In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — President Heine warns against seabed mining, calls for UN nuclear testing apology
2. PACIFIC — Tuvalu reclaims land as sea-level rise threatens future: PM Teo
3. PACIFIC — Solomon Islands PM Wale calls for UN rights chief to visit West Papua
4. PACIFIC — Why has the world not acted on the climate crisis?: Tonga PM Fakafanua
5. PACIFIC — Even smallest country can contribute to global peace: Kiribati President Maamau
6. PACIFIC— ‘Power must be exercised with responsibility’: PM Marape
7. PACIFIC — The resources exist. What is missing is the will: PM Wale
8. PACIFIC — Forum Leaders reinforce Strategic Partnership with the United Nations
9. FIJI — Fiji Constitution reform must not delay election:National Federation Party leader
10. PACNEWS BIZ — American Samoans should be involved in any federal decisions on deep-sea mining, governor says
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — 1.5°C Not Just a Number, It’s Survival for the Pacific
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Mon 28 Sep 2026
President Heine warns against seabed mining, calls for UN nuclear testing apology
NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine has warned against seabed mining and called for the United Nations to acknowledge the harm caused by nuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Heine said decisions on seabed mining must be based on science and adequate safeguards, warning that the consequences of getting ocean governance wrong could not be reversed.
“Responsible and science driven regulations need to be in place. Going on guesswork for global oceans is beyond dangerous
“There are no do overs,” Heine said.
Heine said the Marshall Islands had joined 45 nations seeking a moratorium on seabed mining and expressed concern about actions where decisions were being made before the environmental impacts were fully understood and safeguards were in place.
The president said the Marshall Islands, together with Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, had expressed alarm over seabed mining activities.
“Collectively, the people and voices of Micronesia must be heard,” she said.
Heine also called on the United Nations to deliver an apology and acknowledgement for the harm caused by the 67 nuclear weapons tests conducted in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958, when the country was a UN Strategic Trust Territory.
“The United Nations is long overdue to reflect and renew the same spirit with which our Marshallese people first came to the United Nations by delivering an apology and acknowledgement of the harm caused by impacts from the 67 nuclear weapons tested on our islands,” she said.
Heine said the UN trusteeship system had been intended to safeguard the wellbeing of the Marshallese people, but the nuclear tests caused lasting harm.
“For generations, our families have testified to displacement, illness, contamination and loss,” she said.
Heine said an apology from the United Nations would provide an opportunity for healing and closure for Marshallese communities.
“This apology is an opportunity to reflect, reflect upon the past, to bring healing and closure to the Marshallese,” she said.
Heine also warned that climate change was placing growing pressure on low-lying island states, with the Marshall Islands already experiencing the impacts of rising seas.
“It is the seas that are rising around us and not our islands, which are sinking,” she said.
She called for sufficient, timely and accessible finance for adaptation and loss and damage.
“The Marshall Islands and vulnerable people everywhere need sufficient, timely and accessible finance for adaptation and loss and damage,” Heine said.
“Those who have profited to the detriment of the many must pay.”
Heine highlighted the completion of a 1.8-kilometre seawall and footpath on Ebi, built with support from the World Bank, the Green Climate Fund and Marshall Islands resources.
She said the project protects about 8,400 people and critical energy infrastructure while reducing coastal flooding losses.
Heine said the project took more than a decade to complete and represented only one island in a country facing widespread exposure to sea-level rise.
“We are taking action and we urgently need strengthened partnership to better protect our islands before sea level rise overtakes us,” she said.
On climate action, Heine said the world must act to limit any overshoot of the 1.5°C temperature threshold.
“We all need to wake up and act,” she said.
She said the Marshall Islands was using renewable energy to reduce fossil fuel use in its remote outer islands, with renewable energy expected to cut fossil fuel use by 88 percent over the next 18 months.
Heine also reaffirmed the importance of the law of the sea and said the Marshall Islands would continue to advocate for Pacific interests in international ocean governance.
She said small island states must have a stronger voice in decisions affecting their security, economies and future.
