In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Pacific voices condemn U.S plan for offshore mineral extraction off American Samoa
2. PACIFIC — Quiet change to Nauru’s policing laws could impact NZYQ legal challenges
3. PACIFIC — Exercise Pitch Black officially takes off
4. COOKS — Cook Islands on alert after H5N1 bird flu detected in New Zealand
5. PACIFIC — New report warns mining could release unregulated radioactivity
6. FIJI — Fiji urged to adapt as peacekeeping threats evolve
7. FIJI — FICAC amend charges against Fiji former Deputy PM Kamikamica
8. FIJI — Drug raids under scrutiny
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Samoa’s PM begins official NZ visit to seasonal workers
10. PACNEWS BIZ — ‘Where America’s victory at sea begins:’ Navy officials highlight Guam’s undersea power amid China’s renewed threat
11. PACNEWS BIZ — Airline resumes flights to Japan, now twice a week
12. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — The fault line of Pacific security: Climate-driven land loss triggers regional crisis
13. PACNEWS DIGEST — Melanesian nations announce intention to create massive ocean reserve corridor
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — The Pacific’s Stake in Shaping AI’s Future
PACIFIC – DEEP SEA MINING: RNZ PACIFIC PACNEWS 3: Mon 20 Jul 2026
Pacific voices condemn U.S plan for offshore mineral extraction off American Samoa
PAGO PAGO, 20 JULY 2026 (RNZ PACIFIC) — Pacific leaders and environmental advocates have condemned a United States government proposal to advance plans for an offshore mineral lease sale in federal waters off American Samoa.
They say the move – despite about 70,000 public comments submitted during the process opposing offshore mineral extraction – disregards widespread public opposition and threatens the region’s culture, livelihoods and marine environment.
The criticism followed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) announcement that it had issued a Proposed Leasing Notice for the American Samoa Outer Continental Shelf Pacific Mineral Lease Sale 1, a key procedural step toward a potential lease sale currently proposed for 19 November.
Under the proposed process, American Samoa Governor Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula has 60 days to review and comment before BOEM may issue a ‘Final Leasing Notice’.
Dr Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka of Finafinau in American Samoa said the proposal was about more than mineral extraction.
“They can schedule a lease sale. They cannot lease our identity.”
“The moana has never been just a place on a map or minerals beneath the sea floor. The moana is our first teacher, our source of life, and our greatest inheritance,” she added.
Suluai-Mahuka said the ocean should be valued “by the families it feeds, the cultures it sustains, and the children it will one day nourish”,
“Our home is not for sale.”
Maria Hernandez of the Micronesia Climate Change Alliance in Guam said the proposal highlighted broader concerns over representation in the US territories.
“When decisions about our communities’ sacred waters and ecosystems are made in Washington without equal representation, it exposes the undemocratic system imposed across the US territories.”
“Our voices deserve to be heard,” she said.
“The people of the Marianas stand with American Samoa. Hands off our sacred seabed, Prutehi i Mattingan (Chamoru language) translates to “protect the deep waters just beyond the reef”
Adi Martinez Roman of Right to Democracy in Puerto Rico called the proposal “a disappointing step in the wrong direction”.
“For the people of the US territories, the ocean is more than a resource to be extracted. It is a sacred ocean space that connects us to our culture, identity, and future,” Roman said.
He added communities were calling for “stewardship and self-determination” instead of unilateral federal action.
Friends of the Mariana Trench chair Sheila Babauta said Pacific Islanders had consistently opposed offshore mineral extraction.
“Communities across the Pacific have made their voices clear: our ocean is not for sale.”
She said the proposal prioritised “the interests of an extractive industry ahead of the people who depend on the ocean for our culture, livelihoods, and way of life”, urging broader support for Pacific communities seeking “a different vision for our future, one rooted in stewardship, community leadership, and respect for the places that sustain us”.
Angelo Villagomez of the Centre for American Progress said opposition extended beyond the Pacific.
“This proposal is out of step with what communities actually want.”
He said Americans increasingly recognised “our ocean is too important to gamble with for an industry that carries significant environmental risks” and urged BOEM to listen to Pacific communities rather than advance a proposal “that lacks broad public support.”
BOEM, through the Marine Minerals Administration (MMA), said the Proposed Leasing Notice advances the federal leasing process for offshore critical minerals while supporting domestic supply chains and national security.
Acting MMA director Matt Giacona said, “critical minerals have become a strategic asset in global competition, and China’s dominance in the supply of many of these materials creates unacceptable risks for America’s energy, defense and manufacturing sectors.”
He said the proposal would also require any successful lessee to make “every reasonable effort” to hire American Samoans, use businesses in American Samoa and make use of the Port of Pago Pago.
BOEM said issuing the Proposed Leasing Notice does not guarantee that a lease sale will be held or that any exploration or collection activities will ultimately occur.
Instead, the notice allows the remaining pre-sale requirements to proceed, including publication of a Final Leasing Notice at least 30 days before any sale should the agency decide to move forward.
BOEM also said it had completed an environmental assessment examining the potential impacts of issuing two commercial leases in federal waters off American Samoa…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – DEPORTEE/POLITICS: ABC PACNEWS 3: Mon 20 Jul 2026
Quiet change to Nauru’s policing laws could impact NZYQ legal challenges
YAREN, 20 JULY 2026 (ABC) — A quiet change to Nauru’s policing powers has raised questions about whether the laws have been tweaked to thwart mounting Federal Court challenges launched by NZYQ members fighting deportation.
The former Australian detainees have allegedly faced threats of violence upon their arrival to Nauru from newly created community monitoring officers (CMOs) tasked with their ongoing monitoring, according to whistleblower claims.
Under laws introduced in March, CMOs were given powers to restrain, search, and monitor Australian transferees, including the use of “reasonable force”.
Days after the ABC reported the whistleblowers’ safety concerns in June, the laws were amended to extend the powers to any person on the island.
About 280 non-citizens, known as the NZYQ cohort, are expected to be resettled in Nauru under a deal with Australia, after a 2023 High Court ruling found their indefinite detention was illegal.
Greens senator David Shoebridge said the deal was impacting the rights of Nauruans, labelling it an “erosion of civil liberties on the island”.
