Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, has been named Pacific person of the year by a regional magazine, only the second person of non-Pacific heritage to ever be awarded the title. The Islands Business magazine, a regional publication based in Fiji, said Ardern had shown a commitment to the Pacific region by advocating for urgent action on climate change at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu last year. The magazine’s editor, Samisoni Pareti said Ardern’s skills at “negotiation, diplomacy and her charisma” had saved the day for the Pacific Islands at the forum. Cover of Islands Business, featuring a graphic of New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern Photograph: Islands Business, suppliedAt the Pacific islands forum Ardern announced NZ$150m in climate change funding exclusively for use in the Pacific – and also travelled to the tiny Pacific atoll of Tokelau, the first visit by a New Zealand prime minister in 14 years. Early in her term as prime minister, Ardern announced the Pacific reset policy, which has seen New Zealand “pivot” toward the islands.

Source: The Guardian January 07, 2020 01:11 UTC