Global Roundup – Papua Merdeka News

Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at a recent press conference in Sydney. — Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at a recent press conference in Sydney. Photo: SAEED KHAN / AFP

The United States and Australia have agreed to a one-off refugee resettlement deal for detainees on Nauru and Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirmed the agreement today, saying it followed “months and months of planning”.

At the end of October, there were 872 people in the processing centre on Manus Island and 390 people in Nauru’s centre.

Mr Turnbull said the deal would only apply to those currently on the islands.

No timeline was given for the process and Mr Turnbull said it would not be rushed.

In September, Mr Turnbull said Australia would resettle refugees from a US-run camp in Costa Rica, as part of its annual humanitarian intake of refugees.

He denied at the time it was part of a “people swap” arrangement.

Kerry says other countries should help refugees

John Kerry answers media questions at the press conference at Premier House in Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

Earlier, US Secretary of State John Kerry told media in Wellington his country had agreed to consider referrals from the United Nations Refugee Agency for refugees on Nauru and Manus Island.

“We in the United States have agreed to consider referrals from UNHCR on refugees now residing in Nauru and in Papua New Guinea,” he said during a media conference with the Prime Minister John Key in Wellington this morning.

“We know that these refugees are of special interest to UNHCR and we’re very engaged with them on a humanitarian basis there and in other parts of the world.”

Mr Kerry said he wanted other countries to consider how they could work with the UNHCR in a similar way.

“We are encouraging all countries to work with the UNHCR as we are going to … to find a durable solution for these refugees.”

Mr Kerry was asked about whether President-elect Donald Trump could overturn any agreement made about refugees with Australia once he took office in January.

He said he was unable to answer that question, but said the US would work to protect vulnerable refugees around the world.

Fijisun.fj, 👤 by Department of Information, SUVA

A first for Fiji and the Pacific, Ambassador Peter Thomson has been elected as the United Nations General Assembly president of its 71th session beginning in September.

Current assembly President Mogens Lykketoft announced the winner of the secret-ballot election.

Ambassador Thomson was one of two nominees for the post along with Cyprus’ Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andreas Mavroyiannis.

He won in a close 94 to 90 vote.

The UNGA presidency rotates annually between five geographic areas and this year it’s the turn for an Asian-Pacific representative to head Assembly meetings, of which both Cyprus and Fiji are members.

Ambassador Thomson’s candidacy was put forward by Fiji and eleven other Pacific Small Island Developing States at the United Nations.

After the election Ambassador Thomson congratulated Mr Mavroyiannis for the honourable manner in which the contest had been contested. He expressed his deep appreciation to those who had given their support in today’s ballot and thanked the Government of Fiji and the Pacific Small Island Developing States for putting his name forward for the Presidency.

He gave special words of thanks to the hundreds of Fijians serving in the blue helmets and blue berets of UN peacekeeping in the world’s trouble-spots.

Ambassador Thomson is the first national of a Pacific Island Country to be elected to the Presidency in the history of the United Nations.

In his address to the General Assembly after the elections, Ambassador Thomson said he would be bringing to the General Assembly’s 71st Session the international issues of importance to developing countries and the General Assembly as a whole, with special attention on the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, along with necessary action on Climate Change and Ocean issues.

He said that by the end of the 71st Session, the General Assembly must be able to show real progress on all seventeen Sustainable Development Goals.

As President-elect for the 71st Session, Ambassador Thomson pledged to serve the General Assembly, “in a spirit of fidelity and commitment to the common good, always in accord with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”

Congratulatory messages were tweeted to Mr Thomson, including New Zealand’s Helen Clark UN who is a candidate for the UN Secretary General post.