“It was established under law to apply only to people sent to Nauru … But when it became apparent that it was probably going to ground legal challenges to prevent people being sent to Nauru, only a handful of weeks ago, they extended it to all Nauruans,” he told ABC.
“So, what we’re seeing here is, because of the toxic deal between Australia and Nauru, for Australia’s interests, it is undermining key pillars of civil society in Nauru.”
About 354 members of the NZYQ cohort, the bulk of whom have been convicted of crimes or had visas cancelled on character grounds, were released into the community from long-term detention following the High Court ruling.
Announcing the Nauru deal early last year, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke declared there was “nothing more important to this government than community safety”.
“The NZYQ cohort consists of people who broke Australian laws and in doing so surrendered their rights to stay in Australia,” he said.
As of 04 June, 12 people had been issued Nauruan visas and deported to the tiny island nation, including an individual reliant on a wheelchair.
Sanmati Verma, legal director at the Human Rights Law Centre, noted the timing of the Nauru law changes coincided with legal cases mounted in the Federal Court by those facing removal to Nauru.
Verma said in many cases the individuals argued that their removal to Nauru was unconstitutional because it involved a form of punishment, referring to the 2023 NZYQ ruling.
“I think what’s interesting is that the CMO Act was amended in June 2026, after these cases were commenced,” she told ABC.
Verma said some of the cases would present evidence of harsh and punitive conditions that people would face in Nauru, highlighting limited freedom of movement and no right to family reunion.
“So, the CMO regime is obviously going to be one part of that picture that’s put before the court,” she said.
When originally spruiking the laws on social media, the Nauru government said they were to ensure public safety and the “effective management of transferees residing in our communities under arrangements with other countries”.
Verma said the tweaks highlighted the “effective control that the Australian government has over the arrangement with Nauru”, arguing it therefore had “responsibility for people even after they’re transferred there”.
Responding to the criticism, a Home Affairs spokesperson referred back to the Nauru government.
“Nauru is a sovereign country and decisions about its laws are a question for its parliament,” a home affairs spokesperson told ABC.
Senator Shoebridge, who has repeatedly called for transparency in the deal with Nauru, joined forces with One Nation, Coalition and independent senators earlier this month, passing a motion calling on the government to release the 2025 memorandum of understanding by 28 July.
He said the government had an obligation under international law to provide protection, particularly for those in the cohort who were refugees.
“When we’re handing them over to a society and a country like Nauru, where there are now these extreme powers that can be used to stop and search and jail them if they don’t cooperate, I think that reflects very poorly on Australia,” Senator Shoebridge said.
“It’s no wonder that lawyers are mounting an argument that this is Australia in breach of our fundamental international obligations.”
Under the law changes, failure to comply with instructions by the CMOs risks an imprisonment term of up to 2 years.
Last month, the Nauru government issued a rare statement to clarify the conditions for the cohort under the arrangement, arguing they are not detained.
“They have a Nauruan visa and as such have the same rights as any other resident,” the statement said.
“However, unlike Nauruans, they are provided with accommodation, a fortnightly allowance, and free transport for shopping and other travel around the island.”
The Nauru government insisted that the cohort had access to facilities, employment opportunities and “a relaxed, Pacific way of life”.
While information from the island is limited, a fortnightly bulletin has provided public insights. However, as of 03 July, these are now only emailed to interested parties upon request.
It is understood that a further 37 people have been re-detained and are currently awaiting deportation to Nauru, with another nine issued visas but not yet detained.
The 30-year deportation deal is estimated to cost $2.5 billion (US$1.74 billion) over its lifetime.
The small Pacific island, about the size of Tullamarine airport, is home to roughly 13,000 residents and faces economic challenges due to its remoteness and limited natural resources.
Those resettled on Nauru will be granted a long-term visa; however, it is understood that they do not have the right to family reunification, meaning their visa class does not allow them to sponsor a family member to join them on the island.
More than a third of the cohort, 131 individuals, have Australian children, according to data released by the Department of Home Affairs on 28 January under freedom of information laws.
Meanwhile, 63 have an Australian spouse or partner.
Verma has called on the Labor government to allow these individuals to remain in Australia with their families instead of setting them up on an “endless loop of exclusion”.
“They need stable and secure housing, and they need assistance and support to really repair within themselves the harm that has been done from years of being detained and locked up,” she said.
“What people don’t need is to be hounded and criminalised and subject to strict conditions and basically prevented from working and being with their families.”
She questioned whether “drastic over policing” through what she describes as a para-police force is the right way to deal with the individuals.
“A police force is responsible for the enforcement of general criminal laws and its powers relate to everybody,” Verma said.
“A para-police is a force that exists in addition to police that has exceptional powers and is focused on one group of people or a sub-population of people.
“They are neither police nor security forces — they’re something different,” Verma said…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – SECURITY: AUST GOVT PACNEWS 3: Mon 20 Jul 2026
Exercise Pitch Black officially takes off
CANBERRA, 20 JULY 2026 (AUST GOVT) — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today officially opened Exercise Pitch Black 2026 in Darwin, Australia’s premier international air combat exercise.
Over the next three weeks, 100 aircraft and around 2,500 personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force and 20 other nations will take part in training activities and exercises in the skies over Australia’s north.
The biennial exercise is an opportunity to strengthen relationships among our partners and allies by building interoperability through realistic, high-end training from RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory, and RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland.
Aircraft from the United States, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Republic of Korea, India, Singapore, Germany, France and Spain as well as embedded personnel from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Fiji, Canada, Brunei, Malaysia, Finland and Sweden will all take part in this year’s exercise.
By working together with our partners, we are able to develop the capability of the Royal Australian Air Force, strengthen our nation’s security and help keep Australians safe.
The community in Darwin and right across the north also play such an important role in the success of Pitch Black, which can only happen with their support.
Locals will have a chance to see first-hand what Pitch Black is all about at the upcoming Mindil Beach Flying Display later this week, and at the RAAF Base Darwin open day on 1 August.
Prime Minister Albanese said: “Australia is strongest when we work closely with our partners.
“Exercise Pitch Black strengthens those partnerships and demonstrates Australia’s commitment to working closely across our region to support peace, stability and security.
