Working together to end poverty and injustice

Events and activities

A range of events were held throughout Auckland during the Pacific Islands Forum. Running alongside the official PIF events were a number of cultural and socio-political meetings and activities. For posterity, here are the events that were held.

Saturday 3rd September

• Pacific civil society dialogue.
  2-5pm, Oxfam head office, Level 1, 14 West Street, Newton, Auckland
  An informal get together before the Pacific Islands Forum to share experiences and views on civil society relations with the Pacific Islands forum, and to discuss our expectations and plans for the week ahead. Oxfam staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about the forum.
• Oxfam New Zealand reception for Pacific island delegates.
  5-8pm, Oxfam head office, Level 1, 14 West Street, Newton, Auckland
  An informal social event to welcome Pacific civil society and other participants in the Forum events.

Sunday 4th September

• Pacific Least Developed Countries Forum, hosted by LDC Watch and Oxfam. Limited number of places.
  9am - 5pm, Oxfam head office, Level 1, 14 West Street, Newton, Auckland
  A follow up from the LDC conference held in Istanbul in May.

Monday 5th September

• The Pacific Islands and the World: Realising the Pacific's Potential, hosted by the Lowy Institute for International Policy
  8.30am - 5pm, Hotel Pullman, Auckland
  The conference will bring together key decision-makers, private sector representatives, civil society and academics, with the intention of broadening contacts between Pacific Island countries and other important players in the region and beyond. New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Murray McCully, will take part in the conference.
  
• Launch of the Pacific showcase (invitation only)
  6-8pm, The Cloud, Queens Wharf, Auckland waterfront.

Tues 6th September

• Pacific Islands Investment Summit hosted by Pacific Trade and Investement (invitation only)
  8.45 am to 7pm, The Cloud, Queens Wharf
  The Investment Summit is aimed at identifying investment opportunities in the Pacific. Oxfam New Zealand's Executive Director Barry Coates will be participating in the Social Entrepreneurship panel from 10.30-12pm
  
• Pacific Trade Forum, coordinated by PANG and Oxfam.
  9am - 5pm at Oxfam head office, Level 1, 14 West Street, Newton, Auckland
  The Pacific is engaged in crucially important negotiations with New Zealand and Australia, the European Union and the World Trade Organisation. This forum is an opportunity to learn about the key issues and opportunities for civil society input.
  
• Gender WRAP event. Download the flier here (PDF, 430KB).
  10-12.30pm, AUT Media Centre, 55 Wellesley Street
  A panel discussion exploring the necessary next steps to address sexual and gender-based violence in the Pacific. Leading Pacific women's rights experts will contribute to this constructive regional dialogue to parallel this year's Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting.
  10-11am: Press conference with Amnesty International Chief Executive Officer Patrick Holmes to launch a new report "Where is the Dignity in That?". The report profiles the impact informal settlements have on exacerbating sexual and gender-based violence in the Solomon Islands and includes guest speaker Jocelyn Lai from the Young Womens Christian Association (YWCA) in the Solomon Islands.
  11.15-12.30: WRAP panel discussion - "Sexual and Gender-based Violence in the Pacific: Where to from here?"
  
• Pacific Showcase at the Cloud open to public
  Free entry, The Cloud, Queens Wharf: 10am - 5.30pm
  Read more about the Pacific Showcase
• New Zealand and the World: Sustainability and Security in a Time of Global Transition
  12pm - 1pm, Fisher and Paykel Auditorium, 12 Grafton Road, Auckland
  Public Address by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, His Excellency Mr Ban Ki-moon. Attendance by registration only.
• Small Arms Control session hosted by Oxfam New Zealand.
  3.30-5pm, Oxfam head office, Level 1, 14 West Street, Newton, Auckland
  An information session on the UN Arms Trade Treaty from regional arms control advocates.
  
• Small Island States Leaders' Meeting (closed)
  Sky City Convention Centre
  
• Pacific ACP Leaders' Meeting (closed)
  Sky City Convention Centre
  
• Informal opening ceremony of the Pacific Islands Forum (closed)
  7.30pm, The Cloud, Queens Wharf
  Hosted by Hon. Murray McCully.
  

Weds 7th September

• Climate change event hosted by Oxfam New Zealand. Event full.
  9am-3.30pm, Oxfam head office, Level 1, 14 West Street, Newton, Auckland
  An opportunity for the peoples of the Pacific to have a conversation about the effects of and responses to climate change, with a focus on the role of youth.
  
  Followed by a screening of The Hungry Tide, a film about rising sea levels in Kiribati. (Places for the film will be limited.)
  Read Oxfam's presentations on climate change from the event.
  
