In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Pacific pushes regional Climate finance framework
2. PACIFIC — Pacific leaders join Hawaiʻi, California in climate resilience pact
3. FIJI — Court filings deepen Banaba mining dispute as trust fund questions grow
4. FIJI — Australia to help Fiji trace origin of washed-up drug parcels
5. NAOERO — Nauru to Naoero: Asserting sovereignty
6. FIJI — Fiji warned to brace for prolonged dry spell
7. PNG — Rainfall to drop 80-90percent below average, PNG weather office warns
8. USA — U.S Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, rejecting Trump’s proposed limits
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Chinese investments bring ‘10,000-plus’ jobs to PNG
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Cost of Services Report provides roadmap for stronger fiscal planning in Bougainville
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Strengthening collaboration for greater Pacific tuna value
12. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific Wave Makers gather in Vanuatu for climate innovation showcase
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — New WHO plan urges stronger action against fungal disease
PAC – CLIMATE CHANGE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Wed 01 Jul 2026
Pacific pushes regional Climate finance framework
SUVA, 01 JULY 2026 (PACNEWS) — Pacific Island countries are being encouraged to develop a Regional Pacific Climate Change Taxonomy to strengthen climate-responsive public financial management, improve transparency and accountability, and better align climate finance with national and regional priorities, according to a new information brief.
The report, Introduction to a Pacific Climate Change Taxonomy, is the first in a mini-series designed to build understanding and support the development of a regional framework for classifying climate-related investments across the Pacific.
It says the initiative draws on lessons from Pacific Island countries that have already begun similar reforms as part of broader public financial management strengthening efforts.
The brief says Pacific Island countries are facing increasing fiscal pressures, difficulties accessing and tracking climate finance, and the need to embed climate considerations across government financial management systems.
It states that a regional climate change taxonomy would improve transparency, accountability and decision-making by providing standardised systems for identifying and tracking climate-related spending and investments.
The report explains that a climate change taxonomy is a structured classification system used to identify and assess climate-related investments based on measurable criteria.
It says such taxonomies provide technical standards for determining eligibility, enable harmonised reporting and monitoring of climate finance, and serve as regulatory tools for classifying climate-related investments. It points to existing regional frameworks, including those developed by the European Union, ASEAN and Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to the report, a Pacific Climate Change Taxonomy (PCCT) would provide a structured framework for classifying and tracking climate-related fiscal and financial flows across both the public and private sectors.
It says the framework would support governments, development partners, oversight institutions and financial sector actors by improving transparency, accountability and alignment of expenditures and investments with national climate goals and international commitments.
The report says the proposed regional framework would not impose a single classification system on all Pacific Island countries but instead provide a common regional reference while allowing countries to adapt it to national priorities, institutional capacities, budget structures and public financial management systems.
It says the taxonomy would align with regional frameworks, including the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific, while allowing countries to align with Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans.
The report says the framework could later expand to include areas such as loss and damage and disaster risk reduction through a phased approach.
It says the taxonomy would improve comparability and transparency of climate finance flows, strengthen links between domestic budgeting systems and international climate finance mechanisms, and improve the capacity of Pacific economies to plan, allocate and monitor resources for resilient and sustainable development.
The brief says the proposed taxonomy would complement existing climate-responsive public financial management initiatives supported by organisations including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the UNDP Climate Finance Network.
It says the framework would provide a coherent regional classification system that could be integrated into budgeting and reporting systems while recognising the limited institutional capacity of many Pacific Island countries.
According to the report, the Pacific’s diverse budget systems and evolving climate tagging practices make a regional framework particularly important.
It says the taxonomy would improve consistency in climate expenditure classification, support regional reporting and transparency, and strengthen access to international climate finance by providing a practical bridge between global methodologies and Pacific public financial management systems.
The report notes that while some Pacific Island countries have begun developing their own climate change taxonomies, doing so independently can place additional pressure on limited institutional capacity.
It says the similarities in climate risks faced across the region, combined with shared implementation challenges, led the 2024 Forum Economic Ministers Meeting to recommend the development of a regional climate change taxonomy as one of its key outcomes.
According to the brief, a regional approach would strengthen transparency, regional benchmarking, engagement with development partners and private sector participation, while enabling faster implementation of climate-responsive public financial management reforms.
The report also highlights existing regional frameworks supporting the initiative, including the Pacific Island Countries 2025–2030 Climate Finance Access and Mobilisation Strategy, the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, the Pacific Resilience Partnership, the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific and the Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development.
