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Daily Maverick
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Inside the Trump administration's diplomatic vanishing act at Antarctic Treaty meeting
The 1959 pact — America's brainchild — may be humanity's greatest geopolitical feat, governing the only continent never to see war. Now, as China pulls ahead in polar science, the US may be sabotaging its role in the show that runs the snow. Washington was, for decades, the seemingly implacable keystone of Antarctic governance. But the US delegation failed to table a single discussion paper at the 47th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM). The Milan-hosted meeting — which deliberated the future of Antarctic science, conservation and tourism projects — was held between 24 June and 3 July. But the meeting is also about geopolitics, a continent carved up into territorial slices larger than Greenland. And it's about managing the expectations of the influential countries who made those claims, which remain frozen under the treaty. This dramatic drop in engagement — from contributing over 10% of working and information papers at the 2024 ATCM in India, to offering only the depository-state procedural note in 2025 — seems to mark a striking collapse in US participation in Antarctic diplomacy. Answers to our request for comment were not received by the deadline on Tuesday, 8 July. Virtuoso to metronome 'It has tabled only one paper. That paper is the one it tables every year as the depository, the responsible state for the 1959 treaty and the Madrid Protocol,' said Professor Alan Hemmings, an Antarctic governance expert at Canterbury University in New Zealand. 'This is done by a very professional part of the State Department for all the treaties for which the US is depository.' The meeting document database, locked during the Milan ATCM, flushes out what had been feared by observers ahead of the event. The US registered late and offered little more than that. 'If you want a comparison,' Hemmings proposed, 'at last year's ATCM in India there were something like 249 main papers, working papers or information papers. The US was contributing more than 10% of the total significant diplomatic papers for the ATCM.' Today there are 29 treaty signatories with vetoes at the decision-making table. To get there, you're meant to do a lot of science. But — once you're there — there is no legal obligation to keep doing a lot of science (there is also no agreement on what a lot of science is). Those signatories include Australia, China, Germany, the UK, Russia and South Africa. Watch: Antarctica's Precipice — Reimagining the South Pole without US Commitment In a webinar hosted by Daily Maverick ahead of the tightly sealed, closed-door meeting in the Italian fashion capital, Hemmings had warned of looming US dysfunction in the world's most prestigious scientific pact. With just two weeks to go, he said, he had heard from 'a considerable number of people' that the US had only just confirmed its delegation. Its agenda papers had been a no-show. Now available for public scrutiny, the meeting database confirms that Hemmings, a working scientist and academic in Antarctica since the early 1980s, was correct. The delegation had also not secured a bureaucratic green light essential to engaging meaningfully in treaty talks. 'It had not got the sign-off for its brief. So, what it is able to do without that is not at all clear,' he suggested at the time. Perpetual dissonance Hemmings highlighted 'chaos' stemming from the Trump administration's faltering approach to polar science, suggesting that the apparent dysfunction had trickled down to treaty preparations. 'On a positive note, there's a degree of consistency here,' Hemmings quipped. 'There's a sort of chaotic approach in relation to ice-strengthened and ice-breaking vessels. 'There's obviously chaos in relation to the administration's approach to science generally, including polar science in both polar regions, but significant in the Antarctic as well.' Asked why Donald Trump's 2026 financial year budget request seeks to cancel the lease for the Nathaniel B. Palmer, the only back-up to the Antarctic icebreaker Polar Star, fellow webinar panellist Professor Klaus Dodds noted 'you've got to find some third-party leasing pretty jolly quickly or else you're going to be in trouble in terms of supporting your polar programme'. The Royal Holloway, University of London, geographer is an expert in Antarctic geopolitics. 'You can't do these things on the fly,' Dodds pointed out. 'And my fear is that this is all part of engineering crisis, chaos and havoc. Of course, it then ushers in further cuts and reductions and you somehow blame it on those who've been given a terrible legacy to deal with.' 'Ghost in the machine' The discussion documents submitted ahead of the meeting may now be public. However, the minutes of the live closed-d0or talks will likely only be viewable in a few months. Perhaps more worrying than delegation's flagged meeting performance is its reported disengagement from the treaty's intersessional period — the months between formal meetings where much of the substantive negotiation and collaboration occur. According to Hemmings, 'the US has been largely absent from the intersessional discussions since the last ATCM'. Thus, a Western leader of the Antarctic Treaty System effectively absented itself from shaping the continent's future over the past year. The academic described the US as a 'major player in the history of the ATS ' — and now a fading 'ghost in the machine'. 