“I’m proud to officially open Exercise Pitch Black here in Darwin where it has been hosted for more than 40 years. It’s another reminder of the important role the Territory plays in Australia’s defence and our engagement with the region.
“I thank all of the Australian Defence Force men and women, our international partners and the people of the Northern Territory for helping make this year’s exercise such a success.”
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said: “Exercise Pitch Black is one of the most complex and significant air exercises which occurs in the Indo-Pacific and this year’s iteration is once again one of the largest in its 45-year history.
“Through this exercise, our Air Force is showcasing Australia’s ability to bring together partners from the region and beyond to enhance interoperability and deepen defence cooperation.
“My thanks go out to all of the personnel and importantly the local communities across the Northern Territory and Darwin who make this possible.”
Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans Affairs and Northern Australia, Luke Gosling said: “Territorians understand the important role our home plays in Australia’s defence, and Exercise Pitch Black puts Darwin at the centre of one of the world’s most significant air combat exercises.
“We’re proud to welcome around 2,500 personnel from 20 nations to the Territory to train alongside the Royal Australian Air Force and build the relationships that help keep our region secure.
“Pitch Black also brings a real energy to Darwin, and I encourage locals to get down to the Mindil Beach Flying Display and RAAF Base Darwin open day to see some of the world’s most advanced aircraft up close,” Gosling said…. PACNEWS
COOKS – HEALTH: COOK ISLANDS NEWS PACNEWS 3: Mon 20 Jul 2026
Cook Islands on alert after H5N1 bird flu detected in New Zealand
RAROTONGA, 20 JULY 2026 (COOK ISLANDS NEWS) — Cook Islands Ministry of Agriculture is taking a precautionary approach following the detection of H5N1 bird flu in New Zealand and may restrict poultry imports from NZ if the virus is found in domestic flocks.
Following the discovery of H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) in two wild birds in New Zealand, the Cook Islands Ministry of Agriculture is taking a precautionary approach by increasing public awareness.
The Ministry confirmed there are no cases of H5N1 avian influenza in the Cook Islands and stated that the “risk remains low”.
“Bird flu is a viral disease that mainly affects wild birds and poultry. Migratory birds can naturally carry avian influenza viruses over long distances, making early detection and reporting an important part of protecting the Cook Islands,” the Ministry said.
“At this stage, there is no need for public alarm. The Ministry encourages everyone to report any unusual bird deaths so that it can be investigated promptly.”
The Ministry also stated that H5N1 has not been detected in domestic poultry, such as chickens, ducks, or turkeys, and there is currently no evidence that it is spreading among poultry in New Zealand.
Agriculture secretary Temarama Anguna-Kamana told Cook Islands News that, based on information received, there have been two detections of H5N1 avian influenza in New Zealand to date – one in a migratory bird and the other in a native resident bird.
“If H5N1 is detected in domesticated poultry, such as chickens, turkeys, or ducks, we would expect NZMPI to notify us through the appropriate official channels,” Anguna-Kamana said.
She said that depending on the epidemiological situation and the control measures implemented, “we may need to consider suspending imports of poultry meat and poultry products from affected areas until the outbreak is brought under control or alternatively restrict imports to H5N1-free area”.
Anguna-Kamana said this would be similar to the approach taken on the importation of Day Old Chicks (DOC) from NZ in response to the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and the Egg Drop Syndrome.
“For Cook Islands, migratory birds is an important consideration because they can potentially introduce or spread Avian influenza viruses and other avian diseases,” she said.
“Although the overall risk of disease introduction by migratory birds is generally lower than that posed by imported animals or animal products, migratory birds are recognised as a natural pathway for the movement of pests and diseases between countries.”
The Ministry will work with Ministry of Health, the National Environment Service (NES), and partners to monitor the situation, including Te Ipukarea Society.
“We will continue to rely on NES and Te Ipukarea Society to monitor and report any unusual mortality or disease events among wild birds, particularly the nesting seabird populations and other birds they routinely observe in the high-altitude mountains of Rarotonga,” Anguna-Kamana said…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – DEEPSEA MINING: GUAM DAILY POST PACNEWS 3: Mon 20 Jul 2026
New report warns mining could release unregulated radioactivity
HAGATNA, 20 JULY 2026 (GUAM DAILY POST) — A new report from the Deep-Sea Mining Campaign says a threat tied to seabed mining has gone almost entirely unexamined: radioactivity.
The report, released on 30 June as the International Seabed Authority met to debate mining regulations, points to a 2023 study by researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany that found alpha-emitting radioactive isotopes concentrated on the outer layer of polymetallic nodules, the potato-sized mineral deposits scattered across the Pacific floor that mining companies want to extract.
That study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, measured radium-226 on nodule surfaces at levels that, in some cases, exceeded Germany’s radiation safety limit by a factor of 100 to 1,000. Nodules stored in poorly ventilated spaces also released radon gas at concentrations that could climb well above international exposure limits, the study found. During metal processing, some of the radioactivity, including actinium-227, could become further concentrated in the rare earth elements extracted from the nodules. The AWI team said it plans to study whether nodules from other parts of the deep sea carry similar radioactivity and how to weigh the ecological, economic and social risks that follow.
The Deep-Sea Mining Campaign report does not claim that mining has already caused ecological damage from radioactivity. Instead, it lays out what its authors call a scientific blind spot: No peer-reviewed studies have examined how radioactive material released by mining would move through marine food chains or what doses marine life would actually absorb.
Helen Rosenbaum of the Deep-Sea Mining Campaign said alpha particles pose little risk from a distance but turn hazardous once inside a living organism.
“They become extremely dangerous when inhaled or ingested,” Rosenbaum said in a release from the organisation. “Marine life cannot escape polluted water. They will breathe it in and swallow it and eat prey contaminated by mining operations.”
Marine scientist Andrew Thaler, who contributed to the report, said commercial mining is moving faster than the science meant to evaluate its risks.
“We are diving blind into an unproven industry without understanding the potential consequences of combined exposure to both heavy metals and radioactive isotopes mobilised from deep-sea mining,” Thaler said.