It says these frameworks provide Pacific leaders with mechanisms for decision-making, coordination and prioritisation to ensure a Pacific climate change taxonomy contributes to resilient development across the region.
The report concludes that developing a Pacific Climate Change Taxonomy would strengthen climate-responsive public financial management by providing a standardised regional classification system that improves transparency, supports decision-making and enhances the mobilisation and use of climate finance.
It says future editions of the mini-series will examine the taxonomy’s design, technical components, country experiences and lessons learned to help Pacific Island countries prepare for its development and implementation…. PACNEWS
PAC – CLIMATE CHANGE: MAUI NOW PACNEWS 2: Wed 01 Jul 2026
Pacific leaders join Hawaiʻi, California in climate resilience pact
HONOLULU, 01 JULY 2026 (MAUI NOW) — Representatives from Hawaiʻi, California and five other Pacific jurisdictions wrapped up the inaugural Pacific Climate Summit last month with a joint pledge to deepen regional cooperation on climate adaptation and resilience.
Officials from California, Fiji, Guam, Hawaiʻi, Kiribati, Vanuatu and Weno took part in the three-day gathering in Honolulu, according to a news release from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The summit focused on shared climate challenges and sought to advance practical solutions for island nations and coastal states across the Asia-Pacific region.
“Across the Pacific, rising temperatures are driving more frequent and severe climate impacts, exposing communities to mounting climate-related hazards at great cost to households, communities, businesses, and public budgets,” according to a joint statement issued at the close of the summit.
“The jurisdictions recognise that strengthening regional adaptive capacity and resilience is vital to ensuring that the diverse communities, natural ecosystems, and built economies of the Pacific can continue to thrive despite the escalating challenges, shocks, and stresses of climate change and other environmental pressures.”
Ryan Kanakaʻole, DLNR’s acting chairperson, said climate change crosses borders and that the challenges facing Hawaiʻi are shared by its Pacific neighbors.
The partnership allows the jurisdictions to combine knowledge, Indigenous ecological wisdom and resources to protect coastlines, watersheds and communities “from ridge to reef,” he said.
“The Pacific region is at the frontline of climate change,” said Leah Laramee, Hawaiʻi State Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commissioncoordinator.
“We are incredibly proud to lock arms with our international Pacific family. This joint statement transitions us from isolated island strategies into a powerhouse of shared solutions for a safer, more resilient future.”
The summit did not include specific funding commitments or implementation timelines…. PACNEWS
FIJI – TRUST FUND: PMN PACNEWS 2: Wed 01 Jul 2026
Court filings deepen Banaba mining dispute as trust fund questions grow
SUVA, 01 JULY 2026 (PMN) — Court filings in Fiji have brought new clarity but also deeper dispute over proposed resource extraction on Banaba Island.
The latest legal evidence, seen by PMN News, shows conflicting accounts between community groups, the Rabi Administration, and the Office of the Fiji Prime Minister.
At the centre of the case is a proposal to restart pinnacle extraction on Banaba, the ancestral homeland of the Banaban people, which lies within Kiribati’s sovereign territory.
Banaba is a small island in western Kiribati that was heavily mined for phosphate during the colonial era, forcing many Banaban people to relocate to Fiji’s Rabi Island after the Second World War.
Although the High Court ruling in Fiji was delivered in December last year, the dispute has intensified in recent weeks as community groups challenge renewed discussions around resource extraction while the court-ordered audit records remain outstanding.
The Rabi District Council of Social Services (Rabi DCOSS) has strongly opposed the plan, saying it is being used to distract from long-running financial concerns linked to the Banaban Trust Fund.
The group says renewed discussions around mining have heightened concerns because court-ordered audit records relating to the Banaban Trust Fund have yet to be released.
In response, the Rabi Administration has told the High Court in Suva that no mining project has been finalised or executed, and that any proposal involving Australian company Centrex Limited has been paused.
Representing the Rabi Council of Leaders, lawyer Vinisoni Filipe told the court that the proposed project “had been placed on hold following objections” from the community to allow further consultation.
Rabi Administrator Iakoba Karutake has previously said exploring mining options was not an act of corruption but a way to assess possible income sources for the council.
He said earlier engagement with the mining company formed part of preliminary discussions.
He had also sought what he described as a “goodwill payment” from Centrex Limited to demonstrate commitment to the Banaban community.
But evidence filed by the Office of the Fiji Prime Minister, which oversees the Rabi Administrator’s appointment, states that there is no active agreement in place.
