In this bulletin:
1. AUST — Australia signs landmark Vanuatu security deal to help parry China in Pacific
2. NIUE — Niue secures $11m climate and ocean resilience deal to protect communities
3. PACIFIC — PM Wale urges collaboration in Pacific
4. FIJI — Fiji Military Commander yet to decide on second term
5. PNG — PNG, SI sign agreement
6. FIJI — Abolish FICAC or remove prosecutorial powers: Fiji Law Society to CRC
7. PNG — PNG Opposition leader Nomane urges proper El-Nino preparedness
8. FIJI — Japan hands Fiji Navy three Patrol Boats under $6 Million security Pprogramme
9. FIJI — One Nation party officially registered
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific Fisheries Ministers in Wellington for 25th FFC Ministerial
11. PACNEWS BIZ — FFA DG hails South Pacific Group ahead of key fisheries meeting
12. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji and U.S Coast Guard strengthen maritime enforcement through joint shiprider operation
13. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — How small Island States can secure an affordable energy future
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — Navigating Uncertainty: Foresight and the Resilient Pacific
15. PACNEWS DIGEST — Commonwealth workshop strengthens public debt management in small island developing states
AUST – DIPLOMACY/SECURITY: AAP PACNEWS 1: Tue 30 Jun 2026
Australia signs landmark Vanuatu security deal to help parry China in Pacific
CANBERRA, 30 JUNE 2026 (AAP) — Australia and Vanuatu have signed a watered-down $500 million (US$345 million) security deal after months of negotiations.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Vanuatu counterpart Jotham Napat signed the Nakamal Agreement in Canberra on Monday.
The deal was inked almost 10 months after Napat got cold feet and embarrassed the federal government by pulling out of a signing ceremony because of concerns Vanuatu’s sovereignty would be undermined.
The half a billion dollars will still be provided to the Pacific nation, but over a longer period of time rather than the originally planned decade.
The new deal states Port Vila will consult Australia on “proposed third-party engagement in Vanuatu’s critical infrastructure”.
Any critical infrastructure must also remain free from “militarisation, any form of foreign interference or unauthorised access”.
The agreement entrenches Australia as the primary policing partner for the Pacific nation.
China is also pursuing a pact with Vanuatu, known as the Namele Agreement.
Albanese said the government wanted a resilient and sovereign region.
“Our agreement reflects and confirms Australia’s role as Vanuatu’s largest and most comprehensive economic security and development partner, a responsibility that we take seriously,” he said.
“This agreement advances a consensus that security is the shared responsibility of the Pacific family … and encapsulates Vanuatu’s sovereign decision not to permit its territory to be used for any foreign military base or infrastructure.”
Under the deal, Vanuatu will prioritise Pacific Island Forum members for policing requests.
In the event of a humanitarian disaster, Vanuatu will reach out to Australia, New Zealand or France first before it asks for help from other countries.
Napat said the deal strengthened ties with the Pacific region.
“Today marks a significant step in the Vanuatu-Australia relationship,” he said.
“With the signing of the long-awaited Nakamal Agreement, Australia and Vanuatu are close neighbours, trusted partners.”
Albanese is expected to travel to Fiji and the Solomon Islands within weeks to progress negotiations on a treaty with Honiara and ink a deal with Suva.
The agreement with Vanuatu comes just a month after Australian agreed to the security and economic deal with Fiji.
The prime minister told parliament the agreement with Vanuatu would help with economic development in the Pacific.
“It will assist on the shared values that we have in tackling climate change, an existential threat to many of the islands in the Pacific,” he said.
“There was a common view and consensus across the board about how important this agreement is to secure a more resilient, sovereign, and connected region where we will act together to grow our shared prosperity,” said Albanese…. PACNEWS
NIUE – CLIMATE CHANGE: PMN PACNEWS 1: Tue 30 Jun 2026
Niue secures $11m climate and ocean resilience deal to protect communities
ALOFI, 30 JUNE 2026 (PMN) — Niue has secured a major US$9 million (NZ$11 million) funding package to strengthen climate resilience, protect its ocean space, and improve essential infrastructure for its communities.
This comes as extreme weather and rising sea levels continue to put pressure on the Pacific island nation.
The government of Niue is working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Conservation International on the Niue Infrastructure, Ecosystems and Communities Integrated Project, known as Niue IECI.
The five-year initiative brings together funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Special Climate Change Fund, and Conservation International, alongside national co-financing, in what officials describe as a more coordinated approach to climate and environmental investment.
At its centre is The Rock’s vast marine sanctuary, the Niue Nukutuluea Multiple-Use Marine Park, which covers one of the largest fully protected Exclusive Economic Zones in the world.
The project aims to strengthen long-term protection of the area while supporting local livelihoods.
A key part of the plan is the Niue and Ocean Wide (NOW) Trust, which will help provide long-term funding for conservation work beyond short-term grant cycles.
For Niue, a self-governing island nation of just over 1600 people managing a vast ocean territory, the blended finance project is being seen as a major step towards strengthening local control over climate and conservation planning.
Prime Minister Dalton Tagelagi said the initiative supports a more integrated approach to development, where communities play a central role in shaping how climate risks and natural resources are managed.