The report lists 10 questions it says regulators and scientists need to answer before any commercial mining license is approved, including how radioactive particles disperse once nodules are crushed, whether they build up through the food chain and what combined exposure to metals and radioactivity might do to marine organisms over the years-long life of a mining operation.
The findings arrive as Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and other U.S territories continue to push back against federal plans to open Pacific waters to mining, and as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management recently advanced the American Samoa lease sale. Earlier this year, BOEM expanded a proposed Marianas lease area to roughly 69 million acres, with mining possible as close as 46 miles from Guam’s coast, despite more than 65,000 public comments opposing the plan. Guam signed its own ban on seabed mining in territorial waters into law in June. On Friday, federal officials moved forward with a plan to sell mineral leases in the ocean off American Samoa.
Sen. Sabina Perez, who has pushed for a regional moratorium on seabed extraction, said the new findings reinforce warnings that mining’s effects will not fade quickly.
“This report highlights the growing body of scientific evidence that the impacts of deep-sea mining are severe, long-term, and irreversible,” Perez told The Guam Daily Post. She said unregulated radioactivity could bring higher rates of cancer and chronic illness and threaten food security “across ours and our sister islands.”
Perez also tied the findings to Guam’s history with nuclear fallout, noting the island has yet to be included in federal compensation for radiation exposure tied to Cold War-era nuclear testing in the region. In an interview with the Post, she described island communities as “the canaries in the coal mine” when it comes to environmental and health risks tied to decisions made in Washington.
Michael Gawel, a Pacific marine resources expert who has worked in the region since 1970, said this particular risk had not been on his radar until he reviewed the new research.
“I hadn’t considered radioactivity as another (deep-sea mining) threat, besides heavy metals, sediment, habitat loss, etc.,” Gawel told the Post.
Gawel said the pattern of contaminants concentrating up the food chain mirrors what scientists have already documented with mercury in swordfish and could affect large predators such as tuna. He said cobalt crust deposits in Guam’s exclusive economic zone, a separate mineral target from the nodules and sulfides covered in the new report, could carry their own unstudied radionuclide risks. Gawel pointed to a research cruise this month by the R/V Nautilus, which collected rock samples from an old section of the Pacific Plate near the Marianas Trench, saying the results could show whether mining companies eventually target that terrain for its crust deposits.
The International Seabed Authority has not yet finalised rules for commercial nodule mining. At the same time, federal lease sales for critical minerals near American Samoa, the CNMI and Alaska are still scheduled for later this year as part of a push to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign sources. Critics say those timelines, including a just-released BOEM notice that sets an American Samoa sale for Nov. 19, move policy forward before outstanding scientific questions, such as the potential for radioactive contamination, are resolved.
Friday’s BOEM notice advancing the American Samoa lease sale underscores the regional stakes. Under federal rules, only the territory’s governor has a formal 60-day review role before BOEM issues a final sale notice for the Pacific Mineral Lease Sale 1, or PACM-1, a timeline advocates say sidelines broader community input. The agency has argued the leasing program supports domestic critical-mineral supply chains and national security, but Pacific advocacy groups and territory leaders say the process is proceeding despite tens of thousands of public comments opposing seabed extraction.
For now, the radioactivity question joins a list of unresolved risks that opponents of deep-sea mining say Washington has yet to seriously study, even as it moves toward opening Pacific waters to the industry…. PACNEWS
FIJI – PEACEKEEPING: FBC NEWS PACNEWS 3: Mon 20 Jul 2026
Fiji urged to adapt as peacekeeping threats evolve
SUVA, 20 JULY 2026 (FBC NEWS) — Acting Attorney General and Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga says Fiji must adapt to changing global security threats while ensuring the protection of civilians remains at the centre of every peacekeeping mission.
Speaking at the opening of the Future of Peace Operations and Protection of Civilians workshop, Turaga says Fiji’s proud peacekeeping legacy must continue to evolve to meet the demands of modern conflicts.
He says while the nature of warfare is changing, the protection of vulnerable people, particularly women and children, must never be compromised.
Turaga highlighted Fiji’s decades-long contribution to international peacekeeping, from the First and Second World Wars to United Nations missions and the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), saying these deployments have helped shape the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.
“We pride ourselves as the best peacekeepers in the world. We have a generation of peacekeepers. I think some families like four or five generations. It did not start with the UN. It started in the First World War and the Second World War.”
Permanent Secretary for Defence and Veterans Affairs Mason Smith says Fiji must also prepare for emerging threats, including cybersecurity risks and the impacts of changing weather patterns.
Smith says the Ministry is developing a new peacekeeping strategy to ensure Fiji’s forces remain ready for future challenges while continuing to protect civilians…. PACNEWS
FIJI – COURT: MAITV PACNEWS 3: Mon 20 Jul 2026
FICAC amend charges against Fiji former Deputy PM Kamikamica
SUVA, 20 JULY 2026 (MAITV) — The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) has been allowed to amend the charges against former Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica after telling the court it received new information last week.
The decision came on the day Kamikamica’s hearing was scheduled to begin, with State Counsel Josann Pene telling the Suva Magistrates Court that FICAC would also provide further information to the defence.
Under the amended charge sheet, the prosecution has changed the wording of the alleged false statement. Kamikamica is now accused of wilfully making a material statement on oath that he had “no knowledge” of the appointment of the FICAC Commissioner prior to her appointment on 5 September 2024. The charge is brought under Section 176(1) of the Crimes Act 2009, which relates to the offence of perjury.
Kamikamica was previously facing one count of perjury under Section 176(1) of the Crimes Act 2009, with the original wording alleging that he falsely claimed to have “no involvement” in the appointment.
He also faces an alternative charge of giving false information to a public servant under Section 201(a) of the Crimes Act 2009, which remains unchanged in the amended charge sheet.
The charges relate to allegations that he made a false statement between 1 December 2024 and 31 March 2025 during the Commission of Inquiry into the appointment of the FICAC Commissioner.
Pene told Resident Magistrate Charles Ratakele that the decision to amend the charges was made this morning after considering the new information received last week.
The application was opposed by defence lawyer Wylie Clarke, who said both sides had already agreed on the documents to be used in the case last Friday.
Clarke said the defence was only informed of the changes this morning and had not been served with the amended charges.