Filipe Bainimoli, a Senior Planning Officer, told the court that “there was no record of any executed agreement between the Rabi Administrator and Centrex Limited”.
The affidavit further noted that while a proposal was received in 2022, Fiji’s Department of Mineral Resources and Department of Environment requested further environmental information, which was never provided by the company.
It stated that “the matter did not proceed further”.
The competing legal positions come as Banaban leaders continue to debate how to address financial pressures facing the Banaban Trust Fund without reopening one of the Pacific’s most environmentally damaged islands.
The legal filings also highlight the limits of jurisdiction in the case of Banaba Island, which is located within Kiribati territory.
The High Court has previously ruled that matters relating to land and resource governance on Banaba fall under Kiribati’s jurisdiction, meaning Fiji’s courts cannot compel decisions on land use or resource extraction there.
Kiribati has not publicly commented on the dispute but has treated it as a matter for Fiji’s domestic governance while maintaining its sovereignty over Banaba.
Meanwhile, Rabi DCOSS has called for all mining discussions to be suspended until a full independent forensic audit of the Banaban Trust Fund is completed and made public.
“Our ancestral land on Banaba has already suffered more than a century of devastating phosphate mining that left our people displaced,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“To suggest destroying what remains of our pinnacle structures to cover up modern administrative corruption and missing public funds is an insult to our history and our survival.”
The Office of the Rabi Administrator has been contacted for comment on the allegations, the status of the mining proposal, and the delayed release of audit documents…. PACNEWS
FIJI – DRUGS FIGHT: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Wed 01 Jul 2026
Australia to help Fiji trace origin of washed-up drug parcels
SUVA, 01 JULY 2026 (FIJI SUN) — The Fiji Police Force is working with its Australian counterparts to forensically profile drug-filled parcels that have washed ashore in Fiji in an effort to identify their country of origin and strengthen investigations into the trafficking network behind the shipment.
Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu said the profiling was a critical part of the investigation after preliminary tests confirmed some of the seized parcels contained illicit drugs.
“It is already in custody in Suva. A few have tested positive,” he said.
Tudravu said the next step was to determine the origin of the drugs.
“What we are trying to do is send a sample to the Australian Federal Police laboratory. They have a database that can profile the samples and identify the source of where these parcels came from. That’s very important for us in terms of the investigation. Once we have that, we will investigate further.”
He said the Fiji Police Force was also working with Australian and New Zealand law enforcement counterparts based in South America to assist the investigation if the drugs were confirmed to have originated from that region.
Earlier this month, Police reported that more than 20 parcels had been recovered and transported to Suva, while another 35 parcels were found on Munia Island.
Police also confirmed that one parcel recovered in Kadavu and another in Beqa had tested positive for cocaine.
Meanwhile, the Republic of Fiji Military Forces Naval Division is maintaining an increased presence in the Lau Group as joint maritime operations continue to remove suspected illicit drugs from communities and strengthen surveillance across Fiji’s southern waters.
Fiji Navy Commander Captain Timoci Natuva said personnel would remain in the Lau Group for the next few days as part of a multi-agency operation involving the Fiji Police Force, Fiji Customs, Navy divers and the Hydrography Department.
Captain (Navy) Natuva said authorities had yet to determine the origin or intended destination of the drugs that have washed ashore in recent weeks. However, the immediate priority was to remove them from communities and gather intelligence.
“The aim of our operation is to remove the drugs from the communities, raise awareness and gather any information residents may have on the ground,” he said.
He said tackling maritime drug trafficking required a coordinated response involving security agencies and coastal communities.
“It requires a coordinated effort between various maritime security agencies and also working with the communities.”
Captain Natuva acknowledged concerns over the continued discovery of drugs across the islands but said agencies were responding with the resources currently available.
He said the Navy’s newly acquired patrol boats would significantly improve its ability to monitor Fiji’s vast maritime borders.
The vessels are faster, require smaller crews, can operate in shallow waters and are equipped with advanced navigation systems, allowing quicker responses to incidents ranging from drug interdiction to search and rescue operations.
Captain Natuva said recent patrols in Lau focused on verifying visiting yachts alongside Fiji Customs and Ministry of Fisheries officers while strengthening the Navy’s presence in remote waters.
He also welcomed ongoing support from international partners, including Australia, Japan and the United States, saying the assistance had strengthened Fiji’s maritime surveillance capability.
Delivering a warning to those using Fiji’s waters for drug trafficking, Captain Natuva said security agencies would remain committed to disrupting illegal activity.