'Poisoned chalice' Several factors appear to have converged to produce this diplomatic snafu. As Hemmings noted, the delegation in Milan was likely smaller than usual and stripped of its long-standing NGO participants — including, reportedly for the first time in nearly three decades, representatives from the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (Iaato). Even the top US officials attending were relatively new to their leadership roles. Head delegate Ona Hahs, a lawyer by background, was only attending her second ATCM. The new US representative to the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) was doing so for the first time. 'These kinds of transitions happen,' Hemmings acknowledged, 'but in addition to all these other problems, there are these new people who have been given a poisoned chalice.' Missing section at the 'higher levels', sagging symphony Sustained disengagement by the US threatens to weaken the balance of power within the ATS. President Joe Biden's former Antarctic policy chief, William Muntean pointed out that 'no new administration has Antarctica high on its to-do list'. Yet, 'previous new administrations have allowed professional Antarctic experts to meaningfully engage on Antarctic issues. 'By submitting no papers to the ATCM, it appears that the higher levels of the US Department of State were concerned enough by routine action to block that normal engagement, but not interested enough to provide alternative positions.' Pianissimo on purpose: 'At the mercy of other countries' Now an analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Muntean argued that the absence of papers did not mean the US no longer supported the treaty or Antarctica. 'However, if the US does not shift its Antarctica policy into gear, it will remain adrift and lose influence in the region and the ATCM, which will leave advancing its interests at the mercy of other countries.' According to a preliminary paper on 2025 Antarctic research trends — led by the University of the Arctic — China is now the world leader in south polar science. 'There's a considerable lowering of expectations,' Hemmings added. 'Good people hope the US doesn't try to say very much. And that tells you everything … He noted that 'so many' officials were 'anxious about not attracting the attention of people higher in the administration'. This year, silence may have passed. 'For now the US can get away with this,' Hemmings said. 'What will it be like next year?' DM
Otago Daily Times
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Ward's bodies of artwork
Vincent Ward painting a model for his coming photography exhibition. PHOTO: ADRIAN MALLOCH There's never been a Queenstown art exhibition like it. Internationally-acclaimed Kiwi filmmaker Vincent Ward, who's been in the resort this week hosting screenings of two of his iconic films, this Saturday launches an exhibition of 13 photographs he's taken of artworks he painted on human bodies. Entitled 'Palimpsest/Landscapes', the exhibition's on at Milford Galleries' new Gorge Rd gallery. A palimpsest is a text with the ghost of its previous use faintly visible behind the new script. Ward's images, painted on professional dancers, are inspired by memories of his father, his war injuries and his work clearing rough bush hillsides to create farmland. "I call it painting more than photography because even though I use a camera, ultimately the most important part is what I did before the camera photographs." For four of the works, he collaborated with famous Chinese calligrapher, DongLing Wang. Ward says he's called on not only the knowledge he's accumulated as a filmmaker, where he's often explored the space between painting and film — as in, for example, his 1998 film, What Dreams May Come, starring Robin Williams — but also as an art school honours student at Canterbury University. Following an artist's talk at 3pm this Saturday, Ward's also undertaking a book signing of a large-format art book, Breath, he and three colleagues produced from an earlier exhibition, at 3.45pm. The exhibition runs till July 20.
Scoop
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Why Most Pacific Governments Stand With Israel
Article – RNZ Amid uncertainty in the Middle East, one thing remains clear: most Pacific governments continue to align themselves with Israel. Kaya Selby, RNZ Pacific Journalist Amid uncertainty in the Middle East, one thing remains clear: most Pacific governments continue to align themselves with Israel. Steven Ratuva, distinguished professor of Pacific Studies at Canterbury University, told RNZ that island leaders are likely to try and keep their distance, but only officially speaking. 'They'd probably feel safer that way, rather than publicly taking sides. But I think quite a few of them would probably be siding with Israel.' With Iran and Israel trading blows last week, Ratuva said that is translating into deeper divisions along religious and political lines in Pacific nations. 