In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Vanuatu raises West Papua rights, Kanaky decolonisation, Matthew and Hunter dispute at UN
2. PACIFIC — Pacific newsrooms urged to keep AI dependency in check
3. SOL — Public institutions must put merit ahead of connections: Dr Aqorau
4. FIJI — Let Fiji Parliament decide PM term cap: Rabuka
5. PACIFIC — PNG’s senior leader Garry Juffa warns “criminal cartels” and “colonial laws” are robbing Solomon Islands, PNG landowners
6. TONGA — Solar desalination brings water security to remote Tongan islands
7. FIJI — Former FBC GM Hugh Leonard dies at 88
8. USA — UN leaders renew push to defeat racism, 25 years after Durban
9. PACNEWS BIZ — New ADB grant to strengthen urban resilience and disaster preparedness in Vanuatu
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific students want help beyond a growing loan bill in New Zealand
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — Cook Islands advances geospatial action for climate resilience and sustainable development
PACIFIC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Vanuatu raises West Papua rights, Kanaky decolonisation, Matthew and Hunter dispute at UN
NEW YORK, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Vanuatu has raised concerns over alleged human rights violations in West Papua, called for the decolonisation of Kanaky New Caledonia and urged France to accept the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the disputed Matthew and Hunter Islands.
Vanuatu’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Odo Tevi, raised the three issues in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Tevi said peace and security could not be separated from human rights and called for renewed international attention to the situation of indigenous Papuans in West Papua.
“Vanuatu remains deeply concerned about reports of serious human rights violations affecting indigenous Papuans in West Papua,” Tevi said.
He said United Nations special procedures had raised concerns over indigenous rights, displacement, cultural rights, environmental impacts and the treatment of human rights defenders in Papua.
“The call from the Pacific Forum leaders for the UN Human Rights Commissioner visit to West Papua remains unheeded and needs to be action,” he said.
Tevi also reaffirmed Vanuatu’s support for the decolonisation of Kanaky New Caledonia, which remains on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
“We reiterate the inalienable right of the indigenous Kanak people to self-determination and call for a peaceful, inclusive, transparent and credible process consistent with the Charter of the United Nations and relevant General Assembly resolutions,” he said.
Tevi said Vanuatu remained concerned about persistent socio-economic disparities affecting Kanaks, including inequalities in employment, education, income and access to economic opportunities.
He said the disparities were long-standing structural imbalances that constrained the full and equitable enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by indigenous Kanaks despite New Caledonia’s natural resources and economic potential.
“Addressing these disparities is essential to fostering social cohesion and advancing a just, inclusive and sustainable decolonisation process,” Tevi said.
Vanuatu called for the full implementation of relevant UN resolutions on New Caledonia and continued engagement among all stakeholders, including France as the administering power and representatives of the people.
Tevi also reaffirmed the role of the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation and the Fourth Committee in advancing self-determination.
He said the rights, aspirations and interests of the Kanak people must remain at the centre of the decolonisation process.
Turning to Vanuatu’s territorial dispute with France, Tevi said the Vanuatu Government had initiated proceedings against France before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)at the end of August.
The case concerns sovereignty over Umaenupne and Umaeneg islands, known in English as Matthew and Hunter Islands, as well as maritime boundaries between Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
“These islands are an integral part of Vanuatu’s territory,” Tevi said.
He said Vanuatu’s position was grounded in customary governance, long-standing historical connections and indigenous ownership, which he said formed part of the country’s responsibility as ancestral custodians.
Tevi acknowledged France’s support for the international rules-based order and its backing for international judicial institutions.
He also recognised France’s cooperation with Vanuatu on global climate action, including support for initiatives before the ICJ.
“We greatly value this partnership and France leadership on issues of international importance.
“It is in the same spirit of mutual respect and commitment to international law that we respectfully invite France to consent to the jurisdiction of the court,” Tevi said…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE/MEDIA: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Pacific newsrooms urged to keep AI dependency in check
By Pita Ligaiula
SUVA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Pacific newsrooms should not allow dependence on overseas artificial intelligence companies to undermine editorial independence, says Pasifika AI creator and Kanaky Tech founder Kevyn Wahuzue.