“We will continue to work with our partners to deter this,” he said…. PACNEWS
NAOERO – COUNTRY NAME CHANGE: PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS 2: Wed 01 Jul 2026
Nauru to Naoero: Asserting sovereignty
YAREN, 01 JULY 2206 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — In a move that blends identity, history and a quiet assertion of sovereignty, Nauru has announced plans to hold a referendum to formally adopt “Naoero,” reviving the island’s indigenous name and reshaping how the Pacific nation presents itself to the world.
After Nauru’s parliament passed the proposal unopposed, the island nation of 13,000 people will vote in a referendum on whether to make the change official. The decision, confirmed by government officials following weeks of parliamentary debate and community consultation, is being described locally as less of a break and more of a return.
For many Nauruans, “Naoero” is not new; it is the name that has always lingered beneath the surface, spoken in homes, remembered in oral traditions and carried in language long before colonial charts labeled the island “Nauru.”
Historians note that Naoero has deep linguistic roots in the Nauruan language, though its meaning is often interpreted as home, land, or belonging.
In 1798, Nauru was christened “Pleasant Island” when sighted by a British seafarer, who was struck by its beauty and the generosity of its inhabitants. After Germany annexed the island in 1888 in its Pacific expeditions, the name “Nauru” entered official records.
Other variants, such as “Nawodo” and “Navoda Onawero,” were also used. When Australia took over primary administration of the island nation under a League of Nations mandate in 1919, it maintained the “Nauru” spelling, which the island nation also retained following independence in 1968.
The announcement comes at a time when Pacific nations– as well as emerging economies – are increasingly reclaiming indigenous identities, languages, and place names, often sidelined during colonial administration.
New Zealand attempted to change its name to Aotearoa via a petition, which gathered more than 70,000 signatures. The Cook Islands, formerly known as the Hervey Islands, has similarly agonized over dropping the name of the British explorer James Cook. The Federated States of Micronesia adopted the name “Chuuk” instead of “Truk.”
Nauru’s shift, therefore, aligns with regional and global reckoning, quiet but very deliberate. Similar initiatives have recently emerged across Europe. The Czech Republic is now Czechia, Slavophilizing the name; Turkey is now Turkiye, as it is in Turkish; and Moldavia and Byelorussia became Moldova and Belarus following the collapse of the USSR.
For a country often known internationally for its phosphate history and, more recently, its role in Australia’s offshore processing policy, the change to Naoero signals a recalibration of the narrative. Officials say it is an attempt to shift global perception beyond the island’s economic past and geopolitical associations, toward a more grounded cultural and sovereign identity.
Yet there are practical considerations. Government agencies are now preparing for a staged transition, from updating official documents and signage to notifying international bodies such as the United Nations and regional partners. The shift will also extend to passports, currency notes, and domains, though officials have confirmed the country’s ISO codes will remain unchanged for the time being.
Tourism operators and business owners have expressed cautious optimism. While some anticipate initial confusion among visitors, others see an opportunity.
The international response has been measured but respectful. Regional leaders from the Pacific Islands Forum have acknowledged the decision, with several issuing congratulatory statements emphasizing cultural preservation and self-determination.
For everyday Nauruans, however, the shift feels less procedural and more personal…. PACNEWS
FIJI – WEATHER WATCH: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 2: Wed 01 Jul 2026
Fiji warned to brace for prolonged dry spell
NADI, 01 JULY 2026 (FIJI TIMES) — Fiji is expected to experience significantly drier-than-normal conditions through the end of the year as a strengthening El Niño event continues to develop across the tropical Pacific.
In its latest Climate Outlook for July to December 2026, the Fiji Meteorological Service says the current El Niño is expected to strengthen further and is likely to remain in place through the remainder of 2026.
“El Niño is currently underway and is strengthening across the tropical Pacific Ocean.”
The outlook indicates that rainfall across Fiji is likely to be normal or below normal in July, before becoming below normal across the country from July through September.
The dry conditions are forecast to persist into the final quarter of the year, with below normal rainfall expected across the Fiji Group, including Rotuma, from October to December.
The Meteorological Service says the outlook is consistent with the typical impacts of an El Niño event.
“El Niño conditions are generally associated with below normal rainfall in Fiji, especially during the Dry Season.”
Despite the drier outlook, temperatures are expected to remain largely near normal across Fiji between July and September, while Rotuma is likely to experience above-normal maximum and minimum temperatures.
Forecasters have cautioned, however, that every El Niño event behaves differently.
“No two El Niño events are the same. Consequently, rainfall and temperature impacts may vary from one El Niño event to another.”
