Lydia
Lewis, RNZ Pacific Bulletin
Editor/Presenter
- Community consultation
on Tokelau’s self-determination is set to kick off ahead of
a potential third referendum on the
topic. - The New Zealand government
says self-determination is a decision for the people of
Tokelau. - The UN is stepping in to
help bolster governance and
leadership.
A special committee is
being set up in Tokelau to make sure everyone is well
informed ahead of a potential third referendum.
“A
special committee, to collect all the information, the
details on the type of choice that Tokelau would like need,
because this information is key to explain to the people
whether the advantages and disadvantages of this choice,”
Ulu-o-Tokelau or Head of State, Alapati Tavite told RNZ
Pacific.
The General Fono had endorsed
self-determination work to continue.
Communities will
have the opportunity to understand the potential options
through community consultation run by a committee which has
not yet been finalised.
Tavite said that once the
consultation period which will educate the communities on
the UN models is complete, “the people will decide” if they
are ready for another referendum.
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“We do not want to
force them by going through a vote that they do not
understand,” Tavite said.
“It is important to make
sure we have all the information that is required for the
communities to understand before they can actually select
the kind of political status Tokelau will take next in the
future.”
The standard options have been independence,
integration, and self-government in free
association.
Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory
of New Zealand and will celebrate the 100th anniversary of
its relationship with New Zealand next year.
Its
people are New Zealand citizens and have voted
against becoming self-governing in free association
twice: in 2006
and another the year after.
A former Ulu-o-Tokelau,
Kelihiano Kalolo, has said before that Tokelau can not take
the same path as Niue, and instead needs a tailored approach
to “work
something Tokelauan”.
A decision will ideally
coincide with the 100th anniversary of its relationship with
New Zealand next year.
The New Zealand government said
self-determination is a decision for the people of
Tokelau.
Independence
‘one day’
“My hopes are [for] Tokelau to be
independent one day,” Lupe Josephine Lui, Nukunonu’s
Fatupaepae Representative told RNZ Pacific.
She
believes education is the way toward that goal and
encourages all young
Tokelauans to get educated, “to get more knowledge” and
“in the future that will lead us to self-determination, if
we are well educated for our people and for our
island.”
In an interview filmed by Elena Pasilio, Tokelau’s
only on-atoll journalist, who is currently Nukunonu’s
environment officer, a teary-eyed Lui issued a poignant
message to the next generation:
“Be strong. There’s a
Lord. We pray that He gives us the courage to develop our
land. We would never go anywhere. This is where we
belong.
“This is where we will live and whatever would
happen. But at this time, we are all blessed to be here in
Tokelau, and we are well looked after.”
It is a
message Pasilio can relate to: “It is pretty hard being a
journo in a small place like Tokelau because we are so
remote and everyone knows each other,” the 29-year-old
explained.
A growing population on shrinking
atolls
UN data shows that the population living in
Tokelau has been steadily increasing, with more than 1600 in
the last population count.
Tavite said that the
funding it gets from New Zealand is not enough to combat the
existential threat of the climate
crisis.
“Climate-related projects, such as shelters
and coastal defences, are part of the priorities Tokelau is
considering for its infrastructure development,” an MFAT
spokesperson said.
“The total allocation to Tokelau is
not being made publicly available, but New Zealand stands
ready to support Tokelau to progress a pipeline of
infrastructure priorities in the coming years.”
There
is no airline, and it takes more than a day to reach Tokelau
by boat from Samoa.
Tavite said that the climate
impacts need serious attention and financing.
“Our
coastal areas are really affected by erosion,” he
said.
“Those are the kinds of things we would like to
have some more technical assistance on. How can we better
prevent our small islands [from suffering the impacts of
erosion]?.
“Even though New Zealand [has] been
assisting us, it is not to that level where we would like
to.
“For us, we have a bit of a disadvantage in
accessing international funding. We cannot fully access
global funding opportunities because of our political
status, but yet, the impact of climate change does not
determine the real issues and the impact of it.
“It is
almost the same to all the Pacific Islands, but I think it
is worse for Tokelau because of our smallness, our
isolation.”
He said sea-level rise and climate change
impacts were real issues for Tokelau.
“The building of
sea walls, having an airstrip, an airport, having better
transportation, having a quality internet connection, those
kinds of services that [we need more assistance
on].
“At the moment, our coastal areas are really
affected by erosion. So those are the kinds of things we
would like to have some more technical assistance on. How
better can we protect our small
islands.”
‘Strengthening’ governance
A
governance structure, mechanism, and management unit is
being set up with help from the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP).
Governance institutions need
strengthening so that informed and transparent decisions are
made, the Office of the Council for the Ongoing Government
of Tokelau general manager (national) Aukusitino Vitale told
RNZ Pacific.
“[We need to] strengthen policy and legal
frameworks, and enhance governance and leadership capacities
in line with Tokelau’s National Strategic Plan,” Vitale
said.
“Tokelau is exploring its pathway towards
self-determination, and obviously they need to plan out, get
an understanding of what the UN options are.
He said
Tokelau may also come up with its own unique options related
to the Tokelau way of living.
“The UN is already aware
of our progress so far, but I think we need to consult our
people internally and externally as well before we actually
start pursuing that.”
UNDP resident representative
Aliona Niculita said “home-grown solutions” were
needed.
“And will be led and driven by the Taupulega
(village elders), civil servants and the recipients of the
project in Tokelau, with UNDP support.”
The Tokelau
way
Unlike Cook Islands and Niue, New Zealand’s other
realm nations, Tokelau’s government structure is a little
different.
Tokelau is governed by the Taupulega
(village elders) of the three atolls.
“In Nukunonu,
there are more than 30 members of Taupulega and they are
called matai,” Pasilio explains.
“Families pick who
they want to be matai and then those matai’s make up the
Taupulega and then the island votes for Faipule (leader) and
Pulenuku (village mayor) and General Fono (parliament) reps
for their own atolls.”
Each atoll elects their Faipule
during an election process, who then take turns serving as
Ulu-o-Tokelau or Head of State in an annual
rotation.
Together they make up an executive council
called the Council for the Ongoing Government of
Tokelau.
They serve on the General Fono, which is
Tokelau’s parliament.
A community
decision
Once the consultation period is complete,
the community will decide if it is ready for another
referendum.
When questioned on a timeline, the
Ulu-o-Tokelau stressed there is no time lock
because:
“We don’t want to force them, you know, by
going through a vote that they don’t understand,” he
explained.
There are hopes everyone will have enough
information and be confident in their decision by 2026 to
mark 100
years of New Zealand’s colonial control.
“I cannot
promise you the time, because it is driven by the
communities.”
The first parliament for the year kicks
off next week on the host island, Fakaofo.
Leaders
from Nukunonu and Atafu will be picked up by boat this week
and taken there.
The Ulu-o-Tokelau 2024, Nukunonu’s
Tavite, will hand over the the role to Fakaofo’s Esera Fofō
Tuisano.
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