'People may not want to admit it, but it's manifesting itself in different ways.' Pacific support for Israel runs deep The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on 13 June calling for 'an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza', passing with 142 votes, or a 73 percent majority. Among the 12 nations that voted against the resolution, alongside Israel and the United States, were Fiji, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Tuvalu. Among the regional community, only Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands voted for the resolution, while others abstained or were absent. Last week, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, in an interview with The Australian, defended Israel's actions in Iran as an act of survival. 'They cannot survive if there is a big threat capability within range of Israel. Whatever [Israel] are doing now can be seen as pre-emptive, knocking it out before it's fired on you.' In February, Fiji also committed to an embassy in Jerusalem – a recognition of Israel's right to call the city their capital – mirroring Papua New Guinea in 2023. Ratuva said that deep, longstanding, religious and political ties with the West are what ground the regions ties with Israel. 'Most of the Pacific Island states have been aligned with the US since the Cold War and beyond, so the Western sphere of influence is seen as, for many of them, the place to be.' He noted the rise in Christian evangelism, which is aligned with Zionism and the global push for a Jewish homeland, in pockets throughout the Pacific, particularly in Fiji. 'Small religious organisations which have links with or model selves along the lines of the United States evangelical movement, which has been supportive of Trump, tend to militate towards supporting Israel for religious reasons.' 'And of course, religion and politics, when you mix them together, become very powerful in terms of one's positioning (in the world).' Politics or religion In Fijian society, Ratuva said that the war in Gaza has stoked tensions between the Christian majority and the Muslim minority. According to the CIA World Factbook, roughly 64.5 percent of Fijians are Christian, compared to a Muslim population of 6.3 percent. 'It's coming out very clearly, in terms of the way in which those belonging to the fundamentalist political orientation tend to make statements which are against non-Christians' Ratuva said. 'People begin to take sides…that in some ways deepens the religious divide, particularly in Fiji which is multi-ethnic and multi-religious, and where the Islamic community is relatively significant.' A statement from the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat, released on Wednesday, said that the Pacific wishes to be an 'ocean of peace'. 'Leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the Friends to All, Enemy to None Foreign Policy to guide the MSG Members' relationship with countries and Development Partners.' It bookends a summit that brought together leaders from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and other Melanesian nations, where the Middle East was discussed, according to local media. But the Pacific region had been used in a deceptive strategy as the US prepared for the strikes on Iran. On this matter, Melanesian leaders did not respond to requests for comment. The BBC reported on Monday that B-2 planes flew to Guam from Missouri as a decoy to distract from top-secret flights headed over the Atlantic to Iran. This sparked outrage from civil society leaders throughout the region, including the head of the Pacific Conference of Churches, Reverend James Bhagwan. 'This use of Pacific airspace and territory for military strikes violates the spirit of the Treaty of Rarotonga, our region's declaration for being a nuclear, free peace committed zone.' 'Our region has a memory of nuclear testing, occupation and trauma… we don't forget that when we talk about these issues.' Bhagwan told RNZ that there is no popular support for Israel's most recent actions in the Pacific. 'This is because we have international law… this includes, of course, the US strikes on Iran and perhaps, also, Israel's actions in Gaza.' 'It is not about religion, it is about people.' Bhagwan, whose organisation represents 27 member churches across 17 Pacific nations, refused to say whether he believed there was a link between christian fundamentalism and Pacific support for Israel. 'We can say that there is a religious contingency within the Pacific that does support Israel… it does not necessarily mean it's the majority view, but it is one that is seriously considered by those in power.' 'It depends on how those (politicians) consider that support they get from those particular aspects of the community.' Pacific Islanders in the region For some, the religious commitment runs so deep that they venture to Israel in a kind of pilgrimage. Ratuva told RNZ that there is a significant population of islanders in the region, many of whom may now be trapped before a ceasefire is finalised. 'There was a time when the Gaza situation began to unfold, when a number of people from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa were there for pilgrimage purposes.' 'At that time there were significant numbers, and Fiji was able to fly over there to evauate them. So this time, I'm not sure whether that might happen.' Bhagwan said that the religious ties run deep. 'They go to Jerusalem, to Bethlehem, to the Mount of Olives, to the Golan Heights, where the transfiguration took place. Fiji also is stationed in the Golan Heights as peacekeepers.' 'So there is a correlation, particularly for Pacific or for Fijian communities, on that relationship as peacekeepers in that region.'