The outlook signals an increased risk of prolonged dry conditions across much of the country in the coming months, underscoring the need for close monitoring of water resources, agriculture and fire risk as Fiji moves deeper into the dry season…. PACNEWS
PNG – WEATHER WATCH: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 2: Wed 01 Jul 2026
Rainfall to drop 80-90percent below average, PNG weather office warns
PORT MORESBY, 01 JULY 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — EL Nino will tend to bring less rainfall than it usually does, says Papua New Guinea National Weather Service (NWS) director Kasis Inape.
Inape said this did not mean there would be no rain at all; it means the chances of rainfall happening will be drastically reduced resulting several months without rainfall and only few days with rainfall.
He said the extended period of no rain days as opposed to a few rain days would lead to drought, hence the association with the El Nino-induced period of dry weather.
“Rain can also be produced due to prevailing environmental conditions such as orographic lift due to mountains and sea breeze effects. These are localised effects,” Inape said.
“The next three-month outlook looks pretty dry for much of the country, with most areas expected to receive below average rainfall (80-90 percent below average).”
He said during El Nino, there was an increased risk of tropical cyclone development.
“However, since the heat that drives the systems had moved eastwards, away from PNG waters, tropical cyclones would not be a concern for the country.”
He added that places like the Ok Tedi mine in Western and the National Capital District would be impacted with water levels expectedly dropping in the Fly River and Sirinumu dam in Sogeri as a result of the lower than normal rainfall over an extended period.
“Water levels will drop, but there won’t be changes in temperature,” he added.
“El Nino is different from the usual dry season. While the dry season is only for six months, El Niño is for an extended period of nine months or more of low rainfall.
“During the normal dry season, the country will experience heavy rainfall events, however during El Nino events, heavy rainfall events such as thunderstorms will be drastically reduced to only isolated showers or patches of rain,” said Inape…. PACNEWS
USA – BITHRIGHT/COURTS: AP PACNEWS 2: Wed 01 Jul 2026
U.S Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, rejecting Trump’s proposed limits
WASHINGTON, 01 JULY 2026 (AP) — A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a broad conception of birthright citizenship, rejecting President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring that children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.
By a 6-3 vote, the court struck down Trump’s order. A bare majority of five justices, in an opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, held that the long-settled understanding of the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War, makes a citizen of anyone born in the country, with very limited exceptions,
“Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights—to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land,’” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court, citing congressional debate over the amendment, “We keep that promise today.”
A sixth justice, Brett Kavanaugh, disagreed about the constitutional ruling, but pointed to a federal law that he said broadly conveys birthright citizenship.
Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas would have upheld Trump’s proposed restrictions.
“The Court today takes the extraordinary step of holding facially unconstitutional the President’s Order excluding from citizenship the children of foreign temporary visitors and illegal aliens,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a 91-page dissent, more than three times as long as Roberts’ opinion.
“In doing so, the Court adds to the sad history of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was designed and understood to secure equal rights for the freed blacks but has instead been repurposed for political projects that the Reconstruction Congress did not support.”
The Republican president’s restrictions had been blocked by several lower courts and had not taken effect anywhere in the U.S.
Trump said the decision was “too bad for our Country” and wrongly suggested that Congress could “easily” address it with legislation. The majority decision rests on constitutional grounds. It would take an amendment to overcome the decision.
During arguments in April, both conservative and liberal justices questioned the order’s legality in a momentous case that was magnified by Trump’s unprecedented attendance in the courtroom.
The case framed another test of Trump’s assertions of executive power that defy long-standing precedent for a court with a conservative majority and a robust view of presidential power that has largely ruled in his favor. In the notable exceptions when the court has not, Trump has responded with starkly personal criticisms of the justices.
The justices ruled on Trump’s appeal of a lower-court ruling from New Hampshire that struck down the citizenship restrictions.
The birthright citizenship order, which Trump signed on the first day of his second term, is part of his administration’s broad immigration crackdown.
Birthright citizenship was the first Trump immigration-related policy to reach the court for a final ruling. The justices previously struck down global tariffs Trump had imposed under an emergency powers law that had never been used that way.
Trump reacted furiously to the late February tariffs decision, saying he was ashamed of the justices who ruled against him and calling them unpatriotic.
He also seemed to recognise the court was likely to rule against him on birthright citizenship, too, using his Truth Social platform to criticise “dumb judges and justices” and wealthy pregnant women from China and elsewhere who come to the U.S to give birth so their newborns will have American citizenship.
