Following the acceptance by government of the demands of Tonga's striking civil servants for a 60, 70, 80% salary rise on September 4, Tonga's Minister of Finance, Hon. Siosiua 'Utoikamanu has been attending development and finance meetings in New York, and recently in Barbados, in the West Indies.

On September 14 Siosiua led a Tongan delegation to the High-Level Meeting on Financing for Development at the United Nations Headquarters, New York to review development financing commitments made five years ago in Monterrey.

The Secretary General of the UN Secretariat, Mr Kofi Annan told the gathering of the enormous need for development funds to meet the world's needs. He said that even with an increase in ODA in recent years and the commitments of 15 members of the European Union to devote 0.7 percent of their income to official development assistance, and even if the Millennium Development Goals were reached, there would be a vast backlog of human deprivation that deserves global unrelenting attention.

UN General Assembly

On September 16 at the 60th session of the UN General Assembly, New York, Siosiua 'Utoikamanu told the assembly of Tonga's efforts to achieve the UN Millennium Declaration of 2000, for a more peaceful, prosperous and just world, in which all human beings can live better and safer lives.

He said that Tonga's performance on the Human Development Index and the Human Poverty Index reflects a high level of expenditure in health and education, stagnant population growth and sustained high levels of investment in the social sector. He pointed out that the UN Human Development Report 2005 ranked Tonga at 54 among 177 countries.

Barbados

On September 18-20 the Minister of Finance led another Tongan delegation to the Commonwealth Finance Ministers meeting in Barbados. The Tongan delegation included Mrs Joyce Mafi, the Governor of the National Reserve Bank of Tonga (NRBT); Miss 'Anapuli Matoto, Acting Senior Research Officer at the NRBT, and Mr Aholotu Palu, Economist with the Ministry of Finance.

During these two-days meeting Commonwealth Finance Ministers reviewed the World Economic situation; discussed a range of development and other issues that are on the agenda of the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington; and the UN Millennium Project. They also discussed a range of policy issues including support to small states; promoting investment in Commonwealth developing countries; and Commonwealth development co-operation.

The Tongan delegation to Barbados also represented Tonga at the World Bank/IMF annual meeting from 24-25 September, in Washington DC.

Solomon Islands

While the Minister of Finance was attending meetings in New York, Washington and Barbados, Tonga's Minister of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Hon. Sonatane Tu'a Taumoepeau Tupou was on a three-day visited the Solomon Islands at the end of September to view the site of a World War II battle between the Japanese and US forces.

A number of Tongan soldiers were part of the US led group, which landed in July 1943, after an aerial bombardment of the Japanese constructed airfield had begun in December 1942.

While Sonatane was in Munda in Solomon Islands' Western Province he was given a brief outline of the US-led attack against the Japanese by Eddie Soakai, whose mother is Tongan. The Minister spent Thursday, September 29 at the site of the battle, which involved a number of Tongan soldiers.