State of the Pacific 2024 - Geopolitics: Pacific Island Perceptions

Panel Convenor: Meg Keen, Director, Pacific Island Program, Lowy Institute and Honorary Professor,
Department of Pacific Affairs, ANU
Day: 5 September 2024
Time: 1.30-3.00pm
Pacific island countries leverage geopolitical competition to advance development goals and national interests, but the high levels of aid and diplomatic courting come with risks. Small bureaucracies can be
overwhelmed and diverted from core business. Allegations of elite capture by donors erode public confidence and can lead to social protest. The proliferation of security agreements and MOUs is overwhelming local implementation capacity and is often not aligned to local policies and priorities. In this session, leading thinkers from the Pacific islands discuss geopolitical competition, its impact on domestic development, and their vision for a globally engaged region that puts the Pacific first.
This panel session will begin with opening remarks from each panellist followed by a Q&A session.
• Climate Resilience and Geopolitical Challenges in the Pacific Islands
Akka Rimon, School of Regulation and Governance (RegNet), ANU (Kiribati)
• Geopolitical Competition and Pacific Security
Oliver Nobetau, FDC-Lowy Institute Pacific Fellow (PNG)
• Transparency in Times of Geopolitical Rivalry
Ms Ruth Liloqula, Transparency International (Solomon Islands)