Trump’s order would have upended widely held views that the 14th Amendment confers citizenship on everyone born in the U.S, excluding only the children of foreign diplomats and those born to a foreign occupying force.
The amendment was intended to ensure that Black people, including former slaves, had citizenship, though the Citizenship Clause is written more broadly. “All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside,” it reads.
In a series of decisions, lower courts have struck down Trump’s executive order as illegal. The decisions have invoked the high court’s 1898 ruling in Wong Kim Ark, which held that the U.S-born child of Chinese nationals was a citizen.
Roberts, joined by Justice Amy Coney Barrett and the three liberal justices, said the amendment’s language, the historical context and the 1898 case make clear that children born to parents illegally or temporarily in the U.S “are citizens at birth.”
But there was only a bare majority of five justices on the constitutional question.
Kavanaugh sided with the majority because of a federal law that makes those children citizens. But he joined the dissenters in finding that Trump’s order does not violate the Constitution. His view would enable a future Congress to change the law to restrict birthright citizenship.
The Trump administration had argued that the common view of citizenship is wrong, asserting that children of noncitizens are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and therefore are not entitled to citizenship.
More than one-quarter of a million babies born in the U.S each year would have been affected by the executive order, according to research by the Migration Policy Institute and Pennsylvania State University’s Population Research Institute.
While Trump has largely focused on illegal immigration in his rhetoric and actions, the birthright citizenship restrictions also would have applied to people who are legally in the United States, including students and applicants for green cards, or permanent resident status…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PNG – EMPLOYMENT: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 01 Jul 2026
Chinese investments bring ‘10,000-plus’ jobs to PNG
PORT MORESBY, 01 JULY 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — The continuing investment by Chinese companies in the country has resulted in more than 10,000 jobs created for locals, according to Chinese Ambassador Yang Xiaoguang.
“An increasing number of Chinese enterprises are investing and operating in PNG, covering a wide range of fields including infrastructure, energy, minerals, electricity, telecommunications, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, wholesale and retail,” he said.
“Chinese businesses have invested in and constructed projects such as the Edevu hydropower and the Napa Napa solar power project.
“The Noble Centre, built with investment from a Chinese firm, is the tallest building in the Pacific.
“These companies have directly employed more than 10,000 PNG staff and the number of indirect jobs created are much more.
“(They) are committed to conducting business with integrity and in compliance with the law, and actively give back to society, making significant contributions to PNG’s economic and social development.”
Yang said the recent China-PNG business roundtable held in Guangdong brought together representatives from more than 250 companies in the two countries was a success.
It followed by the signing of the framework agreement on enhanced economic partnership by China’s minister for commerce Wang Wentao and International Trade and Investment Minister Richard Maru last month.
“In recent years, annual bilateral trade volume has remained at around US$4 billion (about K17.6 billion), with PNG consistently maintaining a substantial trade surplus,” Yang added.
“The year is only halfway through, and I believe the exchanges and cooperation between China and PNG will be even more remarkable in the second half as we are ready to strengthen our economic and trade links.”
Yang said that China was ready to welcome Prime Minister James Marape and his delegation when they attend the Apec economic leaders’ meeting in November…. PACNEWS
B/VILLE – ADMINSTRATION COST: ABG GOVT PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 01 Jul 2026
Cost of Services Report provides roadmap for stronger fiscal planning in Bougainville
BUKA, 01 JULY 2026 (ABG GOVT) — The Autonomous Bougainville Government’s (ABG) newly launched From Here to There: Cost of Services Report provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of the cost of administering government and delivering public services across Bougainville, establishing a stronger evidence base for future fiscal planning and policy decisions.
Secretary for Finance and Treasury Joshua Tauko said the report goes beyond financial estimates, capturing the practical realities of delivering services across Bougainville’s diverse geography and the varying costs of access.
“The report is about more than numbers. It reflects the realities of delivering services across long distances, difficult terrain, scattered communities, islands and varying costs of access,” Tauko said.
He said the study provides the ABG and the National Government with a shared evidence base to better align government functions, financial resources and administrative responsibilities as Bougainville assumes greater responsibilities.
“Behind every figure are people and services,” Tauko said.
“The report represents the health workers, teachers, police officers and public servants who rely on adequate funding to deliver essential services to our people.”
Tauko said the study gives the ABG a clearer understanding of the full cost of government administration and service delivery.
While some expenditure is already reflected in the ABG budget, other costs continue to be carried by National Government agencies that still support services in Bougainville.
