In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Pacific Elders warn against external influence in regional security
2. SOL — Australia chases next Pacific treaty after Fiji win
3. PACIFIC — Nuclear-capable missile fired into Pacific by China appears to have landed near Tuvalu
4. PACIFIC — Conroy doesn’t think Chinese test will deter Pacific security alliance
5. FIJI — China notified Fiji ahead of Pacific military training exercise
6. PACIFIC — China missile test sparks debate over Pacific security and what comes next
7. B/VILLE — ABG to host 35th National Senior Education Officers’ Conference in Bougainville
8. PNG — PNG’s Western Highlands Provincial governor warns of severe dry spell, urges immediate precautions
9. PACNEWS BIZ — PASO unveils first-ever service menu to strengthen Pacific Aviation safety
10. PACNEWS BIZ — UN maritime agency seeks release of 44 detained seafarers as food runs low
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — How Nauru (Naoero) earns and spends: Housing, food and the economics of everyday life
12. PACNEWS DIGEST — From AI to ‘killer robots’: UN chief issues urgent governance call
PAC – SECURITY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 07 Jul 2026
Pacific Elders warn against external influence in regional security
SUVA, 07 JULY 2026 (PACNEWS) — Pacific Elders have warned that growing geopolitical competition is reshaping the region and have called for Pacific security to remain firmly under the control of Pacific leaders, saying regional institutions must protect sovereignty, transparency and equal decision-making.
The Pacific Elders said peace in the region is broader than the absence of conflict.
“Pacific peace has never meant simply the absence of conflict. It is the presence of justice, dignity, respect and balance. It is the protection of our people, our ocean, our cultures and the inheritance we leave to future generations.
For Pacific peoples, peace is inseparable from sovereignty, stewardship, climate justice and our collective responsibility to one another,” the Elders said in a statement.
The Elders said Pacific regionalism has always been based on cooperation between sovereign nations.
“As Pacific Elders, we have witnessed the evolution of Pacific regionalism over many decades. We have seen our institutions at their strongest when they have upheld the equal sovereignty and self-determination of every Pacific nation, strengthened consensus, and placed the collective interests of our Blue Pacific above the competing interests of external powers. Pacific regionalism has never been about surrendering sovereignty. It has been about sovereign nations choosing to act together in pursuit of common purpose.”
The statement said the Pacific now faces an important turning point.
“Today we believe the region stands at an important crossroads.”
The Elders said they were concerned that the region’s vulnerabilities were increasingly being viewed as opportunities for external influence.
“Increasing geopolitical competition is reshaping the Pacific in ways that demand careful reflection. We are concerned that the vulnerabilities of our peoples, our exposure to climate change, economic dependence, geographic isolation and security challenges, are increasingly being treated as entry points for external influence, reframed as strategic opportunities rather than injustices requiring collective action. Rather than addressing their structural causes, these vulnerabilities are too often used to justify new forms of intervention and security cooperation.”
They warned that such an approach weakens Pacific sovereignty.
“When vulnerability becomes a pathway for external influence, sovereignty itself is diminished. This is not the vision upon which Pacific regionalism was founded. Our regional institutions were created to strengthen the equal sovereignty and self-determination of every Pacific nation through cooperation and shared purpose, not to create new pathways through which power is concentrated, or influence is exercised over the most vulnerable.”
The Elders reaffirmed the Pacific Islands Forum as the region’s principal decision-making body but said it must continue to evolve.
“The Pacific Islands Forum remains the proper home for collective regional decision-making, but its legitimacy must continually be renewed. Like all institutions, the Forum should continue to evolve to ensure that power is shared more equitably across the region, decision-making is transparent, and all members, regardless of size or geopolitical influence, participate as equal partners. The future of Pacific regionalism cannot be determined by Australia, New Zealand or the larger Pacific states alone. Every member of our Pacific family must have an equal voice in shaping our shared future.”
They said regional security governance must remain under the authority of Pacific political leaders.
“Security governance must remain firmly under the authority of Pacific Leaders and Ministers. Technical officials provide essential expertise, but they cannot replace political leadership or pre-empt the decisions of sovereign governments.”
The statement raised concerns over the role of the Joint Heads of Pacific Security.
“We are therefore concerned that bodies such as the Joint Heads of Pacific Security, comprising unelected officials and operating outside the formal Forum governance structure, risk becoming a parallel centre of regional security decision-making. Pacific security must remain genuinely Pacific-led, accountable to Pacific governments and people through institutions established by Pacific Leaders. This principle should guide the development of new regional security initiatives.”
The Elders said any future regional security architecture should operate through the Pacific Islands Forum.
