890s when King Kamehameha V of Hawaii, King Pomare V of Tahiti, King Malietoa Laupepa of Samoa and King George Tupou II of Tonga agreed to establish a confederation of Polynesian states, of which did not eventuate. [5]

The idea once again arose in the 1970s with the Kingitanga of New Zealand, an its leader Te Atairangikaahu, reviving the idea of an alliance similar to, but separate from, the Pacific Islands Forum. Fiji and Samoa were also parties to these discussions. [5]

Goals

Memorandum of Understanding
Announcing the launch, Prime Minister Tuilaepa said the member countries would work together "through this group to seek a future for our Polynesian people and countries where cultures, traditions and values are honored and protected. Where sustainable economic prosperity is achieved, where democratic values are observed, human rights promoted and protected as well as upholding the rule of law." It was also announced that the countries would cooperate in the fields of "education, culture and language, transport, environmental conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation, health, agriculture and fisheries, tourism, trade and investment". [3]

The fourth section of the Memorandum of Understanding read; The meeting decided that through the PLG, members will work together in the spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation to: Encourage sharing knowledge and experiences in awareness and education to promote and protect cultures, traditions and languages; Encourage mutual support of development efforts in areas including but not limited to: transport, energy, environmental conservation, climate change, education, health, agriculture and fisheries, tourism, trade and investment; Encourage respect for the quality of governance, observance of democratic values and human rights rule of law and right to self-determination; Encourage the strengthening of connections with institutions of regional and international cooperation. [6]

Overseas workers
In 2013, the PLG ended their annual meeting with an announcement pushing New Zealand and Australia to increase its seasonal workers quotas in order for more Pacific peoples to gain seasonal work in these countries. [7]

Membership

There are eight founding members: three sovereign states (Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu), two self-governing states in free association with New Zealand (the Cook Islands and Niue), an unincorporated territory of the United States (American Samoa), an overseas country of France (French Polynesia), and a nation that is also a dependency of New Zealand (Tokelau). [8]

Expansion

In September 2017, the Group added the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna as a member. [9] Wallis and Futuna would be the first new member since the Group was founded in 2011.

In June 2018, the Group voted to add three members: the sovereign state of New Zealand, the U.S. state of Hawaii, and the Chilean territory of Easter Island (Rapa Nui). [10] [11] As far back as September 2011, Niuean Premier Toke Talagi had noted that "we consider New Zealand and Hawaii, for example, as being part of the Polynesian Triangle so they could very well be part of the members of this Polynesian Group". Tuilaeapa, while also acknowledging that New Zealand was geographically part of Polynesia, said there might be "complications" to inviting New Zealand into the Group. [1] [2] [3]

When the new members were formally announced, the Group's then-chairman, Enele Sopoaga, prime minister of Tuvalu, said, "we welcome other Polynesian communities in other places and locations to join the PLG as brothers," and emphasized the need for Polynesian communities to come together to address common problems. [11] Commentators also noted that the addition of New Zealand and Hawaii could bring additional resources to the Group and increase the potential for strategic cooperation with the United States. [10] Further, the addition of Easter Island raised questions about the relationship between the Group's interest in decolonization and Easter Island's political status within Chile. [10]

Potential membership for Fiji

In November 2011, Tuilaeapa stated it had been "decided that a state, territory or an indigenous Polynesian population can be invited to become a member or as an observer by a consensus decision of the founding members". [1] [2] [3] A few days later, discussing the founding of the Group with Radio Australia, Tuilaeapa said that Fiji could be welcomed as a member in future. Despite Fiji being usually considered a Melanesian country just outside the Polynesian Triangle, albeit with a culture and political traditions influenced by Polynesia, Tuilaepa argued that "Fiji is within this triangle and its founding leaders considered themselves as Polynesians. Obviously, the current leadership is leaning towards our Melanesian brothers." [12]

Founding leaders

CountryHead of GovernmentStatus governing
Flag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa Governor Togiola Tulafono observer member
Flag of the Cook Islands.svg  Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna self-governing
Flag of French Polynesia.svg  French Polynesia President Oscar Temaru observer member
Flag of Niue.svg  Niue Premier Toke Talagi self-governing
Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi sovereign state
Flag of Tokelau.svg  Tokelau Ulu Foua Toloa [13] observer member
Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga Prime Minister Lord Tuʻivakano sovereign state
Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu Prime Minister Willy Telavi sovereign state

