PRESS STATEMENT 5200
"BIKETAWA"
DECLARATION
Forum Leaders recalled
their 1995 Vision Statement, the Forum Economic Action Plan Eight Principles of
Good Governance and the 1997 Aitutaki Declaration.
With the aim of elaborating upon these earlier statements and in the interests
of regional cooperation, Forum Leaders while respecting the principle of
non-interference in the domestic affairs of another member state committed
themselves and their countries to a number of guiding principles and courses of
actions:
(i)
Commitment to good governance which is the exercise of authority (leadership)
and interactions in a manner that is open, transparent, accountable,
participatory, consultative and decisive but fair and equitable.
(ii) Belief in the liberty
of the individual under the law, in equal rights for all citizens regardless of
gender, race, colour, creed or political belief and
in the individual’s inalienable right to participate by means of free and
democratic political process in framing the society in which he or she lives.
(iii) Upholding democratic
processes and institutions which reflect national and local circumstances,
including the peaceful transfer of power, the rule of law and the independence
of the judiciary, just and honest government.
(iv) Recognising the importance and urgency of equitable economic, social
and cultural development to satisfy the basic needs and aspirations of the
peoples of the Forum.
(v) Recognising
the importance of respecting and protecting indigenous rights and cultural
values, traditions and customs.
(vi) Recognising the vulnerability of member countries to threats to their
security, broadly defined, and the importance of cooperation among members in
dealing with such threats when they arise.
(vii) Recognising
the importance of averting the causes of conflict and of reducing, containing
and resolving all conflicts by peaceful means including by customary practices.
2. Forum Leaders recognised the need in time of crisis or in response to
members’ request for assistance, for action to be taken on the basis of all
members of the Forum being part of the
(i)
Assess the situation, make a judgment as to the
significance of the developments and consult the Forum Chair and such other
Forum Leaders as may be feasible to secure approval to initiate further action;
(ii) Consult the national
authorities concerned regarding assistance available from the Forum; and
(iii) Advise and consult
with the Forum Foreign Ministers, and based on these consultations, undertake
one or a combination of the following actions to assist in the resolution of
the crisis:
(a) A
statement representing the view of members on the situation;
(b)
Creation of a Ministerial Action Group;
(c) A
fact finding or similar mission;
(d)
Convening an eminent persons group;
(e)
Third party mediation;
(f)
Support for appropriate institutions or mechanisms that would assist a
resolution;
(g) The
convening of a special high level meeting of the Forum Regional Security
Committee or an ad hoc meeting of Forum Ministers; and
(iv) If after actions taken under (iii) the crisis persists,
convene a special meeting of Forum Leaders to consider other options including
if necessary targeted measures.
3. Any regional response to
a crisis should take account of the guidelines set out in Annex A.
Annex A
(i)
Actions are discussed with the authorities in the country concerned;
(ii) The Forum and persons
involved on behalf of the Forum should have credibility i.e. must be seen as
honest and impartial brokers who are genuinely interested
in bringing about a
fair resolution;
(iii) There must be
coherence and consistency in the strategy followed;
(iv)
There must be
continuity and conclusion of the process i.e. staying the course;
(v) There must be
cooperation with other key international and regional organisations
and national actors and coordination of all these efforts;
(vi) There must be a
sufficient degree of consensus on the resolutions by those who have to
implement them i.e. local players and supporters and those that support
them (i.e. outside organisations
and governments); and
(vii) The intervention must
be cost-effective.