1. The gender-climate-security nexus in Tuvalu

Debriefing world leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum

Author

Maria Luísa Moreira
January 31, 2024

Welcome to the first edition of The Gender Diplomat!

🌎 I want TGD to begin with a fun exercise: how would I analyse political developments and what would I highlight if I were giving a political briefing (dream job alert) to the world's top leaders? think of von der Leyen, Lula da Silva, Kamala Harris or Guterres — aiming high, I know. Every week I will reflect on a topic that I consider to be a top priority for any professional in diplomacy, international security and sustainable development.

➡️ For today, I am briefing world leaders at the 2023 Pacific Islands Forum.

🇹🇻🇦🇺 Centring the climate-security nexus in geopolitics (but there’s a catch)

📚Background: In international affairs, if something seems too good to be true, it often is. Tuvalu, a small nation in the South Pacific, is one of many islands that are gradually sinking due to rising sea levels and climate change. In line with regional cooperation efforts, the new Australia & Tuvalu Falepili Union treaty came to the rescue in November 2023—the first bilateral deal on climate mobility—, under which Australia commits to welcoming 280 Tuvaluans each year who choose to leave due to the threats of climate change.

💭Problems: As the climate emergency worsens, so does the need for fair and effective bilateral and multilateral agreements on mobility, refugees and security. As the first of its kind, the Falepili Union Treaty raises concerns about: 1) The deep loss of sovereignty and cultural identity of smaller nations, as Australia will now have veto power over Tuvalu’s each and every new security or defence agreements with third countries (a blow to China); and 2) The virtual absence of human security and gender analysis language in the climate mobility discourse.

🔄Implications: As the consequences of climate change become more serious, the international community must create robust mechanisms tailored to climate-induced statelessness. It remains to be seen how fair the transfer of powers over defence, resources and maritime zones from smaller countries like Tuvalu to Australia is, and whether Australia will act in good faith and proactively engage in fulfilling its own climate repair obligations. Or it could be just the latest big move in the great game of geopolitics.

🌊 Also, the implications for human security can’t be overlooked. For example, the maximum height above sea level in Tuvalu is 5m; 100% of Tuvaluans live less than 1 km from the coast; and since 2015, migration flows from Tuvaluans to neighbouring countries have increased. If focusing on human security saves lives, gender analysis also helps: in Tuvalu, climate change affects rural women disproportionately, because they depend on natural resources for income and food, and have less power in political decision-making than men — it is also unclear whether civil society and community representatives were consulted before the Falepili Treaty was signed. Also, research shows that Pacific women are at greater risk of gender-based violence in disasters and that their integration into host countries is not without risk either, since 33% of migrant and refugee women in Australia have been victims of domestic violence.

🧠 Reflections: If Western countries are responsible for most climate change they are now trying to mitigate in the global South, how can we guarantee the right level of accountability, responsibility and climate justice moving forward? Where do we draw the line between neo-colonialism and sovereignty tradeoffs? If we prioritise climate reparations, how can we draft agreements that guarantee reparations, punishment, accountability and tradeoffs from Western countries accordingly?

Your turn! 🤓 Share your reflections and Tuvalu debriefing at [email protected] and let’s chat! ☕

⚡ Growing in and out of your 9 to 5

Every week, I come across new opportunities and resources for personal and professional development and, as I'm a great believer in the idea of opening doors, I'm sharing them here:

Feedback, ideas and synergies are welcome and encouraged 📥
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See you next week!👩🏻‍💻