Meetings

PLG Annual Meetings
NoDateLocationHostHost leaderNotes
1st17 November 2011ApiaFlag of Samoa.svg  Samoa Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi [14]
2ndAugust 2012RarotongaFlag of the Cook Islands.svg  Cook Islands Henry Puna
3rd30 August 2013AucklandFlag of French Polynesia.svg  French Polynesia Gaston Flosse [8]
4th26 July 2014 Auckland Flag of Niue.svg  Niue Toke Talagi [15]
5th5 September 2015AucklandFlag of Tokelau.svg  Tokelau Aliki Faipule Siopili Perez [16]
6th29 June 2016 Papeete Flag of French Polynesia.svg  French Polynesia Édouard Fritch [17]
7th4 September 2017 Apia Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi [18]
8th28 June 2018 Tuvalu Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu Enele Sosene Sopoaga [19]
9thAugust 2019 Tuvalu Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu 50th Pacific Islands Forum & Related Meetings
10th29 January 2021Virtual meetingFlag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa Lemanu Peleti Mauga "Building Resilience in Times of Uncertainty" [20] [21] [22]

Leadership

Chairs

#NameCountry/StateTerm OfficeNotes
1 Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa 2011–2012
2 Henry Puna Flag of the Cook Islands.svg  Cook Islands 2012–2013 [8]
3 Gaston Flosse Flag of French Polynesia.svg  French Polynesia 2013–2014 [8]
4 Toke Talagi Flag of Niue.svg  Niue 2014–2015
6 Aliki Faipule Afega Gaualofa Flag of Tokelau.svg  Tokelau 2015–2023 [23]
7 Moetai Brotherson Flag of French Polynesia.svg  French Polynesia 2023–présent

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Pacific Islands</span>

The history of the Pacific Islands covers the history of the islands in the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polynesian languages</span> Language family

The Polynesian languages form a genealogical group of languages, itself part of the Oceanic branch of the Austronesian family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Samoa</span>

The Samoan Government is generally conservative and pro-Western, with a strong interest in regional political and economic issues. Samoa participated in a first round of negotiations with its Pacific Island neighbors for a regional trade agreement in August 2000. In January 2009, Samoa opened embassies in the Republic of Korea, China and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Islander</span> Person from the Pacific Islands

Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oceania or any other island located in the Pacific Ocean.

The music of Polynesia is a diverse set of musical traditions from islands within a large area of the central and southern Pacific Ocean, approximately a triangle with New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island forming its corners. Traditional Polynesian music is largely an inseparable part of a broader performance art form, incorporating dance and recital of oral traditions; most literature considers Polynesian music and dance together. Polynesian music expanded with colonial European contact and incorporated instruments and styles introduced through a process of acculturation that continues to the present day. Although the European tradition of hymn-singing brought by Christian missionaries was probably the most important influence, others are evident; Hawaii's influential kī hōʻalu music incorporated the Spanish guitar introduced in the late 19th century, and later introduced the steel guitar to country music. Hip hop and R&B influences have created a contemporary Urban Pasifika music genre with a strong Polynesian identity and supported by the annual Pacific Music Awards in New Zealand.

Polynesians are an ethnolinguistic group comprising closely related ethnic groups native to Polynesia, which encompasses the islands within the Polynesian Triangle in the Pacific Ocean. They trace their early prehistoric origins to Island Southeast Asia and are part of the larger Austronesian ethnolinguistic group, with an Urheimat in Taiwan. They speak the Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic subfamily within the Austronesian language family. The Indigenous Māori people form the largest Polynesian population, followed by Samoans, Native Hawaiians, Tahitians, Tongans, and Cook Islands Māori.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific coast</span> Part of a nations coast bordering the Pacific Ocean

Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polynesian outlier</span> Polynesian societies outside the main region

Polynesian outliers are a number of culturally Polynesian societies that geographically lie outside the main region of Polynesian influence, known as the Polynesian Triangle; instead, Polynesian outliers are scattered in the two other Pacific subregions, Melanesia and Micronesia. Based on archaeological and linguistic analysis, these islands are considered to have been colonized by seafaring Polynesians, mostly from the area of Tonga, Samoa and Tuvalu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polynesian culture</span> Culture of the indigenous people of the Polynesian islands

Polynesian culture is the culture of the indigenous peoples of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. The development of Polynesian culture is typically divided into four different historical eras:

Palagi or papalagi (plural) is a term in Samoan culture of uncertain etymology, sometimes used to describe foreigners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigenous peoples of Oceania</span>

The Indigenous peoples of Oceania are Aboriginal Australians, Papuans, and Austronesians. These indigenous peoples have a historical continuity with pre-colonial societies that developed on their territories. With the notable exceptions of Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, New Caledonia, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands, indigenous peoples make up the majority of the populations of Oceania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polynesia</span> Subregion of Oceania

Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are called Polynesians. They have many things in common, including linguistic relations, cultural practices, and traditional beliefs. In centuries past, they had a strong shared tradition of sailing and using stars to navigate at night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Pacific Flyway</span>

The West Pacific Flyway is a bird migration route that stretches from New Zealand and the east coast of Australia, northwards through the central Pacific Ocean, including Papua New Guinea, eastern Indonesia and the Philippines, the east coast of northern Asia, including Japan and the Korean Peninsula, and ending at the Bering and Chukchi Seas encompassing easternmost Siberia and the Alaskan Peninsula.

This is a list of lists of cities in Oceania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">'Ota 'ika</span> Polynesian dish

ʻOta ʻika is a Oceanian dish consisting of raw fish marinated in citrus juice and coconut milk. The Tongan, Tahitian, and Samoan variants are essentially identical in that the raw fish is briefly marinated in lemon or lime juice until the surface of the flesh becomes opaque. The fish is then mixed with coconut milk and diced vegetables. This is the national dish of Tonga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Oceania</span> Overview of and topical guide to Oceania

The following outline is provided as an overview and topical guide to Oceania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Pacific Games</span> 16th edition of the Pacific Games

The 16th Pacific Games, also known as Apia 2019, were held from 7 to 20 July 2019. The Games were held in Apia, Samoa, returning there for the first time since 2007. It was the third time overall that the Pacific Games were held in Samoa.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Andrews, John (19 September 2011). "NZ may be invited to join proposed 'Polynesian Triangle' ginger group". New Zealand: Scoop. Pacific Scoop News. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "New Polynesian Leaders Group formed in Samoa". Radio New Zealand. 19 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "American Samoa joins Polynesian Leaders Group, MOU signed". Samoa News. Savalii. 20 November 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  4. "Polynesian Leaders Group meet in Rarotonga ahead of the Pacific Leaders Forum", Islands Business , 27 August 2012
  5. 1 2 Iati, Iati (22 March 2017). "Pacific Regionalism and the Polynesian Leaders Group". The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs. 106 (2): 175–185. doi:10.1080/00358533.2017.1296706. S2CID   157681036.
  6. Ilialo, Marieta Heidi (21 November 2011). "POLYNESIAN LEADERS GROUP FORMED IN SAMOA". Pacific Island Report. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  7. "Polynesian leaders want to push for higher seasonal worker quotas". Radio New Zealand. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 May 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Wallis and Futuna join Polynesia Leaders Group". Radio New Zealand. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 Wyeth, Grant. "Polynesian Triangulation: Polynesian Leaders' Group Expands". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  11. 1 2 "NZ, Hawaii and Rapa Nui admitted to Polynesian Leaders Group". samoanews.com. 30 June 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  12. "Fiji welcome in Polynesian bloc: Samoa", Radio Australia, 22 November 2011
  13. "Polynesian Union finally realized 35 years after". Talamua . 18 November 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  14. "POLYNESIAN LEADERS GROUP FORMED IN SAMOA – November 21, 2011". Pacific Islands Report. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  15. Administrator. "Prime Minister of Tonga attends 4th Meeting of the Polynesian Leaders Group". mic.gov.to. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  16. "Smallest Pacific territory, Tokelau elected to lead 'Polynesian Leaders Group'". Pacific Guardian. 9 July 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  17. "Polynesian leaders group gathers in Tahiti for climate change update". Asia Pacific Report. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  18. "Governor to attend Polynesian Leaders Group". Talanei News. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  19. "NZ, Hawaii and Rapa Nui admitted to Polynesian Leaders Group". Radio New Zealand. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  20. "Polynesian Leaders Group in virtual meet". Samoa Observer. 27 January 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  21. "American Samoa completes the first virtual Polynesian Leaders Group meeting". Samoa news. 6 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  22. "PM to assume Polynesian Leaders Group chair role". Cook Islands NEWS. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  23. "Tokelau elected to lead Polynesia Leaders Group". tokelau.org.nz. Retrieved 4 May 2016.