“If regional security architecture is to be strengthened, it should do so through the Pacific Islands Forum itself. Just as the Forum’s economic governance is anchored through Leaders, Ministers, Officials and formal sub-committees, regional security should follow the same constitutional principle.
Any regional security mechanism should be formally located within Forum-agreed processes, supported by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and accountable to Leaders and Ministers. It should not develop as a stand-alone security structure whose authority is unclear or whose direction is shaped outside collective Pacific political oversight. Bodies such as the Joint Heads of Pacific Security should remain technical advisory mechanisms, not permanent pillars of Forum governance.”
The statement also questioned proposals for a Regional Operations Deployment Framework.
“We are concerned by proposals for a Regional Operations Deployment Framework, advanced under the banner of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief but extending to stability operations, election support and event security.
While any regional framework must ultimately be agreed by Pacific governments through Forum processes, we are concerned that key elements and drafting instructions are being developed before Leaders have determined the framework’s purpose, governance and accountability. The Boe Declaration calls for flexible and responsive regional architecture. It should not be interpreted as a mandate for a single standing deployment mechanism or for technical processes to run ahead of collective political oversight.”
The Elders also expressed concern about proposals for more centralised approaches to maritime security.
“We are equally concerned by proposals for increasingly centralised, intelligence-led and militarised approaches to regional maritime security, including Waqa Moana.
“Pacific cooperation against transnational crime is essential, but new initiatives must complement—not duplicate or displace—the decades of civilian-led regional cooperation established through the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement, the Forum Fisheries Agency, the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre and the region’s world-leading work on maritime domain awareness and combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
“These achievements should be strengthened, not overshadowed by approaches that centralise authority, duplicate existing systems, blur the distinction between civilian and military cooperation, or shift control away from Pacific-owned institution,” the statement said.
They also urged caution over proposals for a regional security treaty.
“Finally, we encourage careful reflection on proposals to further institutionalise or codify the region’s emerging security architecture, including through a regional security treaty. Such proposals must be understood in the context of the wider security agenda now developing across the region and alongside our existing legal framework.”
The Elders said the Treaty of Rarotonga should remain a cornerstone of Pacific peace.
“The Treaty of Rarotonga was hard won. It stands not simply as a legal instrument, nor as a foundation upon which new security arrangements can automatically be built, but as an enduring expression of Pacific values and our collective commitment to peace.
It should be strengthened, not repurposed or weakened through processes that inadvertently constrain Pacific sovereignty or embed security arrangements before their broader implications have been fully considered.”
The statement said regional peace must address the broader causes of insecurity.
“An Ocean of Peace cannot be built on a narrow security agenda.
Peace cannot be separated from climate justice or from the forces that produce insecurity in Pacific lives: climate change, fossil fuel dependence, extractive industries, militarisation, nuclear legacies, gendered violence and the denial of self-determination. These are the challenges that any genuine Pacific peace agenda must confront,” the statement said…. PACNEWS
SOL – DIPLOMACY: AAP PACNEWS 3: Tue 07 Jul 2026
Australia chases next Pacific treaty after Fiji win
HONIARA, 07 JULY 2026 (AAP) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seeking to finalise a security deal with the Solomon Islands within months, off the back of a major diplomatic win elsewhere in the Pacific.
The prime minister arrived in Honiara on Tuesday morning, receiving a red-carpet welcome as he was greeted by his Solomon Islands counterpart Matthew Wale.
The leaders held a brief bilateral meeting at the airport moments after Albanese touched down.
The prime minister told Wale there was “much more that we need to do together”, including the development of a comprehensive treaty.
“We will task our ministers to continue to do work on that and hopefully to conclude that by the end of the year,” he said.
Wale said he was extremely pleased to see Albanese so soon after his own visit to Canberra in early June.
“We have much to transact, so we look forward to great conversations,” he said.
Albanese will become the first foreign leader to address the Solomon Islands’ Independence Day celebrations.
He entered the national stadium alongside Wale and both were given floral garlands to wear.
The visit to the Solomons followed Australia signing a mutual defence alliance, known as the Ocean of Peace treaty, in Suva on Monday.
The alliance, which views an attack on one nation as an attack on the other, marks Fiji’s first mutual defence pact.
The Pacific island nation has become Australia’s fourth formal ally, joining the U.S, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
The treaty allows other Pacific nations to join the alliance.
Wale has previously called for a Pacific-wide pact.
The agreement was signed alongside the Vuvale Union, which includes $1 billion (US$690 million) in investment over the coming decade into key areas including climate and economic initiatives.
During a joint press conference with Albanese, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said he did not anticipate any “severe pushback” from China.
“I believe that they will welcome the understanding that it is within Australia and Fiji,” he told reporters.
