Greg Urwin
Encyclopedia
Gregory Lawrence Urwin PSM
CSI
(21 August 1946 – 9 August 2008) was an Australian career diplomat and top Pacific specialist. Urwin held the post of Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum
, an important inter-governmental
regional organisation from 2004 until 2 May 2008. Urwin had been the longest serving Australian diplomat in the Pacific at the time of his death in 2008. Urwin was also the first non-Pacific Islander
to become Secretary General of the Pacific Island Forum.
During his tenure as a diplomat and Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Urwin was considered to be instrumental in the rebuilding of failed state
s and promotion of political stability in the region - especially with the RAMSI mission in the Solomon Islands
.
, Australia, to parents Frank and Verna Urwin. The family relocated to the Wollongong area and then to Oak Flats
when Urwin was ten years old. Urwin initially attended elementary school at Fairy Meadow Public School. Urwin then attended Wollongong High School where he became school captain
.
Urwin completed undergraduate
studies in history with honours at the University of Sydney
where he was also senior student at Wesley College
.
, or DFAT, in 1971 following his graduation from the University of Sydney. His first diplomatic posting for DFAT was 1971–1974 to the Australian embassy in Ottawa
, the capital of Canada.
Urwin's work as a Pacific region specialist began in 1977 when he was posted to Apia, Samoa from Canberra, to open Australia's first diplomatic mission
in the Polynesia
n nation. Urwin was seconded to Secretary of Foreign Affairs
of Samoa in 1979. In this capacity, Urwin assisted Samoa in developing its international foreign policy
.
Urwin's later Pacific diplomatic assignments included serving as Australian High Commissioner
in Fiji and Vanuatu
and the deputy head of the Australian mission in New Zealand. Through his diplomatic postings in large nations, Urwin was often accredited to smaller Pacific island
states as well.
Urwin's first marriage to Louise Dauth ended while he was Apia. He married his second wife, Penny Clark, a Samoa
n widow with three sons.
Urwin often returned to Canberra
, Australia, between diplomatic postings, where he often served as a special envoy
for the government or as an international election observer
. Despite his overseas positions, Urwin remained active and in tune to Australian domestic politics.
Urwin was part of the Australian delegation
to the 2000 Pacific Islands Forum
summit in Kiribati
. Urwin was considered to be a very important drafter of the Biketawa Declaration
, which was signed at the Kiribati summit. The Biketawa Declaration, named after the island of Biketawa
where negotiations took place, provided a firm political framework for regional cooperation on Pacific island security for the first time. The Declaration established a mechanism by which Forum countries could come to the assistance of its members. The Biketawa Declaration came against a backdrop of increased political instability throughout Melanesia
at the time. George Speight had recently staged the 2000 Fijian coup d'état during the same year and the Solomon Islands
were nearly brought to civil war due to ethnic
tensions on the island of Guadalcanal
.
Urwin was considered to be an instrumental voice in the application of the Biketawa Declaration to the Solomons Island Crisis. Urwin applied the declaration to the crisis and gathered regional support for the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, or RAMSI, which was sent to the Solomon Islands in 2003 to help quell the ethnic violence and remains to this day. RAMSI stabilised the nation and allowed the government of the Solomon Islands to rebuild its administration
and the economy.
Urwin's skill as a diplomat and his handling of the Solomon Islands tension earned him a reputation of having an awareness of the sensibilities of Pacific Island
leaders and local culture.
In 2004, Australian Prime Minister
John Howard
backed Urwin as a candidate for Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum
. Leaders of some neighbouring island states, notably Papua New Guinea
, opposed Urwin's nomination, not because they disliked Urwin, but because they feared perceived Australian political domination of the Forum and the region at large, especially by Howard, whom they viewed as heavy handed. Some Pacific Island nations said that they would prefer someone of Pacific Islander descent. Ultimately though Urwin won the nomination.
Urwin competed against three other candidates, all Pacific Islanders, whose nominations were also put forth for Secretary General – lawyer Tuala Donald Kerslake of Samoa
; Vinci Clodumar of Nauru
, the country's permanent representative to the United Nations; and Langi Kavaliku a doctor from Tonga
. Ultimately, despite some opposition, Urwin prevailed and became the first Australian Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2004.
As Secretary General, Urwin played a central role in the adoption of the Pacific Plan
at the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Port Moresby
in October 2005. The Pacific Plan is a "co-operation scheme" which is based on four "pillars" to promote regional cooperation
and integration
in Pacific Island nations: economic growth, sustainable development
, good governance
and security. Urwin also worked to promote dialogue between the Pacific Islands Forum and other regional activists and organisations. In 2007, the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum voted to give non-governmental organisations, or NGOs, a "consultative
relationship" with their annual summits and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
Urwin was unanamously reappointed to a second three year term as Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum in October 2006. Unlike his first nomination, Urwin ran unopposed.
Greg Urwin resigned as Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2008 due to cancer. Tongan Prime Minister
Feleti Sevele
, who was serving as Chairman
of the Pacific Islands Forum at the time, announced that he received Urwin's letter of resignation
on 2 May 2008 saying, "We all wish him well and a speedy recovery." Deputy Secretary General Feleti Teo
of Tuvalu
became acting Secretary General following Urwin's resignation.
Ultimately, Tuiloma Neroni Slade
of Samoa
, a former justice at the International Criminal Court
, was chosen to permanently succeed Urwin at the 39th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders conference in Alofi
, Niue
, in August 2008.
for "Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Australia's Relationship with the Pacific." He was awarded the Centenary Medal
for "outstanding public service" in advancing Australia's position in the Pacific.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister
Derek Sikua
posthumously awarded Urwin the Cross of Solomon Islands
"in recognition of his outstanding contribution to RAMSI." The Cross of Solomon Islands is the highest civilian award given in the Solomon Islands and the country's second highest award overall. Sikua will present the award to Urwin's widow in a future ceremony.
, Australia; and his brother, Neil, of Murrumbateman
.
Urwin was buried at the Keil Family grounds in Lotopa
, Samoa, on 14 August 2008.
Memorial services were held in Apia, Samoa; Suva
, Fiji and Canberra
, Australia at which many leaders from the region were in attendance.
Tuiloma Neroni Slade
, who ascended to Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum in August 2008, promised to continue the work of Urwin following his death.
Pacific Islands Forum
– Acting Secretary General Feleti Teo
, who succeeded Urwin in May 2008, praised Urwin as the "architect of the Pacific Plan." Teo described Urwin as "a very humble person and very sensitive to many cultures that make up the membership of the Pacific Islands Forum family."
French Polynesia
– President
Gaston Tong Sang
called Urwin's death an "immense loss" and praised him for granting French Polynesia
and New Caledonia
associate member status during his time as Secretary General. Sang said, "French Polynesia does not forget either that it is also under Greg Urwin's mandate and under his determining impetus, that the Forum has opened up to the French Pacific entities by granting them the associate member status (for New Caledonia and French Polynesia) and the observer status for Wallis and Futuna
."
– Prime Minister Helen Clark
said of Urwin, "The South Pacific was where Greg made his home. His enthusiasm and love of our region was very evident in the way he went about his work. Greg was a strong advocate for the Pacific and his passing is a great loss."
– Prime Minister
Sir Michael Somare
sent condolences to Urwin's wife, Penny Urwin. Somare called Urwin "A man of the Pacific
, from the Pacific and for the Pacific," who legacy of strengthened Pacific cooperation.
– Prime Minister
Derek Sikua
called Urwin's death a great loss to the region and the Pacific Islands Forum. He commended Urwin for his work on the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands and his understanding of the Pacific Islands region.
– Prime Minister Feleti Sevele
called Urwin a "real son of the Pacific" and praised his work on the Pacific Plan.
Public Service Medal (Australia)
The Public Service Medal is a civil decoration awarded to Australian public servants for outstanding service. The PSM was introduced in 1991 and replaced the Imperial awards discontinued in 1975, supplementing the Order of Australia introduced that same year...
CSI
Cross of Solomon Islands
The Cross of Solomon Islands is the highest civilian award in Solomon Islands. The Cross of Solomon Islands was awarded posthumously to the former Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Greg Urwin, in 2008, by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Derek Sikua....
(21 August 1946 – 9 August 2008) was an Australian career diplomat and top Pacific specialist. Urwin held the post of Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum
Pacific Islands Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum...
, an important inter-governmental
Intergovernmentalism
-A theory of regional integration:The theory is not applied on European integration which rejects the idea of neofunctionalism. The theory, initially proposed by Stanley Hoffmann suggests that national governments control the level and speed of European integration. Any increase in power at...
regional organisation from 2004 until 2 May 2008. Urwin had been the longest serving Australian diplomat in the Pacific at the time of his death in 2008. Urwin was also the first non-Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
to become Secretary General of the Pacific Island Forum.
During his tenure as a diplomat and Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Urwin was considered to be instrumental in the rebuilding of failed state
Failed state
The term failed state is often used by political commentators and journalists to describe a state perceived as having failed at some of the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government...
s and promotion of political stability in the region - especially with the RAMSI mission in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
.
Early life
Greg Urwin was born on 21 August 1946, in Lithgow, New South WalesLithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
, Australia, to parents Frank and Verna Urwin. The family relocated to the Wollongong area and then to Oak Flats
Oak Flats, New South Wales
Oak Flats is a suburb of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia situated on the south western shores of Lake Illawarra. It is a residential area of 6,400 people and has a railway station which was moved in 2003...
when Urwin was ten years old. Urwin initially attended elementary school at Fairy Meadow Public School. Urwin then attended Wollongong High School where he became school captain
School Captain
School Captain is a student appointed or elected to represent the school.This student, usually in the senior year, in their final year of attending that school...
.
Urwin completed undergraduate
Undergraduate education
Undergraduate education is an education level taken prior to gaining a first degree . Hence, in many subjects in many educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a bachelor's degree, such as in the United States, where a university entry level is...
studies in history with honours at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
where he was also senior student at Wesley College
Wesley College, University of Sydney
Wesley College is a Protestant co-residential college of over 230 students within the University of Sydney. The College occupies a site on the main campus of the University of Sydney and was built on a sub-grant of Crown Land.- Academic profile :...
.
Diplomat
Urwin entered the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and TradeDepartment of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the government of Australia charged with advancing the interests of Australia and its citizens internationally...
, or DFAT, in 1971 following his graduation from the University of Sydney. His first diplomatic posting for DFAT was 1971–1974 to the Australian embassy in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, the capital of Canada.
Urwin's work as a Pacific region specialist began in 1977 when he was posted to Apia, Samoa from Canberra, to open Australia's first diplomatic mission
Diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
in the Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
n nation. Urwin was seconded to Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
of Samoa in 1979. In this capacity, Urwin assisted Samoa in developing its international foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
.
Urwin's later Pacific diplomatic assignments included serving as Australian High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
in Fiji and Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
and the deputy head of the Australian mission in New Zealand. Through his diplomatic postings in large nations, Urwin was often accredited to smaller Pacific island
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
states as well.
Urwin's first marriage to Louise Dauth ended while he was Apia. He married his second wife, Penny Clark, a Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
n widow with three sons.
Urwin often returned to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Australia, between diplomatic postings, where he often served as a special envoy
Diplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is the system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Over time it has been formalized on an international basis.-Ranks:...
for the government or as an international election observer
Election monitoring
Election monitoring is the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or a non-governmental organization , primarily to assess the conduct of an election process on the basis of national legislation and international standards. There are national...
. Despite his overseas positions, Urwin remained active and in tune to Australian domestic politics.
Urwin was part of the Australian delegation
Delegation
Delegation is the assignment of authority and responsibility to another person to carry out specific activities. However the person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work. Delegation empowers a subordinate to make decisions, i.e...
to the 2000 Pacific Islands Forum
Pacific Islands Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum...
summit in Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
. Urwin was considered to be a very important drafter of the Biketawa Declaration
Biketawa Declaration
The Biketawa Declaration is a declaration agreed to by all the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum constituting a framework for coordinating response to regional crises. The declaration was agreed to at the 31st Summit of Pacific Islands Forum Leaders, held at Kiribati in October 2000 in the...
, which was signed at the Kiribati summit. The Biketawa Declaration, named after the island of Biketawa
Biketawa
Biketawa is one of the twenty-four small islets which comprises the atoll of Tarawa in the Republic of Kiribati. The capital of Kiribati, South Tarawa, is located on Tarawa....
where negotiations took place, provided a firm political framework for regional cooperation on Pacific island security for the first time. The Declaration established a mechanism by which Forum countries could come to the assistance of its members. The Biketawa Declaration came against a backdrop of increased political instability throughout Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
at the time. George Speight had recently staged the 2000 Fijian coup d'état during the same year and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
were nearly brought to civil war due to ethnic
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
tensions on the island of Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
.
Urwin was considered to be an instrumental voice in the application of the Biketawa Declaration to the Solomons Island Crisis. Urwin applied the declaration to the crisis and gathered regional support for the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, or RAMSI, which was sent to the Solomon Islands in 2003 to help quell the ethnic violence and remains to this day. RAMSI stabilised the nation and allowed the government of the Solomon Islands to rebuild its administration
Administration (government)
The term administration, as used in the context of government, differs according to jurisdiction.-United States:In United States usage, the term refers to the executive branch under a specific president , for example: the "Barack Obama administration." It can also mean an executive branch agency...
and the economy.
Pacific Islands Forum
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
leaders and local culture.
In 2004, Australian Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
backed Urwin as a candidate for Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum
Pacific Islands Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum...
. Leaders of some neighbouring island states, notably Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, opposed Urwin's nomination, not because they disliked Urwin, but because they feared perceived Australian political domination of the Forum and the region at large, especially by Howard, whom they viewed as heavy handed. Some Pacific Island nations said that they would prefer someone of Pacific Islander descent. Ultimately though Urwin won the nomination.
Urwin competed against three other candidates, all Pacific Islanders, whose nominations were also put forth for Secretary General – lawyer Tuala Donald Kerslake of Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
; Vinci Clodumar of Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
, the country's permanent representative to the United Nations; and Langi Kavaliku a doctor from Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. Ultimately, despite some opposition, Urwin prevailed and became the first Australian Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2004.
As Secretary General, Urwin played a central role in the adoption of the Pacific Plan
Pacific Plan
The Pacific Plan, endorsed by Forum Leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Port Moresby in 2005, is a document designed to strengthen Pacific regional integration and cooperation. Its four key pillars are designed for development progress: economic growth, sustainable development, good...
at the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
in October 2005. The Pacific Plan is a "co-operation scheme" which is based on four "pillars" to promote regional cooperation
Cooperation
Cooperation or co-operation is the process of working or acting together. In its simplest form it involves things working in harmony, side by side, while in its more complicated forms, it can involve something as complex as the inner workings of a human being or even the social patterns of a...
and integration
Regional integration
Regional integration is a process in which states enter into a regional agreement in order to enhance regional cooperation through regional institutions and rules...
in Pacific Island nations: economic growth, sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
, good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
and security. Urwin also worked to promote dialogue between the Pacific Islands Forum and other regional activists and organisations. In 2007, the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum voted to give non-governmental organisations, or NGOs, a "consultative
Public consultation
Public consultation, or simply consultation, is a regulatory process by which the public's input on matters affecting them is sought. Its main goals are in improving the efficiency, transparency and public involvement in large-scale projects or laws and policies...
relationship" with their annual summits and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
Urwin was unanamously reappointed to a second three year term as Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum in October 2006. Unlike his first nomination, Urwin ran unopposed.
Greg Urwin resigned as Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2008 due to cancer. Tongan Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Tonga
This is a list of Prime Ministers of Tonga from the establishment of that office in 1876 until the present day.-List of Premiers/Prime Ministers of Tonga :-External links:*...
Feleti Sevele
Feleti Sevele
Feleti Vakaʻuta Sevele , styled Lord Sevele of Vailahi was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga from 30 March 2006 to 22 December 2010.-Early life:Sevele was born in Ma’ufanga, Nuku’alofa...
, who was serving as Chairman
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
of the Pacific Islands Forum at the time, announced that he received Urwin's letter of resignation
Letter of resignation
A letter of resignation is written to announce the author's intent to leave a position currently held, such as an office, employment or commission....
on 2 May 2008 saying, "We all wish him well and a speedy recovery." Deputy Secretary General Feleti Teo
Feleti Teo
Feleti Penitala Teo , also spelled Feleti Te'o, is a Tuvaluan former Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum.-Education:...
of Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
became acting Secretary General following Urwin's resignation.
Ultimately, Tuiloma Neroni Slade
Tuiloma Neroni Slade
Tuiloma Neroni Slade is the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. He was elected to the position for three years on 20 August 2008. Slade was reappointed to a second term by the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum on 8 September 2011.-Biography:Tuiloma Neroni Slade was born...
of Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, a former justice at the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
, was chosen to permanently succeed Urwin at the 39th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders conference in Alofi
Alofi
Alofi is the capital city of the Pacific Ocean nation of Niue. With a population of 581 , Alofi has the distinction of being the smallest national capital city in terms of population. It consists of the two villages Alofi North and Alofi South, where the government headquarters are located. Alofi...
, Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
, in August 2008.
Awards
In 2001, Urwin was awarded the Australian Public Service MedalPublic Service Medal (Australia)
The Public Service Medal is a civil decoration awarded to Australian public servants for outstanding service. The PSM was introduced in 1991 and replaced the Imperial awards discontinued in 1975, supplementing the Order of Australia introduced that same year...
for "Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Australia's Relationship with the Pacific." He was awarded the Centenary Medal
Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
for "outstanding public service" in advancing Australia's position in the Pacific.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands
The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands is Solomon Islands' head of government, consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the National Parliament. Solomon Islands is a Commonwealth realm. Since August 2010, the Prime Minister has been Danny Philip of the Reform...
Derek Sikua
Derek Sikua
David Derek Sikua served as the ninth Prime Minister of Solomon Islands from December 20, 2007 to August 25, 2010. He is a member of the Solomon Islands Liberal Party.-Career:Sikua is from Ngalitavethi Village in Guadalcanal Province...
posthumously awarded Urwin the Cross of Solomon Islands
Cross of Solomon Islands
The Cross of Solomon Islands is the highest civilian award in Solomon Islands. The Cross of Solomon Islands was awarded posthumously to the former Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Greg Urwin, in 2008, by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Derek Sikua....
"in recognition of his outstanding contribution to RAMSI." The Cross of Solomon Islands is the highest civilian award given in the Solomon Islands and the country's second highest award overall. Sikua will present the award to Urwin's widow in a future ceremony.
Death
Urwin returned from Suva, Fiji, to his home in Apia just two weeks before his death. He died of cancer in Apia, Samoa, on 9 August 2008, at the age of 61. He had been suffering from cancer and heart problems for the previous eight months. Urwin is survived by his second wife, Penny and their three sons, Wylie, Geoff and Daryl; his parents, Frank and Verna, of QueanbeyanQueanbeyan, New South Wales
Queanbeyan is a regional centre in the Southern Tablelands in south-eastern New South Wales adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory. The city's mixed economy is based on light construction, high technology, manufacturing, service, retail and agriculture. It is the council seat of the...
, Australia; and his brother, Neil, of Murrumbateman
Murrumbateman, New South Wales
Murrumbateman is a small village in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Barton Highway, approximately 30 kilometres north-west of Canberra, and is part of the Yass Valley Shire. At the 2006 census, Murrumbateman had a population of 1,758 people.Some of the...
.
Urwin was buried at the Keil Family grounds in Lotopa
Lotopa
Lotopa is a village on the island of Upolu in Samoa. It is situated on the north central side of the island near the country's capital Apia. The village is in the political district of Tuamasaga.The population is 1,661 .-References:...
, Samoa, on 14 August 2008.
Memorial services were held in Apia, Samoa; Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, Fiji and Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Australia at which many leaders from the region were in attendance.
Tuiloma Neroni Slade
Tuiloma Neroni Slade
Tuiloma Neroni Slade is the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. He was elected to the position for three years on 20 August 2008. Slade was reappointed to a second term by the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum on 8 September 2011.-Biography:Tuiloma Neroni Slade was born...
, who ascended to Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum in August 2008, promised to continue the work of Urwin following his death.
Reactions
Reactions to Urwin's death poured in from across the Pacific region where he had worked as a diplomat for more than 30 years.Pacific Islands Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum...
– Acting Secretary General Feleti Teo
Feleti Teo
Feleti Penitala Teo , also spelled Feleti Te'o, is a Tuvaluan former Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum.-Education:...