“As a small island nation, our survival depends on the health of our ecosystems and the resilience of our communities,” Tagelagi said in his address at the Niue IECI launch.
“This initiative allows us to take a holistic approach, ensuring that our infrastructure is built to withstand climate impacts while simultaneously protecting our precious marine and terrestrial biodiversity.
“It places our people and our traditional knowledge at the centre of our development and conservation efforts,” the Niuean leader said.
The project channels funding through local governance structures, including the Niue and Ocean Wide (NOW) Trust, aimed at supporting longer-term environmental management beyond short-term project cycles.
Tagelagi said the focus is on long-term resilience for future generations.
“This project is not just about funding; it is about securing the future of Niue.
“By building resilient infrastructure and safeguarding our natural resources, we are ensuring that future generations can continue to thrive on our beautiful island,” he said.
“By combining sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy, and inclusive financing, this new initiative in Niue is creating a model for how island nations can strengthen resilience while safeguarding their natural systems that sustain local communities and the economy,” Orissa Samaroo, Vice President of the Global Environment Facility, said in a joint statement.
“What makes this project so critical right now is that it recognises these challenges are interconnected and must be addressed together to help protect Niue’s vibrant marine and coastal biodiversity.”
The project will focus on upgrading infrastructure in coastal and remote communities, where climate impacts are most strongly felt.
This includes building multi-purpose emergency shelters powered by solar energy and equipped with water collection systems to maintain basic services during cyclones.
It will also support the restoration of vulnerable coastal areas using nature-based solutions and local knowledge, alongside efforts to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels through cleaner energy systems.
The programme is expected to directly benefit around 1142 people, more than 70 per ent of Niue’s population.
Officials say community leadership will be central to how the project is delivered, alongside technical support from international partners.
Claude Gascon, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility, said local involvement will be key to long-term success.
“Through an integrated approach and focus on the key roles communities play in supporting long-term resilience, this initiative will strengthen environmental governance, support resilient and low-carbon infrastructure, and restore coastal terraces,” Gascon said in the joint statement.
The project is now moving into its early implementation phase, with consultations planned across Niue to shape final design details, including gender considerations, environmental safeguards, and community priorities…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – DIPLOMACY: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 1: Tue 30 Jun 2026
PM Wale urges collaboration in Pacific
PORT MORESBY, 30 JUNE 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — -Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has urged Pacific Island countries must work to address issues of regional importance.
Wale, the new Pacific Islands Forum chairman, said there were many development challenges affecting the region and stronger partnerships were needed to address them.
He joined Prime Minister James Marape during a media conference in Port Moresby on Friday.
“We are looking to Papua New Guinea not only in terms of leadership, but also collaboration to address common issues and challenges,” he said.
“We are also trying to reach consensus in the region on important issues, one of which is regional security. This was one of the main areas that we discussed.”
Wale added that the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) was another important platform that needed to be better used to focus efforts on addressing issues of its member countries.
“The MSG is an important platform that we can use to specifically focuses on our interests in the region,” he said.
“We have had some discussions around what should be happening as here have been some disappointments with the MSG that it could be more effective and have more robust processes in place.
“That is something that I think we must continue together to go forward.
“We want an MSG that is effective and not become a pushover.”
Wale said that discussions on West Papua were also brought up during his meeting with Marape, which was focused on addressing the matter in a peaceful manner that followed due process.
“We discussed briefly on the issue of our people in West Papua,” he said.
“We want to be good friends with Indonesia so we do not antagonise them.
“But we are concerned about the situation in West Papua and have made suggestions on how the dialogue with Indonesia could happen that would encourage less paranoia about the rights of our Melanesian brothers and sisters.
“There is no need to hide away from the issues of West Papua.
“We need to talk about these things openly,” Wale said.
Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea has an important role in strengthening regional security to ensure the borders of Pacific Island countries are protected, says Prime Minister James Marape.
Marape said security and policing cooperation were discussed during a meeting with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale in Port Moresby on Friday.
They discussed the potential for Solomon Islands police personnel to access training opportunities at the Bomana National Centre of Excellence in the National Capital District.
Police Minister Sir John Pundari and Police Commissioner David Manning also attended the meeting.
“We must build a security architecture that is fitting for our people and for our region,” Marape said.
“We will work together to defend our waters, address illegal fishing, fight drug trafficking and confront the crimes that affect our homes and communities.”
He said the Government was prepared to work with Honiara and other partners to strengthen regional security arrangements, improve training and build joint capacity against illegal fishing, drug trafficking, transnational crime and other emerging threats.
“PNG and Solomon Islands are custodians of vast marine resources and must work together to ensure that the economic benefits from tuna and other fisheries resources are retained more strongly in Pacific economies,” Marape said.
“Our greatest potential lies in fish and fish resources. Together with our brothers and sisters in the Pacific, we hold a major share of the world’s tuna resources.
“We must not remain poor while our ocean resources create wealth for others.”
Papua New Guinea has offered to the Solomon Island its experience in mining policy and resource governance to develop a modern mining regime that maximises benefits for its people.