He said Bougainville operates within a unique constitutional and peace-building framework, supported by its own fiscal arrangements, revenue powers and evolving responsibilities.
As additional powers continue to be transferred, he said funding discussions must accurately reflect the functions already undertaken by the ABG, those still delivered nationally and the institutional capacity required to sustain effective service delivery.
“The task ahead is shared. We must work constructively with the National Government to align functions, resources and responsibilities. At the same time, we must strengthen Bougainville’s own revenue base, financial discipline and institutional capacity. This report provides a stronger foundation for greater fiscal self-reliance,” he said.
Tauko acknowledged the Department of Prime Minister and NEC, the National Department of Treasury, the National Coordination Office for Bougainville Affairs, ABG departments and agencies, development partners, and the officers and communities whose contributions made the study possible…. PACNEWS
PAC – FISHERIES: FFA PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 01 Jul 2026
Strengthening collaboration for greater Pacific tuna value
WELLINGTON, 01 JULY 2026 (FFA) — Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Director General Noan David Pakop and the Chief Executive Officer of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement Office (PNAO) Dr Sangaalofa (Sangaa) Clark have signed an Addendum to their current Memorandum of Understanding, strengthening their partnership under the East New Britain Initiative (ENBi).
The agreement sets out how FFA and PNAO will work more closely to help Pacific Island countries gain greater value from their tuna resources.
Together, the two organisations will coordinate technical support, share expertise, strengthen monitoring and reporting, and support Member-led opportunities that grow Pacific fisheries businesses.
Under the partnership, FFA will continue to coordinate the regional implementation of ENBi, while PNAO will provide technical and operational support, including work to improve tuna traceability and increase value from Pacific tuna.
The signing took place on the margins of the 25th Annual Forum Fisheries Committee (FFC) Ministerial Meeting in Wellington, New Zealand…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific Wave Makers gather in Vanuatu for climate innovation showcase
PORT VILA, 01 JULY 2026 (SPREP) — The stage is set for the inaugural Pacific Innovation Forum on Climate and Environment (PIFCE) in Vanuatu, after months of hard work and preparations.
Starting today, Port Vila becomes the hub of climate and environment innovation, igniting a wave of action for climate resilience in the Pacific region, and around the world.
Government Ministers, officials, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, private sector leaders, and academic institutions from across the Pacific are in Vanuatu as active drivers of change in addressing global climate and environmental challenges.
PIFCE was originally fostered through a proposal developed jointly by Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change, and the Vanuatu-based charitable association V-Lab, reflecting a shared vision to create a Pacific-led platform for innovation and climate action.
“Vanuatu welcomes everyone to Port Vila,” said Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change Vanuatu. “I know that the Government and the people of Vanuatu are spearheading some of the best innovations in climate and environmental solutions across the region and around the world and we would like to share these with the world and have them showcased at this event.”
Amongst the delegates in Port Vila are representatives from six Pacific national universities, demonstrating the region’s growing commitment to nurturing home-grown innovation and research that strengthens climate resilience and environmental restoration.
The students from the Tonga National University, National University of Samoa, Papua New Guinea University, PNG University of Technology, Solomon Islands National University and the National University of Vanuatu are undertaking research and innovation projects that respond to their homes pressing climate and environmental challenges.
Their fields of studies reflect a shared vision of developing practical innovative solutions to climate and environmental challenges.
“Through PIFCE 2026, I hope to further develop this innovation and heighten my understanding of the importance of emerging technologies, whilst collaborating with like-minded young innovators and experts across Regional institutions,” said Lagi Schmidt of Samoa.
The impacts of the climate crisis are not lost on Philip Bero, of the Solomon Islands.
“I am eager to assess how indigenous innovations complement modern approaches to weather prediction and resilience,” he said.
Freddy Amos Lakera, of the University of Papua New Guinea, said he looks forward to exchanging knowledge with Pacific innovators and policymakers, building collaborations, and contributing to region-wide solutions.
“I am motivated by the need to generate locally grounded, empirical evidence that moves PNG beyond conceptual assessments towards scalable waste-to-energy implementation.”
The student’s participation is coordinated and supported by SPREP.
SPREP Director Climate Change Resilience, Tagaloa Cooper said the initiative demonstrates SPREP’s commitment to translating science into services through applied research, while advancing the PCCC Research Roadmap’s objective of nurturing and elevating Pacific scholars to lead regional climate innovation.
“SPREP’s mandate is to promote cooperation in the Pacific region and provide assistance to protect and improve our environment and we see innovation as key to fulfill this mandate,” she said.
