Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State's recent meeting with Fiji's Foreign Affairs Minister as pointed out by Croz blog post on the intent of America to engage with Fiji, seemed to have caught the usual naysayers flat-footed, with much chagrine from the Trans-Tasmanians.
Kurt M. Campbell, the Assistant Secretary for Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs follow up and re-affirmation to the premise of "lifting their game" in the Pacific region and the re-engagement with Fiji recognizing its strategic importance within the region, was reflected in the hearing conducted by US House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on Asia, Pacific and Global Environment.
The video of the opening statement by Campbell to the sub-committee.
Radio Australia (ABC) article regarding Fiji's MDG obligations were misconstrued (intentionally or not) by the article heading: "Fiji boasts it's ahead on UN MDGs" and conveniently glosses over the significance of the achievement and barely uses a snippet of the entire statement.
MDG Debate, statement by H.E. Mr. Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Civil Aviation of Fiji (UN video posted below):
Campbell Cooney, the ABC Pacific correspondent, finished off the radio segment with the following vindictive statement:
COONEY: And while this summit is being held to look at MDGs, national politics have not been far from the surface. Since the 2006 coup Fiji has been criticised by UN members and other bodies for not keeping its promise to hold elections last year, and for scrapping the country's constitution.
The interim regime has said Fiji is not ready to return to democracy and that it won't be until 2014. Ratu Inoke might have been in New York to debate the Millennium Development Goals. But he was not missing the opportunity to promote the regime's position and also link those goals to its plans for Fiji's future.
What the Radio Australia web article did not bother to comment on, was the statement from Australia's nascent Foreign Minister and former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd who seemed to be nursing a back injury-a stabbing wound so to speak.
Although, Rudd had highlighted the usual diplomatic rhetoric on the benevolent qualities of the MDGs, used the heart wrenching narrative of a poor Soweto girl and an unnamed beggar boy.
In the same speech, Rudd swept the dismal report card on Australia's MDG obligations, under the proverbial rug (UN video posted below):
Rudd called on the richer and developed donor nations to assist in the eradication of poverty (as he termed "self-evident" truths) and outlined the intent of Australia to double its aid program by 2015; itemizing their sectors of interest coupled with the donation amount.
Rudd ended his speech quoting again from an unnamed child. This time a letter a girl from Australia and Rudd quoted her words ad verbatim. What Rudd forgot to mention, was that the letter the girl wrote (whom he quoted), was addressed to the Prime Minister of Australia.
Oddly enough, even Radio Australia did not draw attention to the final communique of the MDG summit.
The UN Summit regarding Millennium Development Goals (MDG), was held between 20-22 September 2010, New York, during the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly.