Scoop
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Why Most Pacific Governments Stand With Israel
Amid uncertainty in the Middle East, one thing remains clear: most Pacific governments continue to align themselves with Israel. Steven Ratuva, distinguished professor of Pacific Studies at Canterbury University, told RNZ that island leaders are likely to try and keep their distance, but only officially speaking. "They'd probably feel safer that way, rather than publicly taking sides. But I think quite a few of them would probably be siding with Israel." With Iran and Israel trading blows last week, Ratuva said that is translating into deeper divisions along religious and political lines in Pacific nations. "People may not want to admit it, but it's manifesting itself in different ways." Pacific support for Israel runs deep The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on 13 June calling for "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza", passing with 142 votes, or a 73 percent majority. Among the 12 nations that voted against the resolution, alongside Israel and the United States, were Fiji, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Tuvalu. Among the regional community, only Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands voted for the resolution, while others abstained or were absent. Last week, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, in an interview with The Australian, defended Israel's actions in Iran as an act of survival. "They cannot survive if there is a big threat capability within range of Israel. Whatever [Israel] are doing now can be seen as pre-emptive, knocking it out before it's fired on you." In February, Fiji also committed to an embassy in Jerusalem - a recognition of Israel's right to call the city their capital - mirroring Papua New Guinea in 2023. Ratuva said that deep, longstanding, religious and political ties with the West are what ground the regions ties with Israel. "Most of the Pacific Island states have been aligned with the US since the Cold War and beyond, so the Western sphere of influence is seen as, for many of them, the place to be." He noted the rise in Christian evangelism, which is aligned with Zionism and the global push for a Jewish homeland, in pockets throughout the Pacific, particularly in Fiji. "Small religious organisations which have links with or model selves along the lines of the United States evangelical movement, which has been supportive of Trump, tend to militate towards supporting Israel for religious reasons." "And of course, religion and politics, when you mix them together, become very powerful in terms of one's positioning (in the world)." Politics or religion In Fijian society, Ratuva said that the war in Gaza has stoked tensions between the Christian majority and the Muslim minority. According to the CIA World Factbook, roughly 64.5 percent of Fijians are Christian, compared to a Muslim population of 6.3 percent. "It's coming out very clearly, in terms of the way in which those belonging to the fundamentalist political orientation tend to make statements which are against non-Christians" Ratuva said. "People begin to take in some ways deepens the religious divide, particularly in Fiji which is multi-ethnic and multi-religious, and where the Islamic community is relatively significant." A statement from the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat, released on Wednesday, said that the Pacific wishes to be an "ocean of peace". "Leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the Friends to All, Enemy to None Foreign Policy to guide the MSG Members' relationship with countries and Development Partners." It bookends a summit that brought together leaders from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and other Melanesian nations, where the Middle East was discussed, according to local media. But the Pacific region had been used in a deceptive strategy as the US prepared for the strikes on Iran. On this matter, Melanesian leaders did not respond to requests for comment. The BBC reported on Monday that B-2 planes flew to Guam from Missouri as a decoy to distract from top-secret flights headed over the Atlantic to Iran. This sparked outrage from civil society leaders throughout the region, including the head of the Pacific Conference of Churches, Reverend James Bhagwan. "This use of Pacific airspace and territory for military strikes violates the spirit of the Treaty of Rarotonga, our region's declaration for being a nuclear, free peace committed zone." "Our region has a memory of nuclear testing, occupation and trauma... we don't forget that when we talk about these issues." Bhagwan told RNZ that there is no popular support for Israel's most recent actions in the Pacific. "This is because we have international law... this includes, of course, the US strikes on Iran and perhaps, also, Israel's actions in Gaza." "It is not about religion, it is about people." Bhagwan, whose organisation represents 27 member churches across 17 Pacific nations, refused to say whether he believed there was a link between christian fundamentalism and Pacific support for Israel. "We can say that there is a religious contingency within the Pacific that does support Israel... it does not necessarily mean it's the majority view, but it is one that is seriously considered by those in power." "It depends on how those (politicians) consider that support they get from those particular aspects of the community." Pacific Islanders in the region For some, the religious commitment runs so deep that they venture to Israel in a kind of pilgrimage. Ratuva told RNZ that there is a significant population of islanders in the region, many of whom may now be trapped before a ceasefire is finalised. "There was a time when the Gaza situation began to unfold, when a number of people from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa were there for pilgrimage purposes." "At that time there were significant numbers, and Fiji was able to fly over there to evauate them. So this time, I'm not sure whether that might happen." Bhagwan said that the religious ties run deep. "They go to Jerusalem, to Bethlehem, to the Mount of Olives, to the Golan Heights, where the transfiguration took place. Fiji also is stationed in the Golan Heights as peacekeepers." "So there is a correlation, particularly for Pacific or for Fijian communities, on that relationship as peacekeepers in that region."