“The international community is not listening closely to small island developing states, and it is not responding fast enough,” Heine said.
“Too often, the purported solutions for island nations don’t seem to know the problem.”
Heine said the Marshall Islands remained committed to the multilateral system despite its frustrations and failures.
“The United Nations must continue to serve as our primary weapon to ensure that no one is left behind,” she said….PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Tuvalu reclaims land as sea-level rise threatens future: PM Teo
NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Tuvalu is reclaiming land above flood levels as it battles rising seas, with 15.3 hectares already created on the capital island of Funafuti and another 10 hectares under development.
Prime Minister Feleti Teo said in his address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the project was a major adaptation effort for a country with only about 26 square kilometres of land.
“For Tuvalu, sea-level rise is not a future threat, it is a present reality,” Teo told the United Nations General Assembly.
He said the coastal adaptation project had already delivered 15.3 hectares of elevated, flood-free land, with a further 10 hectares being reclaimed.
Teo said Tuvalu was also using digital technologies to preserve its sovereignty, institutions, culture and historical heritage as climate change continued to reshape the country.
He welcomed the UN Political Declaration on Sea-Level Rise, describing its endorsement by member states as a “monumental and gratifying achievement”.
Teo highlighted the declaration’s recognition of the continuity of statehood and sovereignty despite sea-level rise, the permanence of maritime zones and rights established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the protection of the dignity, culture, identity and heritage of affected peoples.
“The Declaration affirms that Tuvalu’s nationhood is not negotiable, that our maritime rights are not erasable, and that our people should never be forced to choose between their homeland and their future,” he said.
Teo warned that with a temporary overshoot of the 1.5°C global temperature target now inevitable, stronger action was needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.
Tuvalu is supporting Pacific-led initiatives including the Tassiriki Call for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific and the Funafuti Call for Climate Justice and Climate Action.
Teo also welcomed the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, calling for adequate, predictable and timely financing to support countries facing unavoidable climate impacts.
“The world must act now decisively, collectively, and with urgency to protect the future for generations to come,” he said.
Teo said the ocean was central to Tuvalu’s development and security.
Although Tuvalu has only about 26 square kilometres of land, he said the country is responsible for some 750,000 square kilometres of ocean.
“We are custodians of some 750,000 square kilometres of ocean, which makes Tuvalu a large ocean State,” he said.
“Ocean governance is not simply an environmental policy. It is also an issue of economic security, food security and climate security.”
Teo urged greater international action on Sustainable Development Goal 14, Life Below Water, which he said remains among the least funded and least advanced of the SDGs despite its importance to Small Island Developing States.
He said Tuvalu was concerned that the world was not on track to achieve the SDGs and warned that failure would have severe consequences for SIDS.
Teo also reaffirmed Tuvalu’s commitment to the UN Charter, international law and multilateralism.
“This year also marks the historical and first deployment of Tuvalu police officers to serve in the UN mission in South Sudan,” he said.
He said the deployment demonstrated that even the smallest UN member states could make a meaningful contribution to international peace and security.
“The challenge is to manage transformation in a manner that protects people, preserves what is valuable, and gives every country the capacity to determine its own future,” Teo said.
He said Tuvalu’s experience showed that national leadership could drive adaptation and resilience, but stressed that the international community also had responsibilities.
“National leadership cannot substitute for global responsibility,” he said…. PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Solomon Islands PM Wale calls for UN rights chief to visit West Papua
NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Cooper Wale has renewed calls for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit West Papua, saying reports of human rights violations must be independently verified.
Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Wale said Solomon Islands respected Indonesia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity but would continue to speak about West Papua because its people were “our Melanesian brothers and sisters.”
“Reports of human rights violations in West Papua have persisted for far too long. They must be independently verified, not left in dispute,” Wale said.
He called on Indonesia to facilitate the long-awaited visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“We therefore renew the call of Pacific Islands Forum leaders for the Government of Indonesia to facilitate, without further delay, the long awaited visit of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to West Papua,” he said.