He argued that FICAC had been ready to proceed with the hearing but had now changed direction, saying the prosecution was going back to the drawing board.
Clarke said the move was a waste of time and an abuse of the court process and maintained that the hearing should have started today.
However, Magistrate Ratakele granted FICAC permission to amend the charges.
The matter will resume tomorrow morning for plea…. PACNEWS
FIJI – DRUG FIGHT: FIJI TIMES PACNEWS 3: Mon 20 Jul 2026
Drug raids under scrutiny
SUVA, 20 JULY 2026 (FIJI TIMES) — Allegations of brutality during drug raids, including incidents involving deaths, have prompted the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission to closely monitor joint operations.
Consequently, the commission is tracking the involvement of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces alongside the Fiji Police Force.
Commissioner Chantelle Khan said they were monitoring operations due to recent alleged brutality complaints and increased military involvement in drug operations.
“That is a very sensitive issue. Many members of the public support military involvement because they believe it improves public safety,” she said.
Khan said the issue was sensitive, particularly as many members of the public supported military involvement because they believed it would improve public safety.
“Our role is to ensure human rights are protected during operations involving civilians. We are monitoring their role.”
She said they had arranged meetings with the military and police to better understand the framework guiding joint operations, including the roles and responsibilities of officers involved.
“We want to better understand the terms of reference governing joint military-police operations, where responsibilities begin and end.
“Also, whether officers involved fully understand their human rights obligations when carrying out operations involving civilians.”
She said Fiji was not under a state of emergency, due to this, human rights complaints would be handled through standard commission filings or official investigations…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
SAMOA – SEASONAL WORKERS: SAMOA OBSERVER PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 20 Jul 2026
Samoa’s PM begins official NZ visit to seasonal workers
APIA, 20 JULY 2026 (SAMOA OBSERVER) — Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt visited Samoan seasonal workers in Hastings in what the Government described as the beginning of his official New Zealand visit.
The Government announced on Sunday evening that the Prime Minister began the visit in Hawke’s Bay, where he met Samoan Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers employed by apple producer Mr Apple.
According to travel documents obtained and verified by the Samoa Observer, Schmidt is scheduled to depart Hastings at 4.45 p.m. on Monday, 20 July, aboard Air New Zealand flight NZ5895. He is expected to arrive in Wellington at 5.45 p.m. The Government said the delegation would hold bilateral discussions with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Wellington.
The documents show Schmidt will depart Wellington at 7.40 a.m. on Wednesday, 22 July, aboard flight NZ5725, arriving in Blenheim at 8.10 a.m. Both domestic flights are booked in economy class.
The visit was originally arranged and funded for Minister of Commerce, Industry and Labour Fata Ryan Schuster. The Prime Minister later joined the programme despite not receiving an official invitation from the New Zealand Government. The late change prompted officials from Samoa’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to work with their New Zealand counterparts to reshape a programme initially organised for Fata.
The Government said the visit had originally been planned for January and later February but was delayed because the schedules of Schmidt and Schuster could not be aligned…. PACNEWS
GUAM – SUBMARINE: PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 20 Jul 2026
‘Where America’s victory at sea begins:’ Navy officials highlight Guam’s undersea power amid China’s renewed threat
HAGATNA, 20 JULY 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — Home to five fast-attack submarines that form the backbone of the Navy’s undersea force, Guam remains a strategic hub for homeland defence, officials said, underscoring the island’s strong deterrent capability amid China’s latest display of aggression.
“Guam is not only where America’s day begins; it is where America’s undersea dominance begins, where warfighting readiness is generated and where victory at sea begins,” said Rear Adm. Lincoln Reifsteck, commander of Submarine Group 7.
Reifsteck presided over the change-of-command ceremony for the Submarine Squadron 15 held 10 July at Naval Base Guam, during which Capt. Neil Steinhagen relinquished command to Capt. Christopher Carter.
“Submarine Squadron 15 creates readiness for the submarines stationed here and restores readiness to those operating throughout the Western Pacific,” Reifsteck said.
The Navy considers Guam’s fast-attack submarines as “apex predators of the sea” that enhance deterrence.
“Submarine Squadron 15 occupies a uniquely important place in our nation’s defense,” Carter said as he took the command.
Navy officials pointed up the submarine force’s forward-deployed presence in Guam following China’s launch of a long-range ballistic missile with a dummy warhead on 6 July.
The missile was reportedly test-fired from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine, sending a “mock warhead” into the Pacific Ocean.
“The Pacific remains our nation’s primary theater of strategic focus and credible deterrence depends upon forward-deployed combat power,” said Carter, a Washington, DC, native and 2002 graduate of the U.S Naval Academy.
“From Guam, we provide forward-deployed, combat-ready submarines that deliver persistent presence, unmatched stealth and decisive undersea capability throughout the region,” he added.
A mix of Los Angeles-class and Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines are homeported in Guam.
Coinciding with the change of command ceremony on 10 July, Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Tucson (SSN 770) arrived at Naval Base Guam as part of the U.S Navy’s strategic laydown of forces in the Pacific.
According to the Navy’s press release, Tucson is the newest submarine assigned to Guam following the 2024 arrival of USS Minnesota (SSN 783), the first Virginia-class fast-attack submarine forward-deployed to Guam.
The homeport shift follows the recent departure of USS Jefferson City (SSN 759), which transitioned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
“Tucson brings an exceptional crew of sailors who represent the very best of our submarine force,” said Cmdr. Vince Bove, commanding officer of USS Tucson.
“We are proud to join the forward-deployed team, strengthen warfighting readiness and support U.S strategic objectives across the region. We also look forward to becoming part of the Guam community that plays such a vital role in enabling our mission,” he added.
At the change-of-command ceremony, the Navy noted that under Steinhagen’s leadership, the Submarine Squadron 15 managed 43 voyage repair periods, 15 continuous maintenance availabilities and four homeport changes, including the arrival of its first Virginia-class submarine.
The squadron’s staff supported 20 visiting commands and 38 port calls involving deployed U.S, allied, guided-missile and ballistic-missile submarines.
