Although the Oceania Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be primarily responsible for Japan's policy on Pacific island countries, the Division focuses mainly on Australia and New Zealand and has limited knowledge and experience on the island countries. The head of the Division who was in charge of the Pacific Island Leaders Meeting (PALM), held every three years since 1997, seems to study the PIC, but is replaced after two or three years. Their details of works are not passed on to the next person. Therefore, important aspects of the PALM that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not know about are overlooked. One such point is ‘ICT - Information and Communications Technology’, which is now being actively discussed from a security perspective.
At the first PALM in 1997, the University of the South Pacific's distance learning satellite network, USPNet, was taken up as a support project. This was collaboration among Japan, NZ and Australia government to provide ODA support to the University of the South Pacific, a regional organisation. The Japanese Government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs had no knowledge of this project as I was solely responsible for the formation of this project. The final project proposal from the University of the South Pacific was submitted after a five-year period from 1991, when I joined the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and set up a study group within the foundation to develop the upgrade USPNet project.
In 1989, when the Sasakawa Pacific Island Nations Foundation was established, Sir Kamisese Mara of Fiji asked to launch a satellite for the Pacific island countries. I was entrusted with the task of revitalising the Pacific Island Nations Fund from 1991. The first person in charge had suddenly disappeared. One of the projects left behind by my predecessor was the two satellite projects PEACESAT and USPNet. This also changed my life. The project that the University of the South Pacific, the regional institution that manages USPNet, i.e. operate its own satellite network was not supported by anyone in the foundation. However, as I was aware of the ICT from the perspective of human security, I did not give up and decided to make it a Japanese ODA project.
Information and communication policy is my first area of expertise. My second master's degree and first PhD are on the subject of information and communication policy. 2023, I co-authored a paper on USPNet and PEACESAT with Dr Underwood from Guam, which can be found here.
R Hayakawa, R Underwood, J Anson
The Modern History of ICT in Oceania–PEACESAT and USPNet
- IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, 2023
The first time the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan dealt with ICT in earnest was at the second PALM in 2000. This summit was part of the Kyushu-Okinawa G8 Summit hosted by Japan, and the Digital Divide, commonly known as the IT Charter, was the central agenda item. I used this as an opportunity to work on improving ICT in Palau and other parts of Micronesia not covered by the University of the South Pacific. There was a strong request from President Nakamura of Palau. I even took former Prime Minister Mori who promoted Japan's IT policy greatly, and President Nakamura to Fiji. However, the ICT project in Micronesia was killed by then Director Miyajima of the Oceania Division, who did not know that island economies should not be discussed in terms of ‘cost-effectiveness’.
A second submarine communication cable is now being installed in Palau. Would the small country's ICT be improved without the threat of China? The Government of Japan has shown since the 1997 PALM that this is not the case, but sadly the key ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, does not know.
References.
From the 1997, 2000 and 2003 Island Summits. Descriptions of information and communications.
1997年第１回
日・南太平洋フォーラム（第1回太平洋・島サミット）首脳会議宣言
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/area/ps_summit/palm_01/s_sengen.html
このような点に関し、日本、豪州及びニュー・ジーランドの継続したコミット、特に、太平洋地域における遠隔教育の施設の改善に対するコミットとこの目的のために資源を提供するとの意図を高く評価した。
2000年第２回
（2）「太平洋IT推進プロジェクトの実施」
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/area/palm/miyazaki.html
国連開発計画（UNDP）への我が国の拠出金から100万ドルを使って、情報通信技術（IT）推進のための人材育成、南太平洋大学の遠隔教育システム「USPネット」や国連の「小島嶼国ネットワーク」と連携したホームページの構築、ITを活用した遠隔教育、遠隔医療、マングローブ保全（国際マングローブ生態系協会が関連）等のプロジェクトを、沖縄における知見も踏まえつつ実施する。
2003年第３回
I．太平洋地域の安全保障の強化（iii）情報通信網の整備
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/area/ps_summit/pif_3/factsheet.html
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日本側：経済的に安価な情報通信網の向上、デジタル・デバイドの軽減。 |
共同行動計画 I．太平洋地域の安全保障強化のためのイニシアティブ （人間の安全保障）
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/area/ps_summit/pif_3/actpln.html
- 太平洋島嶼国は自然災害、経済の混乱、汚染された環境や疾病等、人間の安全保障に対する様々な形の脅威に対しても脆弱である。これらの課題は以下のパラグラフでそれぞれ取り扱われるが、分野横断的なイニシアティブが一つ存在する。それはこれらの人間の安全保障上の懸念に取り組む活動のための基盤を提供する情報通信網の整備である。
- この関連で、日本は、費用・技術水準面で持続可能なインターネット網に関する共同研究およびその後の横顔等を含む、情報格差軽減のための方策に対し支援を行うことを検討する。