Wale said such a visit should be seen as an act of confidence between Indonesia and its Pacific neighbours.
“Such a visit is an act of confidence between friends and an affirmation that there is nothing to hide and there is nothing to fear from the light,” he said.
Wale linked Solomon Islands’ position on West Papua to its broader support for decolonisation and the right of peoples to determine their political future.
“Leaving no one behind demands that we complete the unfinished work of decolonisation,” he said.
He reaffirmed Solomon Islands’ support for the right to self-determination of the Kanak people of New Caledonia and the Māui Nui people of French Polynesia.
“The UN decolonisation process must offer more than hope,” Wale said.
“It must provide practical pathways to the full emancipation of peoples in non-self-governing territories, and to their freedom to determine their own political future and development aspirations.”
Wale also said Solomon Islands was looking to increase its contribution to UN peacekeeping in the coming year.
His comments on West Papua come as Pacific Islands Forum leaders continue to press for implementation of their position on human rights in the territory. The Forum has previously called for Indonesia to facilitate the UN High Commissioner’s visit, including through its communiqués.
Wale said Solomon Islands would continue to support stronger multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter.
“The challenges of our time demand renewed solidarity, stronger multilateralism, and genuine commitment to the principles of the UN Charter,” he said.
Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine also addressed West Papua during her UN General Assembly speech, reaffirming her country’s position on the issue.
“The Marshall Islands affirms the recent Pacific Islands Forum communique position regarding West Papua, including the 2018 invitation by Indonesia to the UN Human Rights Commissioner,” Heine said.
She also welcomed calls for an ASEAN-Pacific Islands Forum ministerial summit to advance the agreement between the two regions.
“The Marshall Islands strongly welcomes recent calls for a ministerial summit between ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum to take forward our 2023 agreement,” Heine said.
“Our two regions can stand united as neighbours and close friends.”
The two leaders’ statements put West Papua and Pacific-ASEAN engagement among the regional issues raised by Pacific leaders at the UN …..PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Why has the world not acted on the climate crisis?: Tonga PM Fakafanua
NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Tonga has questioned why the international community has failed to act on the climate crisis despite years of warnings from Pacific leaders, saying the consequences are already reaching the region.
Tonga Prime Minister Fatafehi Fakafānua in his address at the UN General Assembly said Pacific leaders had repeatedly raised the alarm over climate change and other threats but the global response remained inadequate.
“I stand here mindful that Pacific leaders have come before me, raising the same warnings, making the same appeals.
“Today, I am compelled to make them again,” Fakafānua said.
He said the issue was no longer whether the world had heard the Pacific’s message, but why it had failed to act.
“The question is not whether the world has heard this message; the question is: Why has it still not acted?”
Fakafānua said small island developing states should not bear a disproportionate cost for challenges they had done little to create.
He called for international processes to recognise the links between climate change and the ocean, saying the “ocean-climate nexus” must be addressed through a coordinated approach.
He also called for a more inclusive United Nations Security Council that recognises the “triple planetary crisis” of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution as a serious threat to international peace and security.
Fakafānua said vulnerable countries also needed a global financial system capable of delivering timely and accessible financing.
“The next Secretary-General must understand these realities intimately,” he said.
Fakafānua said Tonga had nominated Ecuadorian candidate Ivonne Baki for the next UN Secretary-General because her vision for the United Nations “speaks to the needs of vulnerable States”.
He said the Pacific was also facing immediate security threats, including transnational crime, illicit drugs, illegal fishing, cyber threats and the unresolved consequences of nuclear testing.
“The most pressing threats are already reaching our shores,” Fakafānua said.
He said the Pacific loses an estimated US$500 million each year from cyclones and floods, underscoring the need for greater investment in regional resilience.
Fakafānua called for increased funding for the Pacific Resilience Facility, the Weather Ready Pacific initiative and Tonga’s climate trust fund.
He said these mechanisms were essential to strengthening resilience and reducing the economic costs of increasingly severe weather events.