, who succeeded Urwin in May 2008, praised Urwin as the "architect of the Pacific Plan." Teo described Urwin as "a very humble person and very sensitive to many cultures that make up the membership of the Pacific Islands Forum family."
French PolynesiaFrench Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
– President
President of French Polynesia
This is the list of Presidents of French Polynesia.-See also:*List of monarchs of Tahiti*Colonial and Departmental Heads of French Polynesia-External links:*...
Gaston Tong Sang
Gaston Tong Sang
Gaston Tong Sang is the former President of French Polynesia. He served terms as President of French Polynesia from November 2009 until April 2011, from April 2008 until February 2009 and from December 2006 until September 2007.; he is currently the Mayor of Bora-Bora...
called Urwin's death an "immense loss" and praised him for granting French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
and New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
associate member status during his time as Secretary General. Sang said, "French Polynesia does not forget either that it is also under Greg Urwin's mandate and under his determining impetus, that the Forum has opened up to the French Pacific entities by granting them the associate member status (for New Caledonia and French Polynesia) and the observer status for Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands , is a Polynesian French island territory in the South Pacific between Tuvalu to the northwest, Rotuma of Fiji to the west, the main part of Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast,...
."
– Prime Minister Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
said of Urwin, "The South Pacific was where Greg made his home. His enthusiasm and love of our region was very evident in the way he went about his work. Greg was a strong advocate for the Pacific and his passing is a great loss."
– Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, is Papua New Guinea's head of government, consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the National Parliament. Since 2 August 2011, the Prime Minister has been Peter O’Neill of the People's National Congress Party.-List...
Sir Michael Somare
Michael Somare
Sir Michael Thomas Somare, GCL, GCMG, CH, CF, KStJ, MP was Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 2002 to 2011; he had previously been Prime Minister from independence in 1975 until 1980 and again from 1982 until 1985. Somare's first two terms were as a member of the Pangu Party, but he then...
sent condolences to Urwin's wife, Penny Urwin. Somare called Urwin "A man of the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, from the Pacific and for the Pacific," who legacy of strengthened Pacific cooperation.
– Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands
The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands is Solomon Islands' head of government, consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the National Parliament. Solomon Islands is a Commonwealth realm. Since August 2010, the Prime Minister has been Danny Philip of the Reform...
Derek Sikua
Derek Sikua
David Derek Sikua served as the ninth Prime Minister of Solomon Islands from December 20, 2007 to August 25, 2010. He is a member of the Solomon Islands Liberal Party.-Career:Sikua is from Ngalitavethi Village in Guadalcanal Province...
called Urwin's death a great loss to the region and the Pacific Islands Forum. He commended Urwin for his work on the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands and his understanding of the Pacific Islands region.
– Prime Minister Feleti Sevele
Feleti Sevele
Feleti Vakaʻuta Sevele , styled Lord Sevele of Vailahi was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga from 30 March 2006 to 22 December 2010.-Early life:Sevele was born in Ma’ufanga, Nuku’alofa...
called Urwin a "real son of the Pacific" and praised his work on the Pacific Plan.
External links
- The Pacific Islands Forum
- Website of the Pacific Plan
- The Australian High Commission to Samoa
- Pacnews: Australia honours the late Greg Urwin
Obituaries
- Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stephen SmithStephen Smith (Australian politician)Stephen Francis Smith , is the Australian Minister for Defence. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1993, representing the Division of Perth, Western Australia....
. 11 August 2008. - Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Samoa. 21 August 2008.
- Eulogy by Forum Acting Secretary Feleti TeoFeleti TeoFeleti Penitala Teo , also spelled Feleti Te'o, is a Tuvaluan former Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum.-Education:...
. 27 August 2008.
- Eulogy by Forum Acting Secretary Feleti Teo
- RAMSI, 14 August 2008.
- Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. 15 August 2008.
- Dominion Post, New Zealand. 21 August 2008.
- Lowy Institute for International Policy, Australia. By Graeme Dobel, August 2008.
- further comment by Sam Roggenveen.
- The Australian, Australia. By Mark Dodd, 12 August 2008.
- Fijian Daily Post, Fiji. 14 August 2008.
- Pacific Magazine: Greg Urwin’s Pacific One Year On At The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat 1 February 2005