Hon Phil Goff
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Media Statement

16 January 2004

Niue to defer hosting Pacific Islands Forum

Niue has informed New Zealand, as Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, that it wishes to defer hosting this year’s Forum for at least a year, Foreign Minister Phil Goff said today.

“In light of the devastation caused to the island by Cyclone Heta, and the urgent task of reconstruction facing the Niuean government, it is an understandable decision and one that New Zealand thinks is appropriate,” Mr Goff said.

“As Chair, New Zealand will now talk to Forum partners and the Forum Secretariat about who might host this year’s meeting, scheduled for August.”

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>