“We call on all our partners to invest in these Pacific-designed and Pacific-owned solutions
“We will do our part; we simply ask that others do theirs,” he said…..PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Even smallest country can contribute to global peace: Kiribati President Maamau
NEW YORK, 26 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Kiribati has called for stronger international action on climate change, ocean protection and the Pacific’s nuclear legacy, saying even the smallest countries have a role to play in global peace and security.
President and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Taneti Maamau told the United Nations General Assembly that climate change was placing growing pressure on Kiribati communities through sea-level rise, coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion and extreme weather.
“National action must be matched by international action,” Maamau told the United Nations General Assembly.
He called for “greater ambition, stronger support for adaptation and climate finance that is adequate, predictable and accessible, particularly for Small Island Developing States”.
Maamau also described Kiribati as an ocean nation whose economy, food security, culture and way of life depend on healthy and sustainable marine resources.
“Kiribati is an ocean nation. We are a Big Ocean Sustainable State,” he said.
He welcomed the entry into force of the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction as an important step towards stronger and more equitable governance of the high seas.
Maamau reaffirmed Kiribati’s support for the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States and the Pact for the Future, saying international partnerships remained critical as multilateralism faced growing challenges.
“At a time when multilateralism faces growing challenges, partnership remains one of our most powerful affirmations of what we can achieve, collectively,” he said.
On peace and security, Maamau said Kiribati remained concerned about conflicts and their consequences despite its geographic distance from major conflict zones.
“Distance does not make us indifferent to the suffering caused by war and conflict elsewhere,” he said.
He called for disputes to be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law and the UN Charter, saying respect for international law was fundamental to the security and sovereignty of island nations.
Maamau also highlighted the Pacific’s continuing human and environmental legacy of nuclear testing.
He reaffirmed Kiribati’s commitment to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and support for establishing an international trust fund for victims of nuclear weapons.
“Even the smallest country can contribute to global peace,” Maamau said…..PACNEWS
PNG – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Mon 28 Sep 2026
‘Power must be exercised with responsibility’: PM Marape
NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has called on major powers to put human welfare ahead of war and narrow geopolitical interests, warning that military, economic, technological and religious power must not be used to suppress human rights.
Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Marape said decisions made by powerful nations had consequences far beyond their borders, affecting food prices, fuel costs, trade and the lives of people in small developing countries.
“My appeal to leaders everywhere is really simple. Put human welfare ahead of war. Put humanity ahead of narrow geopolitical interests.
“Choose dialogue and peaceful settlement wherever possible.,” Marape said.
Marape said Papua New Guinea supported multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter, stressing that all countries had a voice regardless of their size, wealth or military strength.
“For Papua New Guinea and all the nations of the Pacific, multilateralism matters.
“The United Nations provides a place where small nations can sit alongside the largest, where voice can be heard and where we can work together on the common challenges facing humanity,” he said.
A major focus of Marape’s address was freedom of conscience, thought, belief and religion.
He said Papua New Guinea’s Christian identity must not be used to restrict the rights of people of other faiths or those who chose not to profess a religion.
“Our Christianity must and will never be an excuse to deny another human being the freedom of conscience,” Marape said.
“Faith that is forced is no longer faith.”
He said every person must have the freedom to believe, worship, change their belief or choose not to profess a religion.
Marape highlighted Papua New Guinea’s more than 800 languages and diverse cultures as evidence that diversity does not have to lead to division.
“Diversity does not mean division.
“People can speak different languages and still belong to one nation. People can come from different cultures and still live under one constitution,” he said.
Marape also linked human rights to environmental protection, warning that climate change, pollution and environmental destruction were directly affecting the lives of people and future generations.
“What value is freedom if a child has no water to drink?” he asked.
“What value is development if we destroy the environment that sustains life?”
He said Papua New Guinea, as a country with vast forests, biodiversity and ocean space, understood its responsibility to protect the environment.
“For us, environment is not an abstract for international discussion. It is where we live. It is where we grow our food. It is where we fish,” he said.
Marape said Pacific communities that had contributed little to global greenhouse gas emissions were nevertheless facing rising seas, extreme weather, threats to food security and damage to livelihoods.