Wahuzue told PACNEWS that while most AI systems used in the Pacific are developed outside the region, news organisations can still control how much they depend on those platforms.
“Start by being honest: almost every AI tool, including the models Pasifika AI runs on, is built outside the region. I don’t pretend otherwise. What you control is how dependent you become,” he said.
Wahuzue said newsrooms should avoid relying on a single AI provider because companies can change their pricing, rules or technology with little notice.
“Never build on a single provider,” he said.
He said his own experience with Pasifika AI had shown the risks of relying on one model.
“This month alone I had to change the main model behind Pasifika AI because the one I used couldn’t write Pacific languages properly,” Wahuzue said.
For Pacific media organisations, he said AI should remain a tool rather than becoming part of the editorial decision-making process.
“If a company changes its prices, its rules or its model tomorrow, you should still be able to publish,” he said.
Wahuzue also urged newsrooms to retain control of their archives, data and workflows rather than placing them entirely inside third-party AI platforms.
“Keep your archive, your data and your workflow on your side, not inside someone else’s product,” he said.
He said editors must also be alert to the way AI tools can shape journalism through their built-in rules and assumptions.
“And never let a tool’s defaults become your editorial line: what it refuses to discuss, how it frames a story, which sources it trusts.
“Those are editorial decisions. They belong to editors,” he told PACNEWS.
Wahuzue said the question of ownership becomes more complicated when Pacific stories, photographs, archives and cultural knowledge are used to develop or train AI systems.
“Legally, it’s unsettled, and it depends on the country. The rules were written for a world where copying took effort,” he said.
But he said the ethical position was clearer.
“A photo belongs to the photographer or the newsroom. A story belongs to the outlet that published it,” Wahuzue told PACNEWS.
He said cultural knowledge should remain under the control of the communities from which it originates, regardless of where that knowledge is recorded or stored.
“Cultural knowledge belongs to the people it comes from, even when someone else recorded it, even when it sits in a museum overseas,” he said.
Wahuzue pointed to Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which recognises Indigenous peoples’ rights over their cultural heritage and traditional knowledge.
He also cited work by Te Mana Raraunga in Aotearoa New Zealand on Māori data sovereignty as an example of how Indigenous data rights can be addressed in practice.
For Pacific newsrooms, Wahuzue said the first step was to establish exactly what their archives contain and determine how that material can be used.
“Know what’s in your archive, decide who can use it and on what terms, and don’t let it be taken by default,” he told PACNEWS
“Your archive is the region’s memory. It shouldn’t be free training data for anyone who asks,” he said…. PACNEWS
SOL – ACCOUNTABILITY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Public institutions must put merit ahead of connections: Dr Aqorau
HONIARA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Public institutions in Solomon Islands must put merit, fairness and accountability ahead of personal connections if they are to earn public trust, Solomon Islands National University (SINU) Vice Chancellor Dr Transform Aqorau has told the Attorney-General’s Conference in Honiara.
Delivering the keynote address titled “Law at the Centre: Building Institutions Worthy of Public Trust last week in Honiara, Dr Aqorau said good governance was not only about laws and court decisions but how public power was exercised every day.
“It is about how public power is exercised every day: whether appointments are fair, public money is properly accounted for, decisions have clear reasons, and people can raise concerns without fear,” he said.
Dr Aqorau drew on his experience as a young legal officer who joined the Solomon Islands public service in 1988, his work helping build the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), and his current role strengthening SINU.
He said political leaders had a legitimate role in setting the country’s direction, but public servants must be able to work professionally and provide honest advice.
“When personal connections begin to determine appointments, we lose capable people, weaken institutions and, ultimately, let down the public,” Aqorau said.
Aqorau also addressed wantokism, saying traditional ties remain an important source of belonging, care and resilience but should not determine access to public positions, contracts or state resources.
