PACIFIC FORUM TO MONITOR OCEAN'S RISE

The 20th South Pacific Forum also: Accepted Australia's offer to fund a $6.25 million (Australian, US $4.7 million) climate and ocean monitoring program. Rising sea levels, due to the greenhouse effect, could cause the evacuation of some Forum nations within the next 50 years.

Endorsed an initiative to set up links between the Forum and ASEAN secretariats.

Agreed there was a need for fair and accurate reporting, and urged the Forum Secretariat to set up a seminar to encourage more balanced reporting. (Papua New Guinea, in particular, was critical of Australia and New Zealand media.)

Restated its support for decolonization of the French territory of New Caledonia.

Praised Japan's first meeting on a multilateral fishing access agreement but expressed disappointment over slow progress.

Restated its opposition to French nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific and called for the tests to cease.