Prime Minister James Marape, during talks with his counterpart Matthew Wale in Port Moresby, said PNG had learnt valuable lessons over decades of resource development – both successes and mistakes – and was ready to share those experiences with its Melanesian neighbour.
“As you develop your mining laws, it is important to get them right from the beginning,” Marape said.
“PNG is still refining its own resource laws, but we have accumulated decades of experience.
“We are prepared to send our resource lawyers and technical experts to work with your team so that together we can develop policies that deliver long-term benefits for our people,” he said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – DEFENCE CHIEF: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Tue 30 Jun 2026
Fiji Military Commander yet to decide on second term
SUVA, 30 JUNE 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) Major-General Ro Jone Kalouniwai says he has not decided whether he will seek another term when his contract expires in September.
Major-General Kalouniwai was appointed commander in 2021. His five-year term ends in September.
“All I can confirm is that my contract ends in September. I haven’t made up my mind now,” he said.
He said he would decide after holding discussions with Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs Pio Tikoduadua.
“Until I have those discussions with the Minister, I will be able to confirm whether I will reapply for the appointment or whether I will just go back home.”
Tikoduadua has publicly declared his support for Major-General Kalouniwai to seek another term.
“I am confident in the commander’s competence. At this point in time, he is, in my view, the person best suited to be the commander,” Tikoduadua said.
The President appoints the RFMF Commander on the advice of the Constitutional Offices Commission (COC).
The COC, chaired by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, met yesterday.
Asked whether the commission had discussed the appointment, Rabuka said: “Well, that will be made in the official announcement from the COC…. PACNEWS
PNG – DIPLOMACY: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 1: Tue 30 Jun 2026
PNG, Solomon Islands sign agreement
PORT MORESBY, 30 JUNE 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have signed an agreement to strengthen trade and investment, infrastructure development, security and development cooperation on regional matters over the next four years.
Prime Minister James Marape and his Solomons counterpart, Matthew Wale, signed the framework agreement on development and economic cooperation 2026-2030 after their meeting at Melanesia Haus in Port Moresby on Friday.
Wale was in the country for his first State visit following his election in Honiara on 15 May.
“Papua New Guinea affirms its full support behind Solomon Islands,” Marape said.
“We both have challenges that are almost the same, whether it’s security, economic, social or border, and even our response to the world and the geopolitical contest.
“The agreement will strengthen cooperation in investment, trade and commerce, mining and other resource sectors, fisheries, agriculture, State-owned enterprises, policing and security, maritime cooperation, and regional affairs.
“As two people from the same ancestry and same history, it is important that we co-exist, understand each other and work side by side.”
The agreement covers the expansion of a two-way investment and business activity to more than K1 billion. “Papua New Guinea must appreciate Solomon Islands as a country where we have our biggest foreign investment from PNG companies,” he added.
“Solomon Islands has been a wonderful host to PNG businesses, and we look forward to sending more investors there.
“Likewise, we invite Solomon Islands investors and businesses to come and operate in Papua New Guinea.”
In response, Wale said the agreement would provide the path forward in areas of mutual interest, including that of the Melanesian Spearhead Group which both countries are members.
Meanwhile, Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae welcomed Wale during a courtesy call to Government House…. PACNEWS
FIJI – ANTI CORRUPTION: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Tue 30 Jun 2026
Abolish FICAC or remove prosecutorial powers: Fiji Law Society to CRC
SUVA, 30 JUNE 2026 (FIJI SUN) — The Fiji Law Society (FLS) has questioned the future of Fiji’s anti-corruption watchdog.
It recommended that the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) be abolished or stripped of its prosecutorial powers to protect institutional independence and public confidence.
Presenting the society’s submission to the Constitutional Review Commission, FLS president William Wylie Clarke said Fiji’s constitutional framework should strengthen independent institutions that uphold transparency, the rule of law and accountability.
The society recommended that FICAC’s functions be transferred to constitutionally appropriate institutions.
“The society recommends that the commission consider whether FICAC should be abolished altogether and its functions reallocated to constitutionally appropriate institutions,” Clarke said.
He said while anti-corruption enforcement remained essential, it needed to be independent, procedurally fair and protected from actual or perceived political influence.
If FICAC was retained, Clarke said its role should be limited to investigations, with prosecution decisions left solely to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
He said the absence of publicly available prosecution guidelines further supported the case for removing FICAC’s prosecutorial powers.
The society also called for the restoration of the Office of the Ombudsman, saying Fiji lacked an independent institution dedicated to investigating maladministration in the public sector.
Clarke said the Ombudsman should investigate issues including unreasonable delays, abuse of discretion, unfair administrative action, failure to provide reasons for decisions and systemic failures in public administration.
“The only mechanism currently available to challenge executive action is through the courts, and the courts are overburdened and under-resourced,” he said.
He said an Ombudsman’s Office would provide a more accessible avenue for complaints against public authorities while complementing existing accountability institutions.
During the consultation, Clarke said the removal of the Ombudsman’s Office under the current constitutional framework had created a significant gap in oversight.
“It certainly created a big gap that ought to be filled,” he said.