“We should value them. But a public position, contract or resource is held on behalf of the whole country,” he said.
“Once we are entrusted with public power, every Solomon Islander becomes our wantok.”
He said merit and fairness must give young Solomon Islanders from every province a genuine opportunity to serve the country.
Aqorau highlighted the PNA as an example of Pacific countries using strong institutions and legal frameworks to turn national interests into practical economic benefits.
Pacific island countries sought a greater return from tuna resources in their waters, leading to the development of the Vessel Day Scheme, fishing access rules and systems to monitor and enforce those rules.
“That experience taught me that a good idea needs sound legal design, reliable information and people willing to stay the course.
“We did not get everything right at once. Members disagreed, some initiatives struggled, and we had to adjust. But we kept working around a shared purpose,” he said.
Dr Aqorau said law helped Pacific countries translate their sovereign rights over marine resources into benefits for their people.
He said institution building also required organisations to examine their own systems, including through audits, complaints and investigations.
“These must be handled fairly and with care. An allegation is not a finding, and every person affected deserves natural justice,” Dr Aqorau said.
But where reviews identify weaknesses, institutions must act on them.
“Receiving a report is only the beginning; its recommendations need owners, deadlines and follow-through,” Dr Aqorau said.
He also linked strong public institutions to national security, warning that organised criminal networks look for weaknesses in public systems.
“Organised criminal networks look for gaps in public systems: an appointment made through influence, a procurement process without proper records, or an officer who is afraid to speak honestly,” he said.
Dr Aqorau said competent and independent public officers, supported by proper records and fair processes, were part of the country’s protection against such risks.
He called on lawyers and public leaders to bring legal advice into decisions early, make merit visible in recruitment, maintain clear records, protect oversight bodies and support public officers who uphold standards.
Dr Aqorau said reform did not have to wait for a major programme.
“Each ministry, province, state-owned enterprise and public institution can begin with its next appointment, contract, investigation or board meeting,” he said.
Dr Aqorau said the test of public institutions was whether they could give young Solomon Islanders confidence that ability and integrity mattered.
“What kind of public service should welcome a young Solomon Islander walking through its doors today?” he asked.
“I hope it is one where ability is recognised, integrity is protected, and service to the public comes before personal connection.”
“Law must be at the centre because our people must be at the centre,” he said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – PARLIAMENT/POLITICS: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Let Fiji Parliament decide PM term cap: Rabuka
SUVA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says it is up to the people and Parliament to decide whether a prime minister should be limited to two terms.
He labelled the Constitution Review Commission’s (CRC) proposal “a good suggestion”.
Rabuka, who has served as prime minister twice, said the recommendation came from people who made submissions to the CRC and must now be voted on by Parliament.
“It is a good suggestion, and it’ll be up to the people,” he said outside his office Monday.
He said the 2013 Constitution stated that no one should be discriminated against on the grounds of health, age and other factors.
“If we do not change that part of the Constitution, then it may be contradicting itself by putting a limit,” Mr Rabuka said.
Rabuka was elected prime minister in 1992, but his government collapsed in 1993 after dissidents in his own party voted down his budget.
He called a snap election in 1994, won it and led a new government until 1999. He returned as prime minister in 2022.
The CRC recommended that the prime minister serve no more than two four-year terms.
It also recommended removing Chapter 10, the immunity clause, which grants “absolute and unconditional immunity” for the 1987 and 2006 coups.
Asked about the CRC’s options on immunity, Rabuka declined to comment.
“I’ll leave it to the debate,” he said.
Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry said his party did not recognise the CRC report because Parliament did not approve the committee.
He still described the term limit as “a good recommendation”.
Unity Fiji Party leader Savenaca Narube did not agree.
“I do not see any reason why a term for a PM, which is elected from within the party that wins, to be limited at all,” he said.
Both men said the process was being rushed, with the general election due by February 6.