• Pacific Showcase at the Cloud open to public
  Free entry, The Cloud, Queens Wharf: 12 noon - 8pm (includes night market)
  Read more about the Pacific Showcase
• Official opening ceremony of the Pacific Islands Forum
  The Cloud, Queens Wharf
  
• 42nd Pacific Islands Forum Plenary Session
  Sky City Convention Centre (closed)
  
• Pacific Institute of Public Policy – side event on urbanisation. Find out more about this event by downloading the event flier (PDF, 2.2KB).
  A public event at 6.30pm at Rendezvous Hotel, Mayoral Drive, Auckland.
  
• Women, politics and change. Event full.
  You can download a flier about the event (PDF, 430KB).
  4-6pm, Oxfam head office, Level 1, 14 West Street, Newton, Auckland
  An opportunity for women's rights activists from across the Pacific region to get together to discuss ideas and exchange experiences on the role of women in public and political life in the Pacific. Speakers will include Roshika Deo from Oxfam's partner FWRM, Helen Hekana from Bougainville's Leitana Nehan Women's Development Agency, and the Tuvalu National Council of Women.
  
• Pacific night-market
  6-8pm, The Cloud, Queens Wharf.
  Read more about the Pacific Showcase

Thurs 8th September

• Pacific showcase open to public
  10am - 4pm, The Cloud, Queens Wharf
  Read more about the Pacific Showcase
• Forum Leaders' Retreat on Waiheke Island (closed)
  
• Agriculture and GROW tour. Limited places available.
  9am-4pm, Tupuanga Coffee and Affirming works Café, Otahuhu, South Auckland www.tupuanga.com
  Hosted by Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community POETCom and Oxfam. Community gardens have experienced significant growth in recent years and are now recognised as an important component of the Public health work of NGOs.
  The event will include presentations by POETCom, a Pacific food processing initiative, Organic Systems Ltd, a shipping and logistics specialist and Oxfam GROW. Lunch will be provided at Oxfam head office at 1pm (transport provided).
  
• Official side event, Sky City Convention Centre. To register please contact Cameron Noble on cameron.noble@undp.org. Note that some sessions are now full.
  9-11am: Women Count for Peace in the Pacific. An interactive event with presentations, group work and plenary discussions to brief senior officials on the strategy to develop a regional action plan on women, peace and security, and elicit inputs for the plan. The event will feature senior members of the Pacific Regional Working Group on Women, Peace and Security from the Forum Secretariat, UN, SPC and FemLINKPacific and will be chaired by a senior UN official for the region.
  11.30-1.30: Youth Matters NOW: Investing in Young People for a Secure, Prosperous and Sustainable Pacific. Registrations closed. Tana Umaga, SPC Director General Dr. Jimmie Rodgers, and inspiring young people from around the region will be active in this side event that aims to brief officials on recent studies and recommendations by the Forum Secretariat, UN agencies and the Pacific Youth Council on youth issues in the region and elicit feedback and stimulate discussion on the upcoming 5-year Pacific Youth Strategy. The event will also feature multi-media presentations by young people appealing directly to Forum Leaders about employment, youth voice in decision making and mainstreaming youth issues.
  1.30pm - 2pm: Launch of State of Pacific Youth Report. At the conclusion of the Youth Matters Now side event, UNICEF Pacific (UN Children's Fund) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community will launch a new report looking at the challenges facing Pacific youth and the long-term strategies and investment needed to maximise their potential. While the event is open only to registered participants and registrations are closed, for more information or for a copy of the report, email takeaction@unicef.org.nz.
  2-4pm: WWII Ordnances in the Pacific: An Unwanted Legacy. Unexploded ordnances threaten life and hinder development in the Pacific. The Forum Secretariat with Cleared Ground Demining (CGD) will be presenting to senior officials recent activities undertaken to address the issue, including a comprehensive scoping study, and seek inputs from participants on advancing a regional strategy by developing national plans of action. The event will include presentations, videos and a panel discussion featuring experts from CGD, the NZ Police Force and the Solomon Islands Government.

Fri 9th September

• 23rd Post-Forum Dialogue Partners' Meeting
  Sky City Convention Centre (closed)
• New Zealand All Blacks vs Tonga
  Rugby World Cup opening match and opening ceremony
• On Friday 9th September, there will be an organics lunch with the partners in the post-Forum dialogue, and Samoa PM Tuilaepa will talk about the growth of Pacific organics, including Oxfam partner WIBDI 's work.

Find out more

• Pacific showcase
  The newest addition to Auckland's waterfront became home to the best of Pacific culture during the Pacific Islands Forum, featuring music, produce, food and a celebration of New Zealand's vital economic links with the Pacific. Oxfam's stand highlighted support for Pacific agricultural producers and the opportunities for Fairtrade and organics to add value to export.
• About the Pacific Islands Forum
  Find out more about the PIF, its members and its work.
• Oxfam's work in the Pacific
  See how Oxfam is working with partners in Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, PNG, East Timor and the Solomon Islands.