Outgoing British High Commissioner Dominic Meiklejohn, says the British Government applauds Vanuatu for successfully tackling corruption.
He was referring to the recent imprisonment of 14 former members of parliament found guilty of corruption and bribery.
The High Commissioner made the statement in an exclusive interview in Port Vila on his final call this week, to introduce his successor, Acting British High Commissioner Chris Trott, to the Government before returning to London.
He says British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that the United Kingdom will host an international conference on anti-corruption.
“My Prime Minister spoke very clearly about the evil of corruption and the damage that it does.
“And of course, we are aware of and applaud what Vanuatu itself, through its judicial system, has been able to do in terms of tackling corruption in recent months,” he says.
“I will also share with Vanuatu parts of the outcome of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (in Malta from November 27 — 29).
“The first is that Baroness Scotland has been appointed as the first Woman Secretary General of the Commonwealth, and we in UK believe that this is a very good appointment.
“We believe that as a Caribbean representative (from the Dominican Republic), Baroness Scotland will be able to give a much stronger focus to Small Island States and we welcome that because we believe that is what the Commonwealth should be doing.”
High Commissioner Meiklejohn says the second big news is that the United Kingdom will host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2018.
“Obviously we understand that Vanuatu will not be able, after Pam, to host CHOGM in 2017 so we will host it probably early in spring of 2018. And so we look forward to hosting the Head of Government of Vanuatu,” he explains with confidence.
Asked what were among the most important issues raised at CHOGM 2015 in Malta, he says there were some very interesting discussions on extremism.
“There will be a new Commonwealth Unit set up to combat extremism and the UK and Australia will help to fund that unit”, he says.
“There will be a new Climate Fund which we hope will be accessible by the Small Island States to help them cope with climate change. And the Commonwealth push for a strong legally binding outcome at Paris COP 21 on Climate Change. That was a helpful signal sent ahead of the Paris talks.
“And so on my final visit here, it seems like a very good time to be talking about these things with your Government as well as of course, celebrating the works of the British Friends of Vanuatu. I now return to the United Kingdom which will be much colder, much darker and I will miss these wonderful sunsets, warm tropical seas and the wonderful smiles of the people but I will be signing up and handing over my subscription as a British Friend of Vanuatu.
“And I will be a member of the British Friends of Vanuatu for the rest of my life and I would very much like to come back as a member of the British Friends of Vanuatu sometimes in the future.”