“These students are more than emerging leaders; they are the Pacific’s Wave Makers: a new generation of innovators whose ideas have the power to create lasting ripples of change across the region.”
Throughout the Forum, university delegation will actively participate in a range of events that showcase both leadership and innovation.
In preparation for PIFCE, students have grouped to participate in the ClimateTech Hackathon, where student teams discussed and develop ideas of innovative solutions to regional climate change challenges to be pitched at the PIFCE. They also gathered at the National University of Vanuatu for an informal talanoa session to share knowledge, experience and respective research topic.
They joined the National Environment Day Clean-Up Campaign, demonstrating their commitment to environmental stewardship through collective action. They will also present their research through an Innovation Poster Showcase, allowing delegates to explore the breadth of Pacific-led research and engage directly with the student innovators.
The student’s participation at PIFCE 2026 is funded by the Government of Australia.
The inaugural Pacific Innovation Forum on Climate and Environment (PIFCE) is held in Port Vila, Vanuatu from 1–3 July 2026.
Attended by government Ministers, officials, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, private sector leaders, and academic institutions from across the Pacific, PIFCE is an initiative of the Government of Vanuatu.
It is co-organised by the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) hosted at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and V-Lab Vanuatu.
It is supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, British High Commission Port Vila and the United Kingdom Development from the UK Government….PACNEWS
To find out more, visit: https://pcccinnovation.com/pifce2026/
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
New WHO plan urges stronger action against fungal disease
GENEVA, 01 JULY 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) — The new Blueprint for strengthening responses to fungal disease and antifungal resistance, issued on Tuesday, sets out practical steps to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment and surveillance.
Fungal diseases affect more than 300 million people each year and are associated with high mortality, long-term illness and major losses in health and productivity worldwide.
Growing global threat
They range from common conditions such as ringworm and nail infections to severe invasive diseases that can be deadly, especially for people with weakened immune systems, those receiving intensive care, people living with HIV, transplant recipients and cancer patients.
Meanwhile, antifungal resistance is a growing threat, driven in part by the widespread use of antifungal medications and their analogues across human, animal and plant health, as well as environmental exposure to antifungal chemicals.
Despite this toll, WHO said fungal diseases are often missing from national health treatment policies, global burden-of-disease estimates and most strategies on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), universal health coverage and One Health – the UN agency’s initiative for action across human, animal, plant and environmental health.
‘A concrete path forward’
The blueprint comes roughly a month after WHO’s decision-making body, the World Health Assembly, adopted an updated Global Action Plan on AMR which occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites evolve and become resistant to the drugs designed to kill them, making infections harder to treat.
It remains one of the top global health and development threats.
“The Updated Global Action Plan on AMR approved by the 79th World Health Assembly recognised that antifungal resistance is an integral part of the AMR challenge – and one we can no longer afford to overlook,” said Dr Jean Pierre Nyemazi, interim Director of WHO’s Department of Antimicrobial Resistance.
He added that the Blueprint “gives countries a concrete path forward.”
Addressing critical gaps
The Blueprint builds on WHO’s first Fungal Priority Pathogens List, published in 2022, which identified 19 fungal pathogens or pathogen groups requiring urgent research, development and public health action.
It was developed through a multi-stage process and consultations with more than 150 experts from all WHO regions, including specialists in clinical mycology, diagnostics, stewardship, surveillance, regulatory policy, public health and patient advocacy.
The aim is to help countries address critical gaps in knowledge, diagnosis, treatment, surveillance, research, and workforce capacities, particularly in low-resource settings.
Practical framework for response
The WHO blueprint prioritises interventions around four interlinked domains, providing a framework for implementation:
*Domain 1 focuses on public health and health systems, including strengthening awareness and readiness, antifungal stewardship programmes, workforce training, and infection prevention and control.
*Domain 2 concerns expanding equitable access to quality-assured antifungal medicines and diagnostics, while supporting research, innovation, and market.
*Domain 3 prioritises strengthening laboratory systems and surveillance to support clinical management, inform public health decision-making and enhance outbreak preparedness
Domain 4 addresses social and environmental drivers, including agricultural, environmental and One Health factors that can contribute to fungal disease epidemiology and antifungal resistance.
“Fungal disease and antifungal resistance remain an under addressed priority across national health plans, AMR strategies, and surveillance systems.
“This blueprint provides countries with a practical framework to strengthen their response,” said Hatim Sati, Technical Officer in WHO’s Department of Antimicrobial Resistance, who led the development of the guidance…PACNEWS
