In a joint statement released last Thursday, Australia and Tuvalu announced new commitments aimed at improving security relations and eliminating the veto power Australia held over the small island nation’s security affiliations with other countries. More details are given in this joint statement.
The statement addressed the implementation and interpretation of the Falepili Union, a bilateral treaty signed on November 9, 2023. This treaty is an extension of the Australia-Tuvalu Security Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (2017). Tuvalu, a small South Pacific island with a population of 11,478, coined the term “Falepili”, which stands for neighbors living in close proximity. This embodies the values of the deeper partnership, including care and mutual respect, as described in this placemat and this explanatory memorandum.
It was announced in the joint media release by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy that more than $110 million will be invested into Tuvalu’s immediate priorities. This aid includes:
- $50 million (2024-25) to support securing Tuvalu’s first underseas telecommunication cables
- An additional $19 million to extend the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project (TCAP), bringing Australia’s total contribution to TCAP to $38 million
- $10 million for immediate budget support (2023-24 and 2024-25) to ensure delivery of critical services
- $15 million for a new National Security Coordination Centre in Tuvalu
Australia has also committed to expanding the TCAP, established by the United Nations Development Programme in 2017. This plan aims to combat challenges stemming from climate change and rising sea levels, which are currently affecting the islands of Tuvalu. According to the Australia-Pacific Climate Partnership (APCP), the impact of tropical cyclones will increase due to elevated sea levels, posing a threat to Tuvalu. This was witnessed in 2015 when Category 5 tropical cyclone Pam induced a state of emergency in Tuvalu.
The agreement also includes a “security guarantee”, confirmed in the Explanatory Memorandum of the Falepili Union Between Tuvalu and Australia, stating that Australia will offer assistance in the face of military aggression, humanitarian disaster, or global pandemic. Australia is also collaborating with Tuvalu to design a special mobility pathway, aiding Tuvaluan citizens experiencing threats from rising seas and increased storms to relocate to Australia.
The new agreements remove Australia’s veto power over any security or defense agreement that Tuvalu seeks to establish with other nations, a subject which previously raised critical questions about Tuvalu’s sovereignty. The change was outlined in Article 4(4) of the Falepili Union.
As noted in the Explanatory Memorandum of the Falepili Union Between Tuvalu and Australia, the Falepili Union will now allow Tuvalu to maintain its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence. Under the Union, Tuvalu does not require Australia’s consent to begin discussions with other partners and can freely enter diplomatic relations with other states and countries, including China.