“It does not threaten Fiji’s relationship with China nor Australia’s relationship with China.
“And as we have made it very clear in the past, your enemies are not necessarily my enemies.”
But China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning issued a frosty response on Monday evening.
“We do not engage in geopolitical rivalry or seek selfish political games.
“It is hoped that the country of concern will truly respect the independence of Pacific Island nations, focus on their sustainability, such as economic development, and avoid targeting any third party or harming the interest of any third party,’ she said…. PACNEWS
PAC – FIRED MISSILE: ABC PACIFIC PACNEWS 3: Tue 07 Jul 2026
Nuclear-capable missile fired into Pacific by China appears to have landed near Tuvalu
TAIPEI, 07 JULY 2026 (ABC PACIFIC) — The nuclear-capable missile that China test-fired from a submarine Monday flew over multiple Pacific nations and appears to have hit waters close to Tuvalu’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
China had called the launch “routine” but both Australia and New Zealand sharply criticised the missile test and labelled it “destabilising”.
Overnight, the head of Taiwan’s national security council, Joseph Wu, posted an image to social media that showed the missile arcing across Micronesia and Melanesia, before plunging into the ocean roughly 1,000 kilometres north-east of Solomon Islands.
Wu, who has long been a vocal critic of China, called the test “a provocation that destabilises the Indo-Pacific”.
“China just proved itself again to be a bully on the block,” he said.
Some Pacific officials have also expressed unease about the test to the ABC, but so far, no Pacific nations have issued any public statements criticising Beijing’s actions.
The ABC has been told the missile, which was armed with a dummy warhead, flew over the EEZs of at least three Pacific island states, including the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru and Kiribati.
It landed closest to the EEZs of the Pacific nations of Tuvalu and Kiribati, about 1,000km north-east of Solomon Islands, and seems to have hit the water near the border of Tuvalu’s EEZ, or potentially even just inside it.
Defence Minister Richard Marles would not be drawn on the missile’s trajectory, saying it “wasn’t particularly close to Australia” but that he would not “go into the detail”.
“I think it’s less about the precise point as it is about the capability here” he said.
“And I think that’s what people need to focus on. This is a very significant capability in terms of the range that’s been demonstrated and the means by which it’s been launched from a submarine.”
He also called the launch “very concerning and deeply destabilising”.
“This is a long-range missile which China itself has said would be nuclear-capable, which has been launched from a submarine, which also implies something in terms of extending China’s range to deploy nuclear weapons,”” he said.
“What we are about is trying to establish a peaceful Pacific, and what this is about is undermining that,” he said…. PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY/SECURITY: ABC PACIFIC PACNEWS 3: Tue 07 Jul 2026
Conroy doesn’t think Chinese test will deter Pacific security alliance
CANBERRRA, 07 JULY 2026 (ABC PACIFIC) — Pat Conroy says he doesn’t think the Chinese missile test in the Pacific Monday will deter other Pacific nations from joining a defence alliance.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a defence agreement with Fiji called the Ocean of Peace Alliance.
It leaves the door open for other Pacific nations with militaries to join the alliance.
Speaking to ABC Radio National Breakfast, the defence industry minister says he doesn’t think it will deter other nations from joining the alliance.
“This is something that can destabilise the region but doesn’t take away our efforts to implement what the Pacific leaders have called for, which is Pacific security that comes from within the Pacific,” Conroy said.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said China had been planning to test-fire a nuclear ballistic missile in the Pacific for some time.
He said China informed the Australian government about the test in advance but with “insufficient notice”.
“I think it’s more likely to be a coincidence rather than linked but that’s ultimately a question for the Chinese government,” Conroy said.
Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles says the Chinese missile test implies Beijing wants to extend where it deploys nuclear weapons.
Speaking to Channel Nine, Marles says the action by China undermines a peaceful Pacific.
“This is a long-range missile which China itself has said would be nuclear-capable, which has been launched from a submarine, which also implies something in terms of extending China’s range to deploy nuclear weapons. All of that is very concerning and deeply destabilising,” he said.
“What we are about is trying to establish a peaceful Pacific, and what this is about is undermining that.”
He said concerns were raised with the Chinese side in both Canberra and Beijing.
“We have directly expressed at a government level our concern about this test,” Marles said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – DIPLOMACY/SECURITY: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 3: Tue 07 Jul 2026
China notified Fiji ahead of Pacific military training exercise
SUVA, 07 JULY 2026 (FIJI TIMES) — The Government of the People’s Republic of China notified Fiji in advance of its military training activity conducted in the Pacific region on 6 July, assuring authorities that the exercise was routine and posed no threat to the region.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade said China had informed the Ministry that the activity formed part of a scheduled military training exercise.
According to the notification, the operation was not directed at any country in the Pacific and posed no security threat to the region.
The Ministry said Fiji remains firmly committed to its vision of the Pacific as an Ocean of Peace, where dialogue, transparency, mutual respect and adherence to international law are the foundation of regional security and prosperity.
It also reaffirmed Fiji’s support for the Rarotonga Treaty and said the country respects development cooperation undertaken within the Pacific region.
The Ministry added that it will continue to engage constructively with all partners to advance Fiji’s foreign policy priorities while supporting a peaceful, stable and secure Blue Pacific region…. PACNEWS
PAC – SECURITY: PMN PACNEWS 3: Tue 07 Jul 2026
China missile test sparks debate over Pacific security and what comes next
WELLINGTON/AUCKLAND, 07 JULY 2026 (PMN) — China’s long-range ballistic missile test into the Pacific this week has exposed sharply different views on how the region should respond.
Some say the launch demands a stronger response while others warn against overreacting as geopolitical competition intensifies across the region.
The debate comes as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits Solomon Islands on Tuesday for its Independence Day celebrations after signing a new defence agreement with Fiji on Monday, highlighting Canberra’s renewed focus on Pacific security.
While New Zealand and Australia have condemned the launch, three experts told Pacific Mornings the bigger question is what the island nations do next.
International law expert Professor Al Gillespie believes the launch marks a serious moment for the region.
“It’s very significant,” he said. “It undermines the idea that we’re an area of peace and sustainability.”
Although he said China’s actions were not illegal under international law if the missile travelled through international airspace and landed in international waters, Gillespie said legality was only part of the issue.
“Fundamentally what they did was not illegal. However, it was not friendly either.”
Gillespie said the launch should encourage Pacific countries to think beyond diplomatic protests and push for stronger regional rules.
“If we don’t want it, the next step is what law do you add to prohibit it?”
He suggested strengthening the South Pacific’s nuclear-free arrangements by adding a ban on missile testing by all countries, not just China.
“It can’t just be China that can’t test missiles in the Pacific. It would also be the United States.”
Defence analyst John Battersby agreed the launch was a clear show of China’s growing military reach but warned against treating it as an unexpected turning point.
“I think we probably need to stand back and not have an immediate reaction,” he said. “It’s not the first time that they’ve done a missile test in this area.”
Instead, Battersby said the launch was another reminder that the Pacific security environment is changing.
“This is just another example of how it’s doing it. We’ve had live firing exercises. We’ve had a missile test. So, to a certain extent, this is the new normal.”
Even so, he believes New Zealand and its partners cannot ignore what is happening.
“The world is not the way it was in the late 20th century. We’re in a new world now and we do need to wake up to it”
For Associate Professor Gordon Nanau from the University of Auckland, however, the biggest risk is that discussions about missiles, military partnerships and strategic competition overshadow the concerns of Pacific people themselves.
While regional leaders continue to navigate growing competition between major powers, he said everyday life remains the priority for most people across the islands.
“I think many people I would say in the Pacific hear about these geopolitical discussions. But for them, what is actually happening on the ground or the tangible things that affect their lives on the ground is much more important and critical to them.”
Nanau said Pacific countries have consistently made it clear they do not want their region caught between competing global powers.
“I think we do not want the Pacific to be a battleground for other interests.”
Instead, he said leaders should focus on strengthening regional cooperation and ensuring Pacific voices remain at the centre of decisions that affect the region.
“The important question to be asking is how do Pacific Islanders feel about this? I think that’s to me is a more critical discussion and a more critical question to be asking.”
China has defended the launch, saying the missile travelled through international airspace and landed in international waters, in line with international law.
Beijing also said it gave advance notice to countries along the flight path and described the test as routine military training that was not aimed at any specific country.
Chinese officials have argued that modernising the country’s strategic capabilities is a defensive measure and not a threat to Pacific nations.
The United States has also raised concerns over the launch, saying it was a test of an unarmed intercontinental-range ballistic missile launched from a submarine.
Washington said China’s growing nuclear capabilities were a concern for the region and called on Beijing to engage in arms control discussions and commit to regular notification arrangements for future launches.
But as governments weigh their next moves, the interviews with Al Gillepie, John Battersby and Gordon Nanau highlight a broader question facing the region: how Pacific nations can protect their security without allowing outside powers to define the region’s future or overshadow the priorities of the people who call it home…. PACNEWS
B/VILLE – EDUCATION MEET: ABG GOVT PACNEWS 3: Tue 07 Jul 2026
ABG to host 35th National Senior Education Officers’ Conference in Bougainville
BUKA, 07 JULY 2026 (ABG GOVT) — The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), through the Department of Education, will host the 35th National Senior Education Officers’ Conference (SEOC) in Bougainville from 11–18 July 2026.
ABG Secretary for Education, Dorothy Kenneth, confirmed that the conference will bring together approximately 200 senior education officials from Port Moresby and all twenty-one provinces.
“Bougainville will be playing host to the 35th Senior Education Officers’ Conference from 11-18 July 2026 and preparations are currently underway with support from the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the National Members of Parliament as well,” she said.
“In accepting to host the 2026 SEOC in our region, we aim to not just come and discuss policy matters but to showcase our culture and to enable them to appreciate the challenges that we face in terms of education in the region and also to enable them to come and experience how peaceful our region is.”
The 2026 conference will be held under the theme ‘Leading Quality Teaching and Learning through Partnership’, aligned with the National Education Calendar for 2026.
Kenneth explained that SEOC is an important education programme that is held each year to discuss current and new education policy initiatives and make important decisions on policy matters.
Participants will include Provincial Education Advisors, Provincial Education Planners from all twenty-one provinces, and the top management team of the National Department of Education, led by Acting National Minister for Education. Kinoka Feo and National Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra.
The Chairman of the Teachers Services Commission and the Director General of the Office of Libraries and Archives will also attend.
She also confirmed that the ABG Department of Education has gone ahead with preparations since November last year, working closely with a team from the National Department of Education, adding that a grounds committee has been set up headed by the ABG Deputy Education Secretary Mary Remi.
Kenneth also acknowledged church agencies in the region for working in partnership with the ABG Education to plan and host this major event.
The official opening of the conference will be on Monday 13 July at the Hutjena Sports oval in which sixty schools will be participating at the opening ceremony. The Conference proper will begin after lunch on Monday at Hutjena Secondary School Hall and continue to Thursday 16 July 2026.
School visits are scheduled for Friday 17July where 14 schools in Bougainville have been identified for the visits. The schools include Bougainville Technical College, Koromira Technical High School, Mabiri High School, Tinputz High School, Callan IERC Centre, Burunotui Vocational School, Siara Vocational School, Hahela Primary School, Hahalis Primary School, Lontis Primary School, Petatz Primary School, Saposa Primary School, St. Joseph The Worker Centre and Roha Early Childhood Centre.
Kenneth noted that safety considerations were raised by the National Department of Education in light of ongoing national parliamentary discussions on Bougainville’s political future.
She confirmed that assurances were provided at the highest level that education programmes will proceed without disruption.
“ABG President Ishmael Toroama gave the assurance that despite the political discussions in parliament, Education is one area where the National Government and ABG have common interest and cooperation in ensuring that there is continuity in the provision of Education and that discussions in parliament should not disrupt education programs in the region,” she said.
Secretary Kenneth thanked the ABG for supporting the Education Department to host this important conference and called on Bougainvilleans in the region to accord the best hospitality to the visitors in the Bougainville way.
“Bougainville is playing host to this delegation and I appeal to us all to accord them that Bougainville way so that they can feel safe and free while here and bring back with them some good Bougainville experience and memories,” she said…. PACNEWS
PNG – WEATHER WATCH: NBC PNG NEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 07 Jul 2026
PNG’s Western Highlands Provincial governor warns of severe dry spell, urges immediate precautions
PORT MORESBY, 07 JULY 2026 (NBC PNG NEWS) — The Western Highlands Provincial Government (WHPG) in Papua New Guinea is urging residents across the province to prepare immediately for an impending severe dry season.
Western Highlands Governor Wai Rapa stated that scientific forecasts indicate the current dry spell will worsen in the coming months, severely impacting food production, water supplies, and essential services.
“The information we have received shows this dry period will be very hard,” Rapa said.
“I appeal to everyone, whether you live in the villages or in town, to prepare now because it will affect all of us.”
Parts of the province are already feeling the early effects of the adverse weather. High-altitude areas, including Tambul, have recently experienced frost, a condition heavily associated with El Niño weather patterns.
He said during a recent helicopter flyover of the affected regions, he witnessed extensive damage to local food gardens.
The destruction in Tambul is particularly concerning, as the district is a primary supplier of fresh vegetables to the Mt Hagen Main Market.
“I have seen the damage myself,” he said. “Food gardens have already been hit, and I fear the situation will become worse in the coming months if the dry weather continues.”
Rapa said families must take proactive steps by storing water, protecting crops, and planning ahead as the provincial government cannot provide direct food and water relief to every household.
He revealed that no emergency funding was set aside for a disaster of this scale, as provincial funds have already been committed to ongoing government service delivery.
However, Rapa assured the public that his administration is actively seeking ways to mitigate the crisis and reduce the impact on communities.
The governor warned that a prolonged dry spell could trigger severe water shortages, food insecurity, spikes in water-borne illness, and widespread disruptions to schools and healthcare facilities.
Rapa urged communities to remain alert, cooperate, and take precautions before conditions deteriorate further…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – AVIATION: PASO PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 07 Jul 2026
PASO unveils first-ever service menu to strengthen Pacific Aviation safety
PORT VILA, 07 JULY 2026 (PASO) — The Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO) launched its inaugural Service Menu, a landmark publication that, for the first time, provides Member States with a clear and comprehensive catalogue of aviation safety, security, regulatory, and advisory services.
The Service Menu marks a major milestone in PASO’s evolution, offering a transparent guide to the organisation’s capabilities and enabling Member States to align services with their national priorities through tailored programmes and agreements.
Developed as both a reference and planning tool, the Service Menu is aligned with PASO’s Strategic Plan 2023–2032 and underpinned by the Comprehensive Oversight Implementation Framework (COIF).
This ensures services are delivered consistently, auditable, and in line with ICAO standards, strengthening oversight while promoting regional collaboration.
PASO General Manager, Ueta Solomona Jr, described the publication as one of the organisation’s most significant achievements since its establishment in 2005.
“For twenty years, PASO has supported Pacific States in strengthening aviation safety and security.
The Service Menu demonstrates our commitment to delivering the right support at the right time, while setting out our future direction as we continue to modernise and innovate.”
The Service Menu introduces three service streams designed to support Member States at every stage of their aviation oversight journey:
* Foundational Services — core regulatory oversight, ICAO compliance support, and legal/policy services.
* Additional Services — capacity building, aviation security support, and planning services.
* Strategic and Aspirational Services — regional initiatives and collaborative programmes for innovation and long-term development.
Established under the Pacific Islands Civil Aviation Safety and Security Treaty (PICASST), PASO is a member-owned regional organisation dedicated to delivering high-quality, cost-effective aviation oversight services. The Service Menu reflects PASO’s broader vision of empowering Member States to build sustainable aviation systems while progressively strengthening national capability.
The PASO Service Menu will be available from 06 July 2026 and will serve as the primary guide for Member States seeking to plan and access PASO services in support of their aviation safety, security, and regulatory objectives…. PACNEWS
UN – SEAFEARERS: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 07 Jul 2026
UN maritime agency seeks release of 44 detained seafarers as food runs low
NEW YORK, 07 JULY 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) — The UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) appealed on Monday for the urgent release of 44 seafarers held captive in Somali waters by pirates and armed robbers.
The regulator which works to ensure safety at sea has recorded 24 attempted and actual incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden region in the past three months – representing an alarming increase in threats against seafarers.
The 44 detained seafarers are being held aboard three vessels attacked in separate incidents occurring in April and May, according to IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez. They now face a shortage of food and water and the constant threat of violence, he added.
“These incidents are a stark reminder that the threat posed by piracy and armed robbery to seafarers has not receded and continues to warrant vigilance and support for coordinated action,” Dominguez said in an address to the IMO Council, which is meeting this week in London.
Alongside the increase in instances of piracy and armed robbery against vessels, the IMO warns that attackers are using increasingly dangerous weapons and escalating violence against innocent seafarers.
Globally, reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea increased by 17 per cent between 2024 and 2025, rising from 146 incidents to 171, according to the IMO.
In 2009, 22 coastal and island States in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, including Somalia, adopted the IMO’s Djibouti Code of Conduct, later expanded by the 2017 Jeddah Amendment, committing them to work together to combat piracy, armed robbery at sea and other transnational crimes.
Through its Red Sea Project, the IMO also works to strengthen the capacities of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen to enforce safe navigation for seafarers.
The IMO evacuated 2,500 seafarers from the Strait of Hormuz last month before being forced to suspend its operation on June 25 following an attack on a container ship in the Gulf of Oman.
The agency aims to evacuate 11,000 mariners in total stranded aboard 600 vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to continuing tensions over the U.S-Israeli war against Iran and subsequent counterstrikes from Tehran across the region, where a shaky ceasefire remains in effect.
At least 115 ships participated in the IMO’s successful evacuation. The agency is seeking renewed assurances from parties involved in the conflict before resuming evacuations.
Building on the IMO’s commitments to seafarers, Mr. Dominguez said the organisation would continue to work alongside flag states, coastal states, regional bodies and industry to secure the 44 detained seafarers’ release.
As threats increase, Dominguez urged shipowners and operators to take all necessary precautions to protect crews and conduct thorough risk assessments before transiting the region.
The IMO Council’s meeting this week in London includes an agenda item on the protection of vital shipping lanes, and Dominguez has requested Member States’ support in securing the detained seafarers’ release…. PACNEWS…. PACNEWS
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
How Nauru (Naoero) earns and spends: Housing, food and the economics of everyday life
YAREN, 07 JULY 2026 (SPC) — From housing costs to food on the table, new data offer a detailed snapshot of how households in Nauru (Naoero) earn, spend and live, and how choices are shaped by geography, prices and opportunity.
The Nauru Bureau of Statistics, with support from the Pacific Community (SPC), has released findings from the country’s 2024–25 household income and expenditure survey, providing nationally representative data on income, expenditure and consumption patterns.
Carried out over a full year, the survey—the third of its kind in Nauru (Naoero)—captures seasonal variation, offering a complete picture of household life.
“This survey gives us a clear picture of how households are managing their resources,” said Ramrakha Detenamo, Officer-in-charge at the Nauru Bureau of Statistics. “It helps us understand where costs fall and, for our planners and policymakers, where attention may be needed.”
Housing dominates spending, with food and eating out close behind
Average annual expenditure is around AUD$64,190(US$44,595) per household, with spending concentrated in a small number of categories:
*Housing accounts for 37 percent of total expenditure, driven largely by imputed rents, meaning the estimated value of living in a home that a household owns or occupies rent-free.
*Food and non-alcoholic beverages make up 23 percent of spending.
*Restaurants and hotels account for 14 percent, highlighting a significant reliance on food consumed away from home.
Except for housing, most spending (63 percent) is cash-based.
Income led by work
Average annual income is approximately AUD 69,830 per household:
*Employment income makes up the largest share (56 percent)
*Imputed rent contributes 29 percent
*Transfers, including pensions and social support, account for 6 percent.
Alongside the importance of paid employment, the figures point to the continued role of housing arrangements and non-cash resources in shaping living standards.
Young population, large households
The survey confirms Nauru (Naoero)’s youthful demographics and relatively large household sizes.
*Average household size: 5.8 people
*Median age: 21
* Dependency ratio: 68 dependants per 100 working-age people
Nearly half of households (46 percent) are engaged in activities like fishing, livestock or agriculture, reflecting a continued mix of cash and subsistence livelihoods.
Reliance on food staples and takeaway, limited diversity
On average, individuals consume about 2,800 kilocalories per day, with most energy coming from cereals, meals eaten away from home, and meat products.
Diets feature a strong reliance on rice and other cereal products, significant consumption of meat and processed foods, and a large contribution from food consumed away from home.
Fruit and vegetable intake remains low at around 40 grammes per person per day, well below levels recommended by the World Health Organisation. Dietary diversity is limited, with 20 food items making up nearly 90 percent of dietary energy consumption. Rice alone contributes more than one-fifth.
Two-thirds of dietary energy comes from foods classified as “to avoid or limit” under Pacific Guidelines for Healthy Living, aligned with World Health Organisation recommendations, including processed and high-fat products.
Moderate inequality
The survey estimates a moderate level of inequality. The lowest 20 percent of households receive about 10 percent of total income, while the top 20 percent account for around 40 percent.
As in most countries, poorer households spend a larger share of their income on food, while higher-income households allocate more to services and non-essential goods.
A foundation for policy
The survey provides a critical evidence base for national and regional planning, says Maria Musudroka, Manager of Methods and Processing with SPC’s Statistics for Development Division.
“Regular household income and expenditure surveys give us the ability to track change over time,” she explains.
“They are essential for making informed decisions about Nauru’s future, feeding directly into updates to inflation measures, national accounts and poverty estimates, as well as monitoring progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals,” she said…. PACNEWS
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From AI to ‘killer robots’: UN chief issues urgent governance call
GENEVA, 07 JULY 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) — UN chief António Guterres appealed on Monday for far-reaching, worldwide controls on Artificial Intelligence, as increasingly powerful AI chips that are designed for civilian use shift to the battlefield, where “killer robots” are already the norm.
Addressing the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, the Secretary-General also insisted on the need for greater accessibility for the billions of people unable to access the revolutionary tech.
He insisted that any future agreement must be “worthy of global trust” and put safety first – and especially children’s – to protect them from digitally-generated manipulation and abuse.
Echoing that call, the President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, urged collective action to counter the “sinister” side of AI, noting that a reported 99 per cent of deepfakes are sexual in nature and 96 per cent target women and girls.
Narrowing the digital gap
Other priorities for global checks and balances on AI should include locked-in access to the self-learning tech for developing countries, while all AI data centres should be powered by renewable energy by 2030, the UN chief stressed.
Although AI “sits at the heart of our common future”, it needs to be one where “machines can inform, but humans must decide, and answer”, Guterres told the summit gathered in Geneva, echoing calls for AI rules that he first made to the General Assembly in 2017.
In the three years since AI went mainstream, it has had a revolutionary impact across economies and societies, for better and for worse. Ahead of this, the UN has been leading international efforts to shape controls on the tech, culminating in Monday’s inaugural Global Dialogue on AI in Geneva.
The meeting brought together companies, researchers, technical experts, civil society and even classically trained composer-turned transmedia electronic artist Gadi Sassoon ahead of discussions on how to put humanity at the core of the transformative technology. A second Dialogue is scheduled for May 2027 in New York.
“AI is too consequential to be shaped by a few. We need a conversation that is global, inclusive and grounded in evidence,” insisted Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies.
From the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, co-chair Yoshua Bengio stressed that there are no signs that the speed at which the technology is developing will slow down. “Highly concerning tests have also shown that frontier AI models are capable of deceiving humans, to understand when they are being tested,” he added, forecasting that the intelligence of AI will continue to grow.
“It sounds like science fiction, but it’s a real possibility, and it could change the world in ways that we don’t understand yet, and it could change the power dynamics of our planet in ways that require our attention,” he said.
The AI regulation timeline
2017: In an early call for AI controls, Secretary-General Guterres hails the revolutionary tech’s “spectacular” potential. But he also warns the General Assembly of its potentially dramatic impact on jobs, global security and “the very fabric of societies”.
2023: UN chief’s High-Level Advisory Body on AI appeals for global governance of the self-learning tech.
2024: the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact provide the mandate for an AI governance model.
June 2026: UN Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence warns that AI could “cause catastrophic harm, either on its own or due to malicious users”, while the technology is “outpacing both scientific understanding and governments’ ability to adapt”.
6-7 July 2026: first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance and AI for Good Summit convene in Geneva. These “must now give the world direction” on how to proceed, Guterres insists.
‘Great equaliser’
Used well and shared widely, AI “could compress decades of development into years” and become “the great equalizer of the 21st century”, the UN Secretary-General told delegates.
But before this can happen, the technology should be tested thoroughly for safety and legal responsibility assigned:
“When countries align on how to test systems, measure risk and assign responsibility, safety travels with the technology,” he said. “When they do not, a patchwork of incompatible rules raises costs, divides the world – and protects no one.”
Children’s safety and wellbeing should be priority in any future governance accord, Guterres continued, as he called for nations to adopt an AI Child Safety Pledge.
“No child should be a guinea pig for unregulated AI…We do not let medicine reach a child until it is proven safe. We test every toy; yet AI has reached our children – their learning, their friendships, their most private questions, before anyone asked what it would do to them.”
What’s the Child Safety Pledge?
Under the UN child safety pledge, AI developers would need to prove:
*That the tech is safe – no company should deploy an AI system accessible to children without child-specific
safety testing and independent oversight;
*Zero tolerance for sexual abuse – no company should allow its AI to generate sexual images of children; every company must detect, report, and remove them;
*When a child shows signs of distress, “the system must stop and connect them to real human support”, the UN chief said. “When a child is harmed, the answer must never be “the algorithm did it,” the UN chief said.
Human rights a priority
As second priority on AI controls, the UN chief stressed that human rights are not negotiable.
“AI must never strip away dignity or entrench discrimination. And in every high-stakes decision – in justice, in healthcare, in policing – machines can inform, but humans must decide – and answer,” he said.
Public funding in AI ‘a rounding error’
In a call for greater public investment in AI, the Secretary-General noted that private funding for AI infrastructure is approximately US$500 trillion, while public support for AI capacity in developing countries remains “a rounding error”, by comparison.
To help close this gap, the UN chief announced that more than 20 countries had supported his initiative for a UN-supported Global Network for Exchange and Cooperation on AI Capacity Building.
“We cannot allow the digital divide to harden into an AI divide and the AI divide to become a development gap, a security gap, and a sovereignty gap,” he said.
Transparency call
The UN chief also reiterated his transparency call for every major AI company to measure and publicly disclose the full footprint of its systems: carbon, water and land – and to commit to power every data centre with renewable energy by 2030.
“AI may feel intangible – but its footprint is not,” he insisted, noting that data centres consume more electricity than most countries.
“By 2030, they could use more electricity than all but five nations – and enough water to meet the needs of all 1.3 billion people in sub-Saharan Africa for an entire year,” he added, highlighting the UN AI Environmental Transparency Initiative…. PACNEWS