“Those efforts strengthened the readiness of U.S 7th Fleet’s undersea force, enhanced interoperability with regional allies and partners and ensured combat-ready submarines remained forward-deployed in the Pacific,” the Navy said.
Steinhagen, a 1999 graduate of North Carolina State University, will move to Yokosuka, Japan, where he will serve as chief of staff for Commander, Submarine Group 7…. PPACNEWS
PNG – AIRLINE: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 20 Jul 2026
Airline resumes flights to Japan, now twice a week
PORT MORESBY, 20 JULY 2026 (THE NATIONAL) — People can now travel directly to Japan from Port Moresby twice a week following the resumption of the Air Niugini service announced on Saturday.
Air Niugini chief executive officer Alan Milne said the resumption of the route after six years would increase the number of passengers traveling between both countries and also elevate trade relations.
The national flag carrier recently announced resume direct flights between Port Moresby and Auckland, New Zealand, from 17 November reconnecting Papua New Guinea and New Zealand with the first non-stop air service between the two countries in more than 26 years.
The airline will operate three return services each week, halving travel times between Papua New Guinea and New Zealand by eliminating the need for passengers and freight to transit through Australia or other regional hubs.
“The connection is going to be fantastic, but through traffic from Australia and now, our recently announced Auckland service will get transfer passengers from all of the Pacific up to Asia, including Japan and Narita.”
Milne added that fresh produce from Papua New Guinea would also be flown to Japan as done in previous years, pending confirmed arrangements in due course.
“We’ll see how the booking loads go. We have to be really careful as we don’t want them to be flying empty planes around,” he said.
“So, we have a look at the bookings model and see how that goes to make a determination about additional ports or additional services.”
Japan Ambassador Hisanobu Mochizuki said the resumption would strengthen bilateral ties with PNG, while also opening more business opportunities.
“Japan has a lot of fishery imports from Papua New Guinea and we still have a lot of room for developing our economic relations,” he said.
“Many Japanese private companies are paying very strong attention to Papua New Guinea because you have a lot of natural resources.
Vice-Minister for State Enterprises Raphael Tonpi reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to economic growth by improving the country’s airline industry.
“The Government has made significant investments to modernise our national airlines and the return of this twice weekly service is also a reflection of Air Niugini’s transformation,” he said…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
The fault line of Pacific security: Climate-driven land loss triggers regional crisis
By Jayvee Vallejera
HAGATNA, 20 JULY 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — In Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, flooding from rising sea levels now affects 30 percent of the city’s urban areas every year. The Enewetak Atoll, which has a concrete dome containing nuclear waste, is beginning to show cracks due to rising sea levels. Reports say Enewetak now faces flooding twice as often as in 2020.
In the Solomon Islands, Nuatambu has already lost half of its habitable area since 2011.
Inch by inch, year after year, the sea levels across the Pacific are rising, forcing island communities to abandon family homes and move to safer grounds. Lands are being washed away by climate-led change, eroding the very foundations of peace and stability.
Experts warn this daily reality, driving a modern crisis of land loss and the forced removal of people from traditional homelands, could trigger widespread conflict if left unaddressed.
A new policy paper, titled “Land: A Faultline for Pacific Peace and Security?” released by Pacific Security College, has a warning for regional leaders.
The author, Anna Naupa, a senior research and engagement fellow at the college, pointed out that land governance has been dangerously ignored in regional security strategies. This neglect has resulted in a policy vacuum at a time when climate change is accelerating the destruction of sovereign territories.
At the heart of this crisis is the rapid physical deterioration of low-lying islands.
Naupa’s paper paints a grim picture of communities building makeshift seawalls and trying to reclaim land from a rising ocean. The damage, however, is not just the loss of territory. Land becomes saltier, making it unusable for farming and freshwater sources are ruined.
This environmental degradation is what’s driving “climate mobility.” Islanders are forced to evacuate due to environmental hazards. Whether that movement is temporary, permanent or internal relocation to a new area within a country’s own borders, this forced movement is deeply traumatic to Pacific peoples.
“Donor institutions, development banks, and regional policy frameworks routinely approach land as a resource,” said Karen Mapusua, Director of the Land Resources Division at the Pacific Community. “Pacific peoples, however, have long understood land as something far more elemental: not as an asset to be exploited but the very ground of identity and belonging.”
Akka Rimon, senior research fellow at the Pacific Security College, said the loss of land creates vulnerabilities. It severs the spiritual, relational and cultural connections that form the foundation of local societies, he said.
“As climate impacts intensify and mobility pressures rise, the region faces mounting challenges of land scarcity, contested tenure, and undermined sovereignty,” Rimon said.
Disputes over who has the legal or traditional right to occupy and control specific pieces of land become even more intense, even as the nation itself grapples with weakened authority and control over its own borders.
Naupa warns the threat of land loss is not merely an environmental or emotional issue but a direct trigger for social unrest—civil disruptions, protests or violent communal conflicts.
Mapusua warns of the same threat to peace. Food insecurity and hunger are drivers of social unrest, she said. For example, across the region, farmers anecdotally report increasing theft of crops and livestock.
“When people cannot feed themselves and cannot afford healthy imported alternatives, the crisis is real,” Mapusua said.
Naupa warns these issues will only grow as climate change destroys arable land and food security becomes even more fragile.
In the past, regional bodies maintained a strong focus on human security, an approach to governance that prioritises the health, safety and well-being of people rather than just the protection of state borders.
Land management policy used to be connected directly to regional peacemaking initiatives, Naupa said, but that focus faded in the 2010s.
Regional entities shifted their attention toward ocean governance, driven by the intense geopolitical competition between the United States and China. This is illustrated by the recent spike in interest in seabed mining, which has generated uproar across the Pacific.
Naupa posed a critical question to regional institutions: By focusing so heavily on maritime borders and global superpower dynamics, is regional security policy in danger of overlooking the land in favor of the sea?
To prevent widespread instability, Naupa’s paper suggests that regional frameworks must explicitly address land issues. Central to her recommendations is the integration of “plural land governance systems,” a hybrid system that balances both Western-style laws and traditional practices used by indigenous communities to manage shared tribal lands.
These traditional systems, Naupa said, are functional, living systems that actively manage everyday conflicts and hold communities together.
Navigating the pressures of climate displacement requires using these traditional systems to negotiate boundaries and share resources peacefully, she said.
To achieve this, Naupa urged leaders to build on existing treaties, such as the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration and the Boe Declaration on Regional Security, which redefines “security” to include environmental and human threats.
While these documents recognise the importance of culture, they require more specific policies linking land management directly to regional defence and peace planning.
Naupa also maps out several urgent actions to ensure land security becomes a central pillar of Pacific diplomacy, including using the upcoming development of the Regional Peace and Security Action Plan to codify the role of traditional land management systems in preserving social cohesion.
Vehia Wheeler, a Ma’ohi Nui scholar and cultural consultant, pointed out that the region has survived historical displacements caused by outside disruptions, such as nuclear testing.
“Without secure, healthy land and ocean space for people to practice traditional management, agriculture, and fishing, we create vulnerable societies,” Wheeler said in a conversation with Naupa. “Our past can, and should, inform our future…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Melanesian nations announce intention to create massive ocean reserve corridor
WASHINGTON, 20 JULY 2026 (MONGABAY) — A group of Pacific island nations have agreed to formally establish the Melanesian Ocean Corridor of Reserves (MOCOR), a massive transboundary marine protected area (MPA) that will span their territorial waters. Papua New Guinea (PNG), Vanuatu and Fiji made a joint declaration announcing plans for the corridor at the first Melanesian Ocean Summit in May. Solomon Islands joined the initiative in late June.
Melanesia, a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific that also includes the French territory of New Caledonia and parts of Indonesia, is one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. Located in the Coral Triangle, its ocean waters contain an estimated 75% of known coral species, along with iconic marine megafauna, including sharks, rays, dugongs and whales. This part of the ocean is also a hotspot for the discovery of new species.
“The initiative represents a bold and timely step forward, recognizing that our oceans do not end at national boundaries, and that our stewardship responsibilities must therefore extend across them,” Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told leaders at the summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
The U.S.-based NGO National Geographic Pristine Seas, the exploration and conservation partner of the MOCOR initiative, has confirmed to Mongabay that the MOCOR is an entirely separate initiative from the Melanesian Ocean Reserve (MOR), which was announced by Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and PNG at the 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference in France.
Following the MOCOR announcement, PNG pledged to establish the Western Manus National Marine Sanctuary, a 214,000-square-kilometer (82,626-square-mile) area roughly the size of Great Britain that will form part of the larger reserve corridor. The sanctuary will be a “no-take zone,” a level of protection that bans all commercial fishing and other extractive activities.
“We take our commitment to protect 30% of our waters by 2030 very seriously, and this new MPA brings us one large step closer to that goal — in addition to ensuring environmental sustainability for present and future generations,” said Yvonne Tio, executive manager at PNG’s Conservation and Environment Protection Authority, in a press release announcing the initiative. Tio was referring to PNG’s pledge to achieve the 30×30 goal under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
At the summit, Vanuatu also announced it would establish a fully protected 71,000 km2 (27,413 mi2) Torba National Marine Protected Area, while Fiji committed to protecting 15% of its waters by the end of 2026.
Hazy plans
Beyond the inclusion of those foundational MPAs, details about MOCOR’s size, configuration, precise location, governance, enforcement mechanisms or community consultation processes are scarce. There are no publicly available planning documents, maps, or project website. Official boundary zones for the corridor will only be revealed after legal designation, according to National Geographic Pristine Seas.
Mongabay contacted the relevant government offices of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Fiji but did not receive responses regarding specific implementation strategies or community integration plans for MOCOR.
The Samoa-based Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), an intergovernmental body and secretariat for the Noumea Convention, is providing the policy, legal and funding frameworks required for cross-border cooperation and marine spatial planning for MOCOR, according to Sefanaia Nawadra, the secretariat’s director general.
Nawadra told Mongabay that SPREP’s focus is on helping nations meet global biodiversity targets, noting that implementation of MOCOR “may also include areas beyond national jurisdiction.” This means protections could eventually stretch into international waters outside of any country’s legal borders to safeguard migratory marine life that travels between and beyond the region’s archipelagos, he said.
Benefits and risks of large MPA corridors
From an ecological perspective, transboundary corridors like MOCOR are far superior to isolated MPAs, Verónica Relaño, a postdoctoral fellow at Spain’s University of Santiago de Compostela whose work focuses on marine protection effectiveness, told Mongabay in an email. Relaño is also the oceans director at the Germany-based NGO Onewater.
“Marine life — especially migratory species, larvae, and pelagic fish — does not adhere to EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone] boundaries,” Relaño said. “Isolated MPAs often end up functioning as ecological islands and industrial fleets simply wait at the edges to ‘fish the line’. A corridor design connects critical habitats and protects entire migration routes.”
But large-scale designs can make governance challenging, according to Relaño, who codeveloped an index identifying “paper parks” by measuring the gap between a site’s formal protection status and on-the-ground enforcement. Relaño said that while well-protected MPAs can halt extraction and allow depleted populations of fish and other marine species to bounce back to healthy levels, paper parks lacking adequate management and enforcement often permit fishing fleets to continue extraction. Because these ineffective protected areas still count toward global 30×30 targets, nations might prioritise quantity over quality, she said.
“The greatest risk in a corridor design is the ‘weakest link’ scenario. If one country in the network lacks the monitoring or managing capacity or the political drive to enforce its boundaries, illegal and distant-water fleets will concentrate their extraction in that specific zone, undermining the integrity of the entire corridor,” Relaño said.
The exact enforcement protocols for MOCOR remain unclear.
How will MOCOR integrate Indigenous peoples?
Another question looming over MOCOR is how and whether it will incorporate Indigenous stewardship and governance.
While both MOCOR and the previously announced MOR share the same foundational goal of protecting regional waters, they rely on different models of governance, according to Watna Mori, a Papua New Guinean lawyer who leads the Center for Melanesian Law & Governance and attended the summit. Mori told Mongabay that MOCOR emphasises enforcement systems and science-policy integration, while MOR incorporates an Indigenous-led structure with customary kastom governance.
But, according to Mori, both MOCOR and MOR raise concerns about who gets to make decisions over shared ocean space and how that power is structured.