“Just leave it for the next government to look at the constitution,” Chaudhry said.
“Now, stop it now, leave the rest of it to after the election,” Narube said.
Rabuka said the process was not rushed, as the Government had taken up the bill before, it was defeated, and it restarted after the Supreme Court ruling.
Rabuka said he could not guarantee the numbers for the second reading vote this week.
“It depends on how well we present the case for the amendment and we leave it to the members to vote,” he said.
He said it was unclear whether two-thirds meant 55 members or two-thirds of the 53 sitting MPs. The Speaker would give the directive, he said…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – CRIMINAL CARTELS/COLONIAL LAWS: INDEPTH SOLOMONS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
PNG’s senior leader Garry Juffa warns “criminal cartels” and “colonial laws” are robbing Solomon Islands, PNG landowners
CAIRNS, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (INDEPTH SOLOMONS) — Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands have been warned that failing to reform colonial resource laws risks losing people’s resources to foreign “criminal cartels. “
Speaking exclusively to In-depth Solomons at the third Asia Pacific Forest Crime Network meeting in Cairns, outspoken Oro Provincial Governor Garry Juffa said both nations remain bound by resource frameworks designed to serve foreign interests rather than empowering native titleholders.
“Many of these laws are outdated colonial laws. They are not our laws; they are their laws,” Juffa said “We have attained political independence, but to attain economic independence, we must have our own laws, especially for resource development.”
Juffa pointed to changes made to PNG’s mining legislation around 2009–2010 as a critical failure.
He argued these amendments were passed without genuine public consultation, effectively reducing customary landowners to mere “surface landowners” while vesting everything beneath the ground to the State.
“For PNG most landowners don’t realise that they are merely surface landowners,” he explained.
“Everything under the land belongs to the State, and the State can then negotiate with developers. And I guess Solomon Islands must be having the same issues.
He cautioned both the Solomon Islands and PNG to urgently re-examine their resources laws to prevent foreign firms and state entities from controlling underground wealth while leaving local communities with minimal benefits.
Juffa did not mince words when describing the actors currently dominating the logging and mining sectors across Melanesia.
He alleged that many companies active in PNG—and increasingly visible in the Solomon Islands—are “not genuine investors but criminal organisations.”
“They will manipulate and threaten anyone in anyway just to get what they want,” Juffa said.
“They will entice, they will intimidate, they will bribe, they will induce. That is what they do, and only criminal organisations do that.”
He said “Genuine investors follow the law, pay taxes, and prioritise the welfare of the host nation’s people.
The organisations currently exploiting the region, he argued, will compromise state agencies, politicians, and public servants without hesitation to maximize their profits.”
The governor warned that Melanesian countries face “State Capture” by powerful forces that target not only natural resources but the very institutions meant to defend the public interest. By funding political parties and infiltrating parliaments, these groups ensure favorable laws are passed.
He urged the Solomon Islands to learn from PNG’s experience, where many state agencies have already been compromised. To fight back, Juffa called for strong, courageous leadership at every level of governance and continuous reform of the public sector so it can act as a true gatekeeper against predatory interests.
“People have to invest in leadership rather than being bought,” Juffa urged voters.
“We need leaders who are willing to fight like warriors to protect the interests of our country, to protect the interests of our people, current and going into the future.”
Without these urgent reforms, Juffa warned, the real wealth of Melanesia will continue to be decided in foreign boardrooms, far from the village communities that rightfully own the land…. PACNEWS
TONGA – WATER SUPPLY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Solar desalination brings water security to remote Tongan islands
NUKU’ALOFA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Two remote communities in Tonga’s Vava’u island group are now producing their own drinking water after solar-powered desalination systems were installed on Hunga and Matamaka.
The systems, delivered by Australian water-solutions company Bluemont Pty Ltd in partnership with Dutch technology provider Elemental Water Makers, convert seawater into fresh water using solar-powered reverse osmosis.
Each unit can produce up to 4,300 litres of drinking water a day, giving the two communities a combined capacity of up to 8,600 litres.