He urged major powers to consider the effects of their decisions on ordinary people.
“With great power comes great responsibility.
“Leadership is also measured by the responsibility that comes with how you exercise that power,” Marape said.
He also called for peaceful settlement of disputes and warned against the use of military, economic, technological or religious power to suppress others.
“The military strength of a nation does not make the rights of another nation less important.
“The size of an economy does not make the dignity of a poorer person less important.”
“The size of a religious majority does not reduce the rights of a minority,” Marape said.
Marape said Papua New Guinea would remain “proudly Christian” while continuing to uphold freedom of conscience, thought and religion.
“Let governments govern for people. Let churches preach love to each other. Let mosque pray faithfully. Let temples welcome the worshippers. Let people set their own conscience,” he said.
He also called on countries to protect the planet for future generations.
“Let us pursue peace. Let us uphold the Charter of the United Nations. Let us respect the rights and dignity of every human being,” Marape said.
“Let us protect our common home. Let us remember always the generation who will follow us,” he said….PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Mon 28 Sep 2026
The resources exist. What is missing is the will: PM Wale
NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Cooper Wale has called for a major shift in global spending, saying the resources needed to tackle climate change and support vulnerable countries exist but political will is lacking.
Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Wale said the world spent more than US$3 trillion on military expenditure last year, while development assistance was falling.
“The resources exist. What is missing is the will, and the time to act is now,” Wale said.
He said global military spending was more than 16 times total official development assistance and that the world spent more on arms in less than 18 days than developed countries provided in a full year of climate finance.
“This imbalance must be corrected,” Wale said.
He called for a greater share of global resources to be directed towards climate finance, including full capitalisation of the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF), the Loss and Damage Fund and the Green Climate Fund’s (GCF)third replenishment.
Wale said the cost of conflict and global instability was also being felt directly by small island economies through higher fuel, shipping, electricity, food and essential service costs.
“These are not distant events,” he said.
“Every rise in the price of fuel is felt in the cost of shipping, electricity, food and essential services, placing a heavy burden on communities that have no buffer against external shocks.”
Wale said peace and security could not be separated from development.
“Peace and security are inseparable from development. Neither can be secured without the other,” he said.
“There are no winners in war, only graves, orphans and the long labour of rebuilding.”
He called on parties involved in armed conflicts to protect civilians, return to negotiations and respect international law.
“There is no substitute for dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful negotiation,” Wale said.
Wale warned that transnational criminal networks were increasingly using the Pacific Ocean to move illicit drugs, posing a threat to national security and communities.
“Transnational criminal networks are using our ocean as a highway for illicit drugs, undermining our sovereignty and national security, destroying young lives and tearing at the fabric of our communities,” he said.
Solomon Islands is amending its Dangerous Drugs Act to introduce tougher penalties and strengthen law enforcement.
Wale said Solomon Islands had acceded in August to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime.
“No Pacific country can win this fight alone,” he said, calling for stronger international cooperation, information sharing, investment in law enforcement capacity, prevention and rehabilitation.
Wale said Pacific countries were being forced into a cycle of disaster response, recovery and rebuilding as climate impacts intensified.
“Our islands are being lost to the sea. Disasters are more frequent and more devastating. Food and water security is under threat and communities are being forced from their ancestral lands,” he said.
He cited Tropical Cyclone Myla, a Category Five storm which he said had destroyed homes, schools, infrastructure and livelihoods in Solomon Islands.
The government has approved US$9.38 million for shelter recovery, diverting resources from other essential services.
“My people did the least to cause this crisis. Yet they pay its earliest and heaviest price,” Wale said.
He called for climate finance, including loss and damage support, to be channelled through national budget systems rather than relying on project-based financing.
“Project based financing of climate action is unsustainable and out of step with the scale of a crisis,” he said.
Wale also called for full capitalisation of the Pacific Resilience Facility and an ambitious third replenishment of the Green Climate Fund.
Wale said Solomon Islands would continue to defend its maritime interests and called for stronger action against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
He said IUU fishing costs the Pacific region about US$300 million each year.
“The ocean is not simply a resource. It is our identity, our heritage and our future,” he said.
“We do not own the ocean. We belong to it. We hold it in solemn trust for generations yet to be born.”
He also called for an ambitious, legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution covering the full life cycle of plastics.
Wale called for reform of the UN Security Council, including greater representation for small island developing states.
He said the veto power held by permanent Security Council members was outdated.
“The veto is a relic of 1945,” Wale said.
“Too often it has been used to shield violations of international law and to entrench the double standards that fuel conflict.”
He called for the veto to be prohibited in situations involving genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and ultimately for its abolition.
Wale also reaffirmed Solomon Islands’ commitment to UN peacekeeping, noting that the country was again contributing personnel to the UN mission in South Sudan.
“Despite our small size, our participation reaffirms our enduring commitment to the Charter, to international peace and security, and to the noble work of peacekeepers serving communities affected by conflict,” he said. …. PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: PIFS PACNEWS 1: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Forum Leaders Reinforce Strategic Partnership with the United Nations
NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PIFS)— Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders have reaffirmed a strong and unified regional mandate at the United Nations, advancing Pacific priorities including on climate change and financing, peace and security, and a stronger, more responsive multilateral system.
As part of their annual schedule, the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders had their dialogue with the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the margins of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
At their meeting, Leaders brought the mandate agreed at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau to the global stage, emphasising the importance of connecting Pacific-led priorities and regional decisions with international action and support.
Leaders highlighted the Pacific’s pathway towards COP31, the need to strengthen access to climate and development finance, and the Pacific Resilience Facility as a Pacific-led mechanism to strengthen community resilience.
On peace and security, Leaders reaffirmed the vision of the Blue Pacific as an Ocean of Peace, while addressing emerging challenges including sea-level rise, nuclear issues and transnational crime.
Leaders also highlighted the importance of inclusive and fit-for-purpose regional and global architecture, including continued reform within the Pacific and the United Nations, to ensure that institutions remain responsive to the priorities and needs of the communities they serve.
“The Pacific must continue to navigate together. Our 2050 Strategy remains our compass. And in Palau, our theme, B.E.L.A.U.: Building Economies: Life. Action. Unity. reminded us that the journey must ultimately serve our people, our communities, and the generations who will inherit our Blue Pacific. It also reminded us that we can do more together,” said President of Palau and PIF Chair, Surangel Whipps Jr.
Secretary-General Guterres reaffirmed the important role of the Pacific in bringing regional priorities to the international agenda, particularly on climate action, and expressed the United Nations’ solidarity with the region.
“The biggest richness of our world is the Pacific Ocean and that means that the region must be effectively protected, effectively supported and all including superpowers should not try to replace your role as the Pacific but to support your countries in the control and development of your countries,” said Guterres.
The Dialogue also carried particular significance as Secretary-General Guterres’ final meeting with Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in this format before his term concludes at the end of 2026.
Leaders expressed their appreciation for his longstanding friendship and solidarity with the Pacific, recognising his commitment to ensuring that the realities and priorities of Pacific Island countries, including climate change, sea-level rise and the vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States are heard at the heart of the international system.
The Dialogue reinforced the importance of an enduring Pacific–United Nations partnership that connects regional priorities with global decision-making, financing and implementation….PACNEWS
FIJI – POLITICS/DEMOCRACY: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Mon 28 Sep 2026
Fiji Constitution reform must not delay election:National Federation Party leader
SUVA, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—The National Federation Party (NFP) will not support any attempt to use constitutional reform to delay Fiji’s next general election, party leader Biman Prasad says.
Prasad said constitutional reform should not be rushed, but neither should it be allowed to suspend the public’s democratic right to vote.
He said the next general election, under the current Constitution, must be held no later than February 6, 2027.
“If there is no realistic time to pass a new constitution, pass all consequential laws, redraw the electoral system, educate voters, and conduct a credible election, then it must be held under the current constitution,” he said.