The Fiji Law Society said Fiji’s next Constitution should strengthen institutions that safeguard accountability while preserving the rule of law and public confidence in government.
It also called for reforms to Fiji’s electoral system, saying changes are needed to strengthen the link between Members of Parliament and the people they represent.
Presenting its submission to the Constitutional Review Commission, Clarke said the current single national constituency had weakened accountability.
“The single national constituency weakens accountability between voters and identifiable Members of Parliament,” Clarke said.
The society recommended replacing the current model with a proportional representation system that includes regional or multi-member constituencies.
Clarke said this would allow voters to identify MPs representing their communities while maintaining proportional election outcomes.
The society also recommended that constituency boundaries be determined by an independent boundaries commission based on population, geography, communities of interest and the circumstances of maritime and remote communities.
It said boundaries should not be determined on the basis of ethnicity or religion.
Clarke said the society opposed a first-past-the-post electoral system because it could result in candidates being elected without majority support.
The society also recommended stronger constitutional protections for the legal profession by giving the FLS authority to issue and regulate practising certificates for lawyers instead of the executive.
“The independence of the legal profession is not a privilege for lawyers. It is a protection for the public,” Clarke said.
He said lawyers must be able to represent clients, challenge government decisions and defend constitutional rights without fear of political interference.
FLS also proposed strengthening the Bill of Rights by requiring any limitation on constitutional rights to meet clear tests of legality, necessity and proportionality, subject to judicial review.
It further recommended a review of constitutional immunity provisions, saying immunity should not protect individuals from prosecution for serious offences including corruption, unlawful killings, torture, sexual violence or abuse of office.
Clarke said Fiji’s next Constitution should preserve existing commitments while strengthening institutions that uphold democracy, accountability and the rule of law.
“Fiji should preserve the best commitments already found in the 2013 Constitution — rule of law, rights, equality, constitutional supremacy, independent courts and accountability — but strengthen them so that they are institutionally real, not just words on paper,” he said…. PACNEWS
PNG – WEATHER WATCH: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 1: Tue 30 Jun 2026
PNG Opposition leader Nomane urges proper El-Nino preparedness
PORT MORESBY, 30 JUNE 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — District having proper budget executives can help with El-Nino preparedness, says Papua New Guinea Opposition leader James Nomane.
Nomane said funding allocated for districts had to be released on time so the districts and provinces had time to prepare for the dry conditions.
“History should be our number one teacher,” he said.
“In 2016, El-Niño devastated our agriculture sector and left hundreds of thousands without a secure food supply.”
Nomane said the Highlands and Southern regions were already seeing the impacts and the potential crisis was grave when the areas most exposed to dry conditions were the most populated areas.
“Poor planning, poor execution, and poor prioritisation have converged at the worst possible moment. Our people are paying that price in hunger and frostbite today,” he said.
“We have been here before. Yet when this Government formulated the 2025 budget and its 2026 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, not a single kina was ring-fenced for climate emergency reserves.
“No contingency fund. No pre-positioned food stocks. No early-warning response mechanisms. Foresight was sacrificed on the altar of political convenience,” Nomane said.
The Opposition called on the Government to immediately mobilise emergency food relief like rice, protein, and medical supplies to affected communities.
Nomane said Parliament needed to pass a supplementary budget and establish a climate emergency contingency fund drawn from rationalised expenditure and reprioritised development appropriations not new borrowing.
“The National Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection Authority and the Department of Agriculture and Livestock must activate a seed-restocking and extension programme for the 2026-2027 planting season before the window is lost,” he said.
Abau MP Sir Puka Temu urged people to stay calm and prepare for the effects of the extended period of dry weather.
Meanwhile, local farmer in Milne Bay’s Daga area in Alotau is experiencing water shortage at his fish pond following a prolonged dry period since April.
Kokomo farming owner, Vaheed Cleophus, said the creeks near the farm where he usually pumped water to the fish ponds had since dried up, affecting the fish and fingerlings.
Cleophus said he was not able to fill all the eight ponds and had to remove fish from three ponds and distribute to the other five ponds.
One pond had about 2,000 fish and fingerlings, talapia and carp breeds.
“I see that water level has also dropped in the other five ponds so I told the youths and men who usually helped me to dig a drain from the farm site to an underground water source some kilometres away so we could join bamboos to collect water.
“My men have been working day and night to ensure we reach the water site before water runs out in all the ponds,” he said.
Cleophus said apart from fish, he also looked after pigs, chicken, and a wildlife conservation area where he faced the same challenge with access to clean water.
“I started with two fish pond in 2022 with the aim to store and supply to all villages in Daga local level government (LLG) area as well as other neighbouring LLGs,” he said.
About seven wards in Daga have been covered and the remaining 18 will be completed by this year.
“I usually distribute 10 fingerlings to each farmer, male and female, educate them on how to dig ponds, secure water and care, and feeding basics,” Cleophus said.
“These are all given for free. Once I cover all LLGs, we will open up markets and I will pay for their labour.”