The installations are designed to reduce the communities’ reliance on rainwater harvesting, which can leave remote islands vulnerable when rainfall is low and water tanks run dry.
Residents can otherwise face water rationing or the high cost and logistical challenges of transporting bottled water by boat.
Bluemont Director Paul Hart said the project had made a significant difference to the communities.
“It was life changing for me as well as the villagers who now have a reliable source of clean drinking water for the first time ever,” Hart said.
“With the declaration of the ‘Super El Nino’ this work could not be more important.”
The project also focused on local ownership, with 10 community members on each island trained to operate and maintain the systems.
At least five women from each community were included in the training, along with a representative from the Tonga Water Board.
The solar-powered systems are designed to operate for 15 years and require limited maintenance, while eliminating the need for fossil fuel to produce the drinking water.
Bluemont worked with Elemental Water Makers, Pacific Technologies New Zealand, Tonga Water Board Poate Vai ‘O Tonga and communities on Hunga and Matamaka on the planning, transportation, installation and commissioning.
The project also received grant support through Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO).
Bluemont is now discussing a proposal with the Tongan Government that could seek Asian Development Bank support to introduce solar desalination to another 23 remote communities.
That expansion has not yet been confirmed.
The Hunga and Matamaka installations provide an example of how locally operated solar desalination systems could improve water security in isolated Pacific communities facing increasing climate and rainfall pressures…. PACNEWS
FIJI – OBITUARY: FBC NEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Former FBC GM Hugh Leonard dies at 88
SUVA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FBC NEWS) — Former Fijian Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) General Manager and longest-serving Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, Hugh Leonard, has died in Brisbane at the age of 88.
Leonard died on 21 September 2026, ending a broadcasting career that spanned more than four decades and was closely linked to Fiji and the development of broadcasting across the Asia-Pacific.
Born in Greymouth, New Zealand, Leonard lived in Fiji from 1960 to 1985.
He began his career as a radio announcer and disc jockey before rising to become head of English programmes and later General Manager of FBC.
His association with the ABU began in 1974 when he attended his first General Assembly as an FBC representative.
He later became an ABU Vice President before being elected Secretary-General in 1985, a position he held until 2002.
Leonard served 17 years as the union’s chief executive during a period of major transformation in global broadcasting.
Under his leadership, the ABU navigated the region’s transition to digital broadcasting and the rapid expansion of television and new technologies.
After stepping down, Leonard was asked to remain for another year to document the union’s history.
His book, Four Decades of Unity, became the definitive history of the ABU.
He was elected an ABU honorary councillor in July 2003.
His final ABU General Assembly appearance came in Macau in 2014, when he returned to mark the organisation’s 50th anniversary.
Reflecting on the changing relationship between broadcasters and audiences, Leonard wrote that broadcasting was increasingly becoming a two-way process.
“The technology is there to make that happen, and it is being used,” he wrote.
After retiring in 2003, Leonard moved to Brisbane to be closer to his family.
Beyond broadcasting, he enjoyed restoring old English motorbikes and flying remote-controlled model aeroplanes.
He also served on an eminent jury panel in 2009 that selected the winner of the University of Queensland’s Communication and Social Change Award.
Leonard is survived by his wife, Pauline, and their three children, Linda, Diane and Brendan, who all live in Australia…. PACNEWS
UN – RACISM: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
UN leaders renew push to defeat racism, 25 years after Durban
NEW YORK, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) — “No country is free of racism.” That warning from U.S youth activist Marley Dias set the tone on Monday as UN Member States reinvigorated global efforts against racism, discrimination and xenophobia with a new declaration.
During the meeting, Dias, founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks, urged States to confront the enduring legacies of slavery, colonialism and discrimination, emphasising many young people have never been taught the histories that shaped the institutions and societies they inherited.
Recalling that she launched #1000BlackGirlBooks when she was 11 – because she could not find girls like herself in books at school – she underscored the power of representation and education.