Prasad said the NFP supported constitutional reform and had made detailed submissions to the review process, but would not support a process driven by political convenience.
“A constitution must be built through open, transparent, and accountable discussion. It must command confidence beyond the government of the day.”
The NFP is represented on the Cabinet subcommittee considering the draft Constitution, with Sashi Kiran and Pio Tikoduadua attending Cabinet discussions.
Prasad said the party would support provisions it considered positive and work with other parties to change those it did not support.
He said the NFP wanted a modern Constitution based on human rights, equality and justice while protecting iTaukei land and other specific constitutional rights.
The party also supports stronger independence for public institutions, including safeguards against political control of constitutional appointments.
Prasad said Fiji must also “close the door to coups”, arguing that elected governments should be determined by elections and that civilian authority must remain clear.
“Reform without recklessness, principle without banning and progress without postponing the policy,” he said, outlining the NFP’s position.
He said urgent issues, including HIV, the drug crisis, healthcare and economic growth, must continue to receive attention while the constitutional debate proceeds.
Meanwhile, Fiji deputy Speaker Lenora Qereqeretabua is unlikely to contest the coming general election hinting she wants to leave politics.
This was according to National Federation Party (NFP) leader Biman Prasad, who said the party would respect Qereqeretabua’s decision, while two other senior NFP figures in Pio Tikoduadua and Sashi Kiran were still considering whether they would contest.
“Qereqeretabua has said that she is unlikely to contest the election. She wants to quit politics, and the party will respect that,” he said.
He said Tikoduadua had not made up his mind, whileKiran was rethinking her future in politics.
Prasad described all three as “very competent, valued Members of Parliament” whose work had been appreciated by the public.
“They have been excellent Members of Parliament, ministers, assistant minister, deputy speaker, and people have appreciated the work that they have done in Parliament and in the party. But as it happens to everyone, you move on.”
Prasad said he hoped all three would contest the next election and remain with the NFP, but acknowledged the decisions were ultimately theirs.
Prasad defended the NFP’s record in the Coalition Government, saying the party had helped stabilise the country’s finances and reduce the deficit during his three budgets as Finance Minister…..PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
A/SAMOA – DEEP SEA MINING: PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 28 Sep 2026
American Samoans should be involved in any federal decisions on deep-sea mining, governor says
PAGOPAGO, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES)——The government of American Samoa has launched a website to foster public discussion on deep-sea mining and keep its citizens engaged with the emerging issue.
While reiterating that American Samoa “does not support commercial deep-sea mineral extraction at this time,” Governor Pulaali‘i Nikolao Pula stressed the importance of remaining engaged in the federal process and being represented in policy decisions affecting the territory’s waters, economy, culture and future.
“Having a seat at the table gives American Samoa the ability to ask difficult questions, demand safeguards, insist on good science and protect our interests,” the governor said.
“Whatever the future brings, decisions affecting our ocean should not be made without our people being informed and
our voice being heard,” the governor said after the launch of the government website designed as a melting pot of differing perspectives on this emerging issue.
Spearheaded by the Deep Ocean Sustainability Initiative, the new website, deepseainfo.as.gov, is touted as a premier source of information on deep-sea mining for regional and global audiences.
The new website brings together science, government documents, news, videos, expert perspectives, educational materials and information about both the potential risks and economic opportunities associated with deep-sea minerals in one accessible location.
Pula noted the still-unresolved questions about potential effects on fisheries, the marine environment and deep-ocean ecosystems.
“Our responsibility is to make sure our people have the information they need to understand what is being proposed, what the risks may be, what opportunities may exist and what decisions still have to be made,” Pula said.
“Our ocean is central to who we are as Samoan people and to our economic future. We must approach these questions carefully, based on science,
transparency, and the interests of our people and future generations,” he added.
While developed first and foremost to ensure the people of American Samoa have access to reliable information, the administration’s broader goal is to establish the territory as a central repository for deep-sea minerals information in the Pacific for researchers, policymakers, students, industry, environmental organisations and anyone interested.
The website’s launch follows the governor’s Sept. 15 submission of formalcomments to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management regarding the proposed offshore mineral lease sale.
The current federal process concerns possible leasing and early-stage activities and any future proposal for commercial extraction would require additional plans, environmental review, regulatory decisions and opportunities for public participation.
Territorial officials said any early-stage activity must be carefully managed and used to improve understanding of the deep ocean, establish credible environmental baselines and provide the information necessary to evaluate future proposals.
“The website is not intended to advocate a predetermined outcome,” the governor’s office said. “Instead, it provides a place to examine the issue from multiple perspectives, including the science, environmental and cultural concerns, potential economic opportunities, technological developments, regulatory processes, and experiences of other Pacific island communities and jurisdictions.”
The site has also been designed for learners of all ages and levels, from children and students encountering the subject for the first time to adults, educators, policymakers, scientists and others seeking more detailed information.
Interactive learning and gameplay are incorporated into the site to help users explore complex questions in an understandable and engaging way, including the potential risks and rewards, competing priorities, and tradeoffs involved in decisions about deep-sea minerals….PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
1.5°C Not Just a Number, It’s Survival for the Pacific
NEW YORK, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SPREP)—For many countries, climate targets are policy goals. For Pacific Island nations, they are a matter of survival.
That message echoed throughout the ‘Defending 1.5°C in an Age of Instability: Science, Strategy and Global Solutions,’ event hosted by Climate Analytics during New York Climate Week. Scientists, policymakers and climate advocates discussed the future of the most critical goal of the Paris Agreement.
Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Climate Envoy and panelist at the event, brought the focus from global climate projections to the daily reality experienced across Pacific communities.
“There are some changes that are going to be baked in and that we can’t go back from,” she said, describing the loss and damage that rising seas are already inflicting on her country.
Some islets in the Marshall Islands have already become uninhabitable because of sea level rise. Across the nation’s 29 atolls, teams are documenting the growing impacts of climate change, from disappearing islands and inundated graveyards to ball fields now underwater.
“They are witnessing and seeing, as many islets across all of our 29 atolls are disappearing,” she said. Schools are also increasingly under threat. Assessment teams have been surveying facilities across remote atolls to determine which schools are already being affected by rising seas and which may have to relocate inland.
“So for us, every degree, every fraction of a degree matters,” Jetnil-Kijiner told participants.
Her remarks highlighted the reality Pacific leaders have warned about – climate change is no longer a future threat. It is already disrupting lives and livelihoods across the world’s most vulnerable nations.
That urgency was reinforced by Dr Bill Hare, Climate Analytics CEO and Senior Scientist. He warned that the consequences of overshooting 1.5°C will not simply disappear even if temperatures are brought down. “We are going to suffer irreversible damages, from sea level rise, ocean acidification, ice melting and coral reef loss,” he said.
For Pacific Island countries, those impacts are real – threatening food security, freshwater supplies, coastal loss and entire communities that depend on healthy oceans.
Rueanna Haynes, Climate Analytics Head of Diplomacy, reflected on the struggle by Small Island Developing States to keep 1.5°C alive in international climate negotiations. She shared the pain many felt at the thought of an overshoot. “I cried because I felt we had failed. Coming out of this reflection, I’ve realised that it is too early to say that we have failed.”
For Haynes, the seriousness of 1.5°C has not changed. “1.5°C has always been about protecting people, saving lives, preserving critical ecosystems that sustain life on our planet.”
It is “a defiant rallying point of hope” and “the only scientific, legal, morally defensible temperature limit worth discussing at the multilateral level today.”
As countries prepare their next round of climate commitments, Pacific leaders continue to remind the world what is at stake. For nations like the Marshall Islands, the debate over 1.5°C is not about numbers or negotiating positions. It is about whether future generations will inherit thriving island communities or witness their slow disappearance from rising seas.
Jetnil-Kijiner made clear that every fraction of a degree matters. And Haynes reminded participants that “1.5°C is more than a temperature. It remains a line in the sand for humanity itself.”….PACNEWS