“Which Indigenous stewards were consulted before announcing a framework that sits over their customary tenures and responsibilities over those waters?” Mori said, adding that regional ocean governance frameworks are moving faster than the groundwork needed to determine how they can best be harmonised with existing governance systems. She pointed out that Indigenous communities have governed these seas for thousands of years through their own customary systems. Today, those traditional structures coexist and occasionally overlap with modern state frameworks.
“In PNG, we’ve legislated our maritime boundaries, but we haven’t dealt with what happens when customary boundaries overlap with them, and yet, we’re developing regional governance frameworks that will sit over the top of all of that,” she said.
Mori said the way forward lies in acknowledging the presence of multiple systems of governance and finding ways for them to coexist. “The first step is to revitalise and strengthen customary governance systems and work outward from there,” she added.
Whether MOCOR lives up to its conservation goals depends on whether local communities are supported and the law is used to uphold their ways of protecting the ocean, Relaño said. When communities are genuinely included, she added, they become the most reliable monitors of an MPA.
“If an official MPA is imposed top-down, it usually disrupts the community by overriding traditional management systems like the Pacific tapu concepts and alienating the locals,” Relaño said, referring specifically to the ancestral practice of seasonal fishing bans to maintain ecological balance.
“However, if the designation acts as a legal shield that formally recognises and funds existing stewardship, it greatly benefits the community by providing legal leverage to keep out industrial fleets,” she said…. PACNEWS
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
The Pacific’s Stake in Shaping AI’s Future
By Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific and Munkhtuya Altangerel, the Resident Representative of UNDP’s Pacific Office in Fiji
SUVA, 20 JULY 2026 (UNDP) — Last week, governments from across the world gathered in Geneva for the first session of the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, and a presentation of the inaugural report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. It marked an important step towards building global rules for artificial intelligence.
While unpacking what AI can do for the Pacific, let us also consider what the Pacific can contribute to the future of AI. Both questions are relevant and connected, especially from a human development progress perspective.
The initial instinct, even anxiety, in small, remote economies could be to treat AI purely as a race from behind. And there is indeed need for that catch-up. So, the Kingdom of Tonga, for example, has moved through a national Digital Readiness Assessment, brought commercial 5G online, and is rebuilding its government services around a digital-first model, including AI tools designed to help citizens interact with the state in their own language.
Similar Digital Readiness Assessments have also been undertaken across Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu, helping lay the foundations for AI adoption and digital transformation for the Pacific. This reflects strong national leadership and commitment across the government, with a willingness from the very top to jump into the race and speed up.
Foundational groundwork like this gives countries like Tonga real standing to speak on this issue from experience rather than aspiration. That includes investing in the AI skills and digital capabilities of people, to make the best use of the new data and services AI can offer.
However, framing the Pacific’s AI challenge only as a catch-up exercise misses what the region is better placed to see than almost anywhere else. In Tonga, as across the Pacific, AI systems run into something they were not designed to encounter. Much of what local communities know about maritime navigation, weather, land and the ocean is oral, relational, and held collectively, passed down through practice and inter-generational responsibility rather than stored in a database. Some of it is sacred, and deliberately never written down.
The Pasifika Futures Report argues that the real question is not whether Pacific countries adopt AI, but whether technology supports the futures Pacific people want for themselves, especially younger generations. Digital Tuvalu offers perhaps the clearest example: a nation on the frontline of climate change using digital technology to preserve its culture, heritage and identity for generations to come, while advancing Simon Kofe’s vision of a future in which Tuvaluans can connect with one another, explore their ancestry and culture, and access new opportunities for business and commerce.
This is not a barrier to AI adoption. It is an opportunity to shape how these technologies are designed and governed. Tonga is therefore well placed to bring this Pacific perspective to the future of AI, contributing views on identity, stewardship, culture and knowledge systems that remain largely absent from today’s models and debates.
This brings up a larger missing piece in the current AI sphere – experiential and non-written knowledge and decisions, as well as intergenerational accountability, should not be viewed as peripheral considerations. They are critical inputs that remain largely absent from global AI governance discussions today. Ask the AI frameworks and models how they would treat a body of knowledge whose custodians choose not to digitise it, and the answer is that they were not built with this in mind. Not yet.
Tonga’s own digital transformation gives it credibility to make this case precisely because it has not rushed. The Lagatoi Declaration, signed by Pacific ICT ministers in Port Moresby in 2023, set out a shared regional approach to digital transformation, infrastructure and governance long before AI dominated the conversation. Tonga’s participation reflected a broader regional commitment: that a digitally connected Pacific should also be a secure and collaboratively governed one, built on shared standards rather than each nation solving the same problems alone.
The architecture exists.
What is now urgently needed is to deploy it. The Great Divergence that AI risks creating is not a distant concept. In March this year, Tonga hosted the Pacific launch of the report of that name, examining how the rapid acceleration of AI and digital technology is widening the gap between economies that build these systems and economies and societies that will simply live with the consequences.
Yet AI is already delivering results across the Pacific, from satellite and AI-enabled fisheries monitoring in Kiribati, which has helped recover around US$2 million annually in illegal fishing fines, to AI-assisted health diagnostics in countries including Nauru and Vanuatu. Digital innovation is advancing in Palau too, alongside partnerships with the European Union and UNCDF that are expanding digital services and AI-enabled financial inclusion across the region.
These are real wins, but they are wins within a system the Pacific did not design. The region already knows what it means to be on the wrong side of a divergence, in climate, in trade, in debt vulnerability. AI follows the same logic at greater speed. The difference is that the rules of AI are still being written, which means the divergence is not yet locked in. That window will not stay open for long. The time for the Pacific to shape the outcome is now, not once the frameworks are agreed and the tools are already being deployed.
The Pacific has spent decades demonstrating what it means to decide collectively, account for future generations, and treat traditional knowledge as sacred rather than extractive. These are not liabilities in the age of AI.
This is where a Pacific contribution can be pitched, while also driving for fairness in AI access and a gain in capabilities to even the odds in the AI race. Pacific representation in the forums shaping AI’s future can and must emphasise the distinction this region brings to shape AI models and applications of the future…. PACNEWS