Further, youth must be central to full implementation of the Durban Declaration, she said, including through accurate and accessible digital educational materials.
“Let’s write a new chapter together,” she said.
The 2001 adoption of the Durban Declaration followed widespread and grave concern over entrenched racism since the UN’s inception, from colonialism to 46 years of South African apartheid.
The United Nations and the international community are continuing to work towards dismantling systemic racism to establish dignity, equality and justice for all.
During the day-long meeting on Monday, some delegates pointed to new and emerging challenges. Voicing deep concern over “the alarming resurgence of all forms of racism”, the representative of Uruguay, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, called on States to combat racism, hate speech and religious intolerance, both online and offline.
Social media enables messages of hatred to spread “at alarming speed”, alongside information and disinformation increasingly amplified by artificial intelligence (AI), she said.
While new technologies can be “extremely beneficial for sustainable development if used responsibly”, countries must work together to ensure that technological developments “contribute to a better world and do not perpetuate or exacerbate existing and structural inequalities”.
Some delegates called for reparations for slavery and colonialism. Adam Tesfaye Abera, Chief of Staff at Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to its Programme of Action, highlighting the urgent need for reparations for colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine, said the Durban Declaration was a reminder that colonialism, genocide, apartheid and slavery have profound and lasting consequences and that “historical injustice cannot be overcome through remembrance alone, it requires justice and reparation”.
The declaration carries particular significance for Palestinians, Mansour said, recalling that 25 years ago it expressed concern over their plight under foreign occupation and recognised their right to self-determination and an independent State.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for stronger laws, inclusive institutions and reparatory justice to combat racism – a “poison” rooted in slavery and colonialism that is still potent today.
The Secretary-General highlighted discrimination faced by people of African descent as well as Indigenous Peoples, migrants, refugees and minorities.
Around the world, “racism continues to poison societies, deepen inequalities and deny people their fundamental rights and freedoms,” he said.
Pointing out that it “is deeply rooted in the entrenched legacies of colonialism, enslavement and oppression”, Guterres said racism takes many forms, from economic, social and political inequalities, both within and across countries, to discriminatory laws, policies and institutions.
Moreover, digital tools and technologies “are amplifying the spread of hate speech and disinformation, perpetuating lies and harmful stereotypes, and fuelling violence and abuse,” he warned.
“The antidote to these poisons is unity and tangible action,” he said.
In this regard, the UN chief called for making concrete change during the Second International Decade for People of African Descent, which began in December 2024.
“And we need to see the universal ratification and full implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,” he added.
“Together, let’s reject injustice,” he said. “Together, let’s build societies where racism and discrimination have no place – today and for all time…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
VAN – GRANT: ADB PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 29 Sep 2026
New ADB grant to strengthen urban resilience and disaster preparedness in Vanuatu
MANILA,29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ADB) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$12.6 million grant—the third financing for the Greater Port Vila Urban Resilience Project—to help further improve urban resilience and disaster preparedness in Vanuatu’s economic centre, the Greater Port Vila area.
The financing is funded through the Asian Development Fund (ADF) and is complemented by a US$5.6 million grant from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through the Community Resilience Partnership Program Investment Fund, and an in-kind contribution of US$700,000 from the Government of Vanuatu.
“Vanuatu is highly exposed to disasters caused by natural hazards which are becoming increasingly frequent and severe. This additional financing will build on the strong foundation already established through the project in providing shelter during such emergent situations,” said Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office Jyotsana Varma.
“We are pleased to be working closely with the government and local communities, including on arrangements to use and maintain the assets already created, so that these investments continue to serve people well into the future.”
The grants will support the construction of three new multipurpose emergency shelters in the communities of Agathis, Freshwind, and Nambatri, designed to provide safe and resilient facilities for vulnerable populations during disasters, and to function as community gathering spaces and markets during normal periods. It will also help develop an emergency shelter strategy to routinely assess shelter capacity, identify service gaps, and guide the planning and prioritization of future emergency shelter investