Wellington MP SoSaturnistic writes the following Feminist Initiative statement on the current dispute in the Pacific:

The current dispute over the Minerva Reefs between Fiji and Tonga is not a recent one by any means, yet it has unfortunately come to the fore in recent days. We see current efforts from the current coalition government in Wellington frustrate different sides of the dispute, which bodes unwell for the viability of any accord even if one is reached. A lasting settlement requires all sides to be more content with the agreement than conflict.

At the same time, international law has to be respected. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea has safely upheld maritime law and promoted harmony for generations now, and continued Fijian claims from 2005 and onward currently undermine this time-tested law. The status-quo is simply not good enough.

Our party believes that any settlement, to genuinely work, must be based upon the following principles:

• Inclusion of women and womens’ interests on both sides

• Respect for international law

• Mutual understanding and acceptance of grievances

• Lasting certainty over the status of the disputed territory

• Subsidiarity and respect for the sovereignty of both parties

Recent steps to promote shared fishing rights upholds all of these principles except the first one. While it is good to see shared interests respected, the lack of women at the heart of this process is truly unfortunate. A genuine settlement which establishes lasting friendship and reconciliation should see greater inclusion of women because it brings an important and typically excluded perspective in the process of building peaceful relations between states. Yet is a perspective which is valuable and has a proven record of success.

The United Nations declared 20 years ago that women ought to be at the heart of peace efforts, and in some of the most successful examples of peace and reconciliation on Earth we have seen a dedicated presence by womens’ organisations play a vital role in shaping the settlements. Northern Ireland, the Philippines, and Kenya are a few examples of such places. This is no coincidence; a thorough review of peace-building has shown that the inclusion of civil society, including those which represent women, makes a peace agreement over 60% more likely to last. An analysis of conflict by the World Bank in 2011 found that gender equality reduces the incidence of conflict. The evidence couldn’t be more clear: when women’s concerns are met, peace is more likely to last.

To foster lasting peace, an agreement between Tonga and Fiji should aim to cover more than a simple resolution of territorial claims. It must address the deeper grievances held within society which drive the conflict to start with. This can only happen with the inclusion of women and other members of society who do not normally have the power to shape international relations. Our current government has its own role in promoting this within the current round of negotiations and in the long term by dedicating a greater share of official development assistance towards the empowerment of women within society.