RNZ News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Why most Pacific governments stand with Israel
A supporter of Israel holds an Israeli flag in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, on 8 October. Photo: JULIA NIKHINSON / AFP Amid uncertainty in the Middle East, one thing remains clear: most Pacific governments continue to align themselves with Israel. Steven Ratuva, distinguished professor of Pacific Studies at Canterbury University, told RNZ that island leaders are likely to try and keep their distance, but only officially speaking. "They'd probably feel safer that way, rather than publicly taking sides. But I think quite a few of them would probably be siding with Israel." With Iran and Israel trading blows last week, Ratuva said that is translating into deeper divisions along religious and political lines in Pacific nations. "People may not want to admit it, but it's manifesting itself in different ways." Photo: 123RF The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on 13 June calling for "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza", passing with 142 votes, or a 73 percent majority. Among the 12 nations that voted against the resolution , alongside Israel and the United States, were Fiji, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Tuvalu. Among the regional community, only Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands voted for the resolution, while others abstained or were absent. Last week, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, in an interview with The Australian , defended Israel's actions in Iran as an act of survival. "They cannot survive if there is a big threat capability within range of Israel. Whatever [Israel] are doing now can be seen as pre-emptive, knocking it out before it's fired on you." In February, Fiji also committed to an embassy in Jerusalem - a recognition of Israel's right to call the city their capital - mirroring Papua New Guinea in 2023. Ratuva said that deep, longstanding, religious and political ties with the West are what ground the regions ties with Israel. "Most of the Pacific Island states have been aligned with the US since the Cold War and beyond, so the Western sphere of influence is seen as, for many of them, the place to be." He noted the rise in Christian evangelism, which is aligned with Zionism and the global push for a Jewish homeland, in pockets throughout the Pacific, particularly in Fiji. "Small religious organisations which have links with or model selves along the lines of the United States evangelical movement, which has been supportive of Trump, tend to militate towards supporting Israel for religious reasons." "And of course, religion and politics, when you mix them together, become very powerful in terms of one's positioning (in the world)." Photo: RNZ/Mark Papalii In Fijian society, Ratuva said that the war in Gaza has stoked tensions between the Christian majority and the Muslim minority. According to the CIA World Factbook, roughly 64.5 percent of Fijians are Christian, compared to a Muslim population of 6.3 percent. "It's coming out very clearly, in terms of the way in which those belonging to the fundamentalist political orientation tend to make statements which are against non-Christians" Ratuva said. "People begin to take in some ways deepens the religious divide, particularly in Fiji which is multi-ethnic and multi-religious, and where the Islamic community is relatively significant." A statement from the Melanesian Spearhead Group Secretariat, released on Wednesday, said that the Pacific wishes to be an "ocean of peace". "Leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the Friends to All, Enemy to None Foreign Policy to guide the MSG Members' relationship with countries and Development Partners." It bookends a summit that brought together leaders from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and other Melanesian nations, where the Middle East was discussed, according to local media. But the Pacific region had been used in a deceptive strategy as the US prepared for the strikes on Iran. On this matter, Melanesian leaders did not respond to requests for comment. Israeli rescuers search through the rubble of a heavily damaged building, following an overnight Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam on 15 June 2025. Photo: Gil Cohen-Magen / AFP The BBC reported on Monday that B-2 planes flew to Guam from Missouri as a decoy to distract from top-secret flights headed over the Atlantic to Iran. This sparked outrage from civil society leaders throughout the region, including the head of the Pacific Conference of Churches, Reverend James Bhagwan. "This use of Pacific airspace and territory for military strikes violates the spirit of the Treaty of Rarotonga, our region's declaration for being a nuclear, free peace committed zone." "Our region has a memory of nuclear testing, occupation and trauma... we don't forget that when we talk about these issues." Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Photo: GPO / AFP Bhagwan told RNZ that there is no popular support for Israel's most recent actions in the Pacific. "This is because we have international law... this includes, of course, the US strikes on Iran and perhaps, also, Israel's actions in Gaza." "It is not about religion, it is about people." Bhagwan, whose organisation represents 27 member churches across 17 Pacific nations, refused to say whether he believed there was a link between christian fundamentalism and Pacific support for Israel. "We can say that there is a religious contingency within the Pacific that does support Israel... it does not necessarily mean it's the majority view, but it is one that is seriously considered by those in power." "It depends on how those (politicians) consider that support they get from those particular aspects of the community." For some, the religious commitment runs so deep that they venture to Israel in a kind of pilgrimage. Ratuva told RNZ that there is a significant population of islanders in the region, many of whom may now be trapped before a ceasefire is finalised. "There was a time when the Gaza situation began to unfold, when a number of people from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa were there for pilgrimage purposes." "At that time there were significant numbers, and Fiji was able to fly over there to evauate them. So this time, I'm not sure whether that might happen." Bhagwan said that the religious ties run deep. "They go to Jerusalem, to Bethlehem, to the Mount of Olives, to the Golan Heights, where the transfiguration took place. Fiji also is stationed in the Golan Heights as peacekeepers." "So there is a correlation, particularly for Pacific or for Fijian communities, on that relationship as peacekeepers in that region."