Cleophus appealed to the local leaders to help with water pipes to secure underground water, proper lighting and fencing at his farm site as this was an income earning opportunity for everyone…. PACNEWS
FIJI – PATROL BOAT: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Tue 30 Jun 2026
Japan hands Fiji Navy three Patrol Boats under $6 Million security Pprogramme
SUVA, 30 JUNE 2026 (PACNEWS) — The Republic of Fiji Navy has received three fast inshore patrol boats from the Government of Japan’s Official Security Assistance (OSA) programme, costing FJD$6 million (approximately USD$3 million).
The boats were handed over Monday during an official ceremony officiated by Minister for Defence and Veterans Affairs Pio Tikoduadua and Japan’s Ambassador to Fiji,
Hiroshi Tajima.
According to the Fiji Navy, the new boats will strengthen Fiji’s ability to carry out maritime security and safety operations.
“The new boats will strengthen Fiji’s ability to conduct maritime security and safety operations, including surveillance, patrols, search and rescue, and support to whole-of-government operations across Fiji’s maritime domain.””
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces thanked Japan for its continued support.
“This capability represents an important investment in Fiji’s maritime security, sovereignty protection and the safety of all who depend on our seas.”
Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua said the handover marked the delivery of the third batch of equipment under Japan’s Official Security Assistance programme.
“I thanked the Government and people of Japan for their friendship and their continued investment in Fiji’s security and development. The three patrol boats handed over today will strengthen the Republic of Fiji Navy’s ability to protect our maritime borders, support search and rescue operations, enforce our laws at sea and keep our people safe.”
Tikoduadua said Fiji and Japan continue to expand defence and security cooperation.
“Our partnership with Japan is built on trust, mutual respect and shared values. Through the Lomavata Kizuna Partnership, we are expanding our cooperation across many areas, including defence and security. I also welcomed Japan’s future support for the redevelopment of the 3rd Fiji Infantry Regiment Headquarters, another important investment in the capability of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.”
Tikoduadua also thanked Japan for its continued partnership.
“Vinaka vakalevu to the Government and people of Japan for your generosity and your enduring friendship. I look forward to continuing to strengthen the close relationship between our two countries for the benefit of our peoples and our region,” he said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – POLITICS: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Tue 30 Jun 2026
One Nation party officially registered
SUVA, 30 JUNE 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Fiji now has 10 registered political parties after the Registrar of Political Parties approved the registration of One Nation ahead of the next General Election.
Registrar of Political Parties Ana Mataiciwa confirmed Monday that One Nation had met all requirements under the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act 2013.
The party resubmitted its application on 21 May 2026, after an earlier application was not approved.
With its registration confirmed, One Nation must now comply with all statutory obligations under the Act, including submitting the required declarations and disclosures within the prescribed timeframes.
The registration increases the number of political parties eligible to contest the next General Election to 10.
The registered parties are the People’s Alliance, Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA), National Federation Party (NFP), All People’s Party, Fiji Labour Party (FLP), We Unite Fiji Party, Unity Fiji Party, People First Party, NeXTGEN ALLIANCE PARTY (NGAP) and One Nation.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has said the General Election will be held between 24 December 2026, and the first week of February 2027…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PACIFIC – FISHERIES: FFA PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 30 Jun 2026
Pacific Fisheries Ministers in Wellington for 25th FFC Ministerial
WELLINGTON, 30 JUNE 2026 (FFA) — New Zealand Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones will today welcome 16 Pacific Island fisheries ministers to Wellington for the Forum Fisheries Ministerial Committee this week.
Jones is chairing the annual meeting, which brings together 17 Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) members with a focus on the sustainable management of shared fisheries resources, primarily tuna, throughout the Pacific region.
“New Zealand and its Pacific Island partners work together collectively to manage sustainable fisheries in the region, and it’s an honour to host my counterparts from around the Pacific here in Wellington,” Jones says.
The Western and Central Pacific Ocean provides over 50 per cent of the world’s tuna, worth around US$9.9 billion.
“Around 80 percent of this tuna is caught within the Exclusive Economic Zones of Pacific Island FFA member countries. Revenue from tuna contributes significantly to Pacific Island economies.
“The annual meeting of Pacific Fisheries Ministers is an opportunity to engage on the collective sustainable management of this regional resource,” Jones said.
Pacific Fisheries Ministers are continuing work on improving management of South Pacific albacore, including working with other fishing nations to set sustainable limits in both the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones.
The Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency, established in 1979, plays a critical role in the region, Jones said.
“Like our Pacific Island partners, we’re a fishing nation and we share a common interest to ensure fisheries beyond our borders are managed sustainably.
“Highly migratory fish, like tuna, move throughout the Pacific and are fished by several countries. It’s essential we work together to manage the long-term sustainability of these fish stocks.
“Pacific countries rely heavily on fishery resources for economic development, livelihoods and food security. Collectively, we are all working on increasing the value these fisheries bring to regional Pacific economies,” Mr Jones says.
New Zealand is also hosting the Regional Fisheries Ministers meeting (RFMM) this week, supported by the Pacific community. The RFMM covers broader regional ocean issues.
The Forum Fisheries Committee meets annually, providing an opportunity for Ministers to set the strategic direction for management of the region’s tuna resources and provide governance oversight of the Forum Fisheries Agency secretariat.
New Zealand, alongside Australia, is one of the key funders of the Forum Fisheries Agency through International Development Cooperation.
The meetings conclude on 02 July…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – FISHERIES: FFA PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 30 Jun 2026
FFA DG hails South Pacific Group ahead of key fisheries meeting
WELLINGTON, 30 JUNE 202 (FFA) — Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Director-General Noan David Pakop welcomed Ministers of the South Pacific Group (SPG) Monday ahead of the 25th Forum Fisheries Committee (FFC) Ministerial Meeting in Wellington, New Zealand today.
Speaking during a breakfast meeting hosted by the Cook Islands High Commission in Wellington, Pakop commended the SPG’s leadership particularly in recent negotiations at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and securing the landmark South Pacific Albacore Management Procedure by the WCPFC in December 2025.
The breakfast meeting was attended by Cook Islands Minister for Marine Resources Tingika Elikana, SPG Chair and Tonga’s Minister for Fisheries, Viliami Sisifa, and Niue Special Envoy for Oceans and Fisheries, Mona Ainu’u.
The South Pacific Group (SPG) was established in 2023 as a sub-regional coalition within the FFA Membership, through an MOU to strengthen cooperation on the sustainable management and development of shared fisheries.
The SPG is made up of Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa and Tonga…. PACNEWS
FIJI – MARITIME SURVEILLENCE: FIJI GOVT PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 30 Jun 2026
Fiji and U.S Coast Guard strengthen maritime enforcement through joint shiprider operation
SUVA, 30 JUNE 2026 (FIJI GOVT) — A successful six-day joint maritime patrol between Fiji and the United States Coast Guard has strengthened efforts to protect Fiji’s waters from illegal fishing, smuggling and other illicit maritime activities.
The Shiprider Operation, conducted from 21 – 26 June 2026 aboard the U.S Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane, brought together officers from the Ministry of Fisheries, Republic of Fiji Navy, Fiji Police Force and Fiji Revenue and Customs Service to work alongside the U.S Coast Guard in safeguarding Fiji’s maritime resources.
The operation focused on Fiji’s eastern and southern maritime sectors, where seasonal movements of foreign fishing fleets and yachts are currently at their highest.
A total of 32 vessel boardings were conducted, with Fiji Revenue and Customs Service leading inspections of 26 pleasure crafts, while Ministry of Fisheries officers carried out compliance inspections and audits on six foreign fishing vessels to ensure adherence to fisheries regulations and conservation laws.
The Ministry of Fisheries was represented by two officers from its Offshore Fisheries Management Division as part of a seven-member Fijian interagency team comprising:
* Republic of Fiji Navy – 2 officers
* Fiji Police Force – 2 officers
* Fiji Revenue and Customs Service – 1 officer
* Ministry of Fisheries – 2 officers
The operation also demonstrated the value of modern technology, with Starlink satellite internet enabling boarding teams to maintain real-time communication with the Vuvale Maritime Essential Services Centre (VMESC), improving coordination, operational efficiency and safety throughout the patrol.
During the post-operation debrief, both countries identified opportunities to further strengthen future operations, including introducing specialised detection equipment and underwater Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs), updating joint Standard Operating Procedures, standardising tactical and protective equipment, and improving intelligence gathering through earlier access to vessel crew information.
The successful operation highlights the strong partnership between Fiji and the United States Coast Guard and reinforces the Ministry of Fisheries’ commitment to protecting Fiji’s fisheries resources through regional cooperation, effective enforcement and enhanced maritime security…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
How Small Island States can secure an affordable energy future
By Eric J.Lam
MANILA, 30 JUNE 2026 (ADB) — Small Island developing states are among the most vulnerable to climate impacts, including sea level rise, flooding, and extreme weather, despite contributing low global greenhouse gas emissions.
These island nations are also heavily reliant on costly imported fossil fuels to meet their energy needs. So, when we talk about energy transition in a Pacific context, it’s important to be clear about why this matters.
The ideal energy future for Pacific nations is one that sees growth in energy access to meet growing development needs. This means energy that is affordable as well as reliable. These goals can only be met through greater reliance on clean energy and less reliance on expensive fuel imports.
As remote island nations, these states face challenges in securing reliable and affordable energy as they remain highly dependent on importing fossil fuels, according to the 2025 Energy Transition Readiness Assessment.
Excluding Papua New Guinea, small island developing states spend more than US$1 billion annually on fossil fuels, representing nearly 80% of their total energy costs, the report states. Their economies are especially vulnerable to price and exchange rate volatility, with net fuel imports reaching an average of 6.8% of GDP in 2020.
As a result, these vulnerable states face increased costs of living for electricity, water, and other essential services. Energy access also varies widely: although electricity access averages 90%, clean cooking solutions lag at 50 percent.
Despite ambitious plans to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, many small island developing states face regulatory and institutional capacity constraints, hindering their ability to collect, analyze, and use data to advance their targets. This reduces their ability to create an enabling environment needed to attract and manage clean energy investments.
The deployment of renewables also comes with the challenges of e-waste. As remote island nations, the disposal of used solar panels and wind turbines can create a waste problem, given limited land area and recycling capabilities.
To keep up and ensure affordable energy supplies, small island developing states require substantial investments in their energy systems, including aging energy infrastructure, which is typically underdeveloped and exposed to extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and flooding.
There are acute challenges for grid stability. The lack of grid reliability, and distribution losses averaging 18% across the region, is a challenge in many areas due to inadequate maintenance and underinvestment, these factors ultimately worsen energy affordability and reliability.
However, a lack of financial resources to invest in sustainable and resilient energy infrastructure complicates the region’s energy transition. Moreover, small states are expected to face increasing loss and damage from severe and frequent weather events associated with rising global temperatures. Pacific countries, including Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, and Tonga, are the most vulnerable in the world when it comes to infrastructure vulnerability to climate impacts.
While the rapid adoption of renewable energy offers a promising path for small island developing states to secure their energy futures, a multifaceted approach is essential to scale up deployment effectively. This approach must ensure energy security and maintain an affordable, reliable energy supply.
Key strategies should include:
Strengthening Local Capacity and Institutional Support. Policymakers should prioritize investments in capacity-building initiatives that equip local stakeholders—including government agencies, utilities, and community organisations—with the skills and knowledge to manage renewable energy systems. This includes targeted training programs and structured knowledge-sharing platforms that foster collaboration across sectors. Enhancing institutional capacity also improves access to finance and supports the development of bankable renewable energy project pipelines.
Strengthening Regulatory Frameworks. Policymakers should strengthen institutional frameworks by enacting supportive policies and robust regulatory mechanisms that attract sustainable investment in the energy sector. These frameworks must uphold high environmental, social, and governance standards to ensure that renewable energy development aligns with long-term sustainability goals and community well-being. Prioritizing greater transparency in the energy sector will help to deepen markets for renewable energy by generating the data and knowledge that can better attract private capital and help governments better manage energy costs.
Building Energy Resilience in the Face of Extreme Weather. Prioritizing investments in resilient energy infrastructure designed to withstand extreme weather events and flooding is essential to reducing vulnerability and mitigating long-term risks. This includes supporting the development of decentralized energy systems to overcome issues surrounding integration of renewable energy sources at scale, land-use rights and availability of land, as well as end-of-life cycle for solar PV and wind turbines, including recycling capabilities and processes.
Leveraging Indigenous Knowledge for Resilient Solutions. Effective engagement and collaboration with indigenous communities can help identify sustainable solutions to meet energy and resilience needs. For instance, the Ngawha Geothermal Power Station in New Zealand was developed in close partnership with the Mātauranga Māori people, who brought deep-rooted cultural knowledge and environmental stewardship to the project. Their involvement went far beyond consultation. Māori leaders helped guide key decisions on site selection, water resource use, and environmental protection based on traditional values and land custodianship practices.
Small island developing states face a difficult path in pursuing their energy goals. Success will depend on more renewable energy, lower costly fossil fuel imports, and energy planning and systems that are resilient to extreme weather events. These activities are core not only to achieving climate goals, but also to the region’s continued development progress…. PACNEWS
𝐸𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝐽. 𝐿𝑎𝑚, is 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡, 𝐴𝐷𝐵, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑡𝑡 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑠, 𝐴𝐷𝐵 𝑉𝑖𝑐𝑒-𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐸𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝐴𝑠𝑖𝑎, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Navigating Uncertainty: Foresight and the Resilient Pacific
APIA, 30 JUNE 2026 (UNDP) — In an increasingly uncertain world, we must be ready for whatever currents may come. But readiness alone is not enough. Like our ancestors who mastered the art of wayfinding across the open Pacific, we must first be clear about where we want to go. And then, once we have set our course, we must learn to read the stars, the swells, and the winds, just as Polynesian navigators did, to guide us there.
This is the essence of UNDP’s recent online preparation session on foresight training — a session that drew upon the Polynesian voyaging spirit in a very deliberate way.
Co-organised with the Public Service Commission of the Government of Samoa, the training brought together policymakers from Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, and Tokelau as part of the lead-up to an in-person training scheduled for 14-15 July in Apia, which will in turn precede the Policy Dialogue on Governance for Resilient Futures on 16-17 July.
Foresight as a Pacific Practice
Pacific peoples have always navigated from a position of deep relational knowledge — not by satellite or radar, but by reading the world around them with intimacy and care. Foresight, in this sense, is not a foreign concept imposed from outside. It is a living extension of how Pacific communities have always prepared for change: with humility about what is unknown, and with collective wisdom about what endures.
In a world where polycrisis — the overlapping of multiple disruptions — is becoming the new normal, this kind of anticipatory thinking is not a luxury. It is a necessity. UNDP has supported governments around the world to embed foresight into their policymaking processes, and this series brings that work home to Polynesia.
What We Heard in the Webinar
This second preparation session focused on a particularly important element of foresight practice: mapping and influence. As our facilitator put it, foresight helps us move beyond both fear and uncritical adoption — the two extremes that often greet new ideas. Instead, it creates structured space to ask: what signals are already visible? What futures are possible? And how do we shape the conditions that bring about the futures we want?
UNDP and Public Service Commission of Samoa staff join forces to operationalise Governance for Resilient Futures
Tools like horizon scanning— covering Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, and Values dimensions — allow us to surface early signals of change even before they arrive at our shores. For our small island contexts, where official statistics sometimes miss what communities already know, foresight draws on participatory knowledge: the insights of elders, of youth, of those whose understanding of the place runs deeper than any dataset.
An insight from the session was that foresight does not require abundant data. The real barrier, as one participant observed, is rarely the absence of information — it is the absence of systems and incentives that prioritise long-term adaptive thinking over short-term delivery. Foresight helps surface these gaps and creates space for more robust, agile policymaking, even when data appears sparse.
Participants also reflected on a question that sits at the heart of Governance for Resilient Futures: how can foresight be embedded in government decision-making when policymakers and government officials are stretched? The answer offered was instructive — foresight will only take root if it helps decision-makers navigate the issues they already care about. Rather than creating a separate, standalone foresight function, the goal is to weave anticipatory thinking into existing cycles: budget preparations, national development plan reviews, sector strategies, and monitoring, evaluation and learning processes. This is precisely what this training series is designed to do — building internal capability so that foresight becomes a normal part of how policy is made, not an additional burden.
Building on What Already Exists
One of the most affirming discoveries of the session was that foresight thinking is already present in Pacific policymaking — whether in sector plans, in the Pathways for the Development of Samoa 2026–2031 (PDS2), or in the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Framework. The work ahead is not to replace these foundations but to give them the agile mindset we need: the capacity to anticipate disruption, respond to weak signals, and adapt national plans as conditions shift.
The first session drew on a case study of Samoa’s Workforce Plan 2040, exploring how it might be strengthened through a foresight lens. During today’s session, participants heard from voices in the new Ministry of Sport and Recreation. The Public Service Commissioner of Cook Islands offered perspectives that brought the conversation from the abstract to the concrete, and reminded the room that foresight, like all meaningful navigation, is most powerful when it is grounded in lived experience.
The Va’a is Being Prepared
To safely navigate the open seas of our future, we must utilise our va’a — our canoe — as a vessel that carries both inspiration and guidance from our past. The decisions being made now, about what kind of futures we want and what kind of leaders we are becoming, will echo for generations.
We are excited by the lively discussion that has already begun, and we look forward to carrying this momentum into the in-person Foresight Training on 13–14 July in Apia, followed by the Policy Dialogue on Governance and Resilient Futures on 16–17 July…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Commonwealth workshop strengthens public debt management in small island developing states
SUVA, 30 JUNE 2026 (COMSEC) — A Commonwealth workshop was held in Suva, Fiji, last week to help six Asian and Pacific small island developing states strengthen debt transparency, improve risk monitoring and build resilience against emerging fiscal pressures.
Held from 22 to 27 June 2026, the workshop brought together debt managers from Fiji, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga.
Over six days, participants received advanced training on the Commonwealth’s debt management system, Meridian. All six countries use the system to record, analyse and report on public debt.
Participants used Meridian to create tailored reports and monitoring dashboards that give governments a clearer picture of what they owe, what it costs and where risks may lie. With this clearer view, governments can improve debt transparency and assess debt costs and risks more effectively.
Using sample debt portfolios, participants learned to turn debt data into reliable, timely analysis that supports informed decisions on borrowing, repayments and the resources available for public investment.
Representatives from the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund also discussed frameworks for assessing and improving the quality of public debt statistics to strengthen reporting, transparency and accountability.
Dr Ruth Kattumuri, Senior Director of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Economic Development, Trade and Investment Directorate, said:
“Small island developing states are navigating rising uncertainty, from global economic shocks and geopolitical tensions to increasingly frequent climate-related disasters. These pressures can place severe strain on public finances and limit governments’ ability to invest in the opportunities and development needs of their people.
“Our workshop is equipping public debt managers from Asian and Pacific small island developing states to make better use of Commonwealth Meridian to turn debt data into reports and analysis that can guide government decisions.
“By strengthening understanding of debt costs and risks, and improving transparent reporting, small island developing states can be better placed to access development finance to build resilience and ensure public resources deliver the greatest possible benefit for their people.”
Participants said the workshop had deepened their understanding of Commonwealth Meridian and its role in supporting stronger public debt management.
Ali Homelo, Chief Manager, Financial Markets at the Central Bank of Solomon Islands, said the workshop had helped participants recognise how Meridian supports the full debt data lifecycle, from recording and analysis to reporting, risk monitoring and transparency.
He added: “The workshop has reinforced that accurate and transparent public debt data is not just a technical requirement; it is a prerequisite for good governance and effective debt policy management.”
Lessons from the workshop will help shape the forthcoming Commonwealth Horizon 2.0, a next-generation debt management tool, and a proposed Commonwealth Debt Managers Network, which will bring together countries that use Meridian for peer learning.
The workshop marks the end of the Commonwealth Year of Innovative, Sustainable and Resilient Debt Management declared by leaders at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The workshop is part of the Commonwealth Debt Management Programme, which was established in 1985 to provide countries with policy, legal and institutional support to manage public debt without compromising their development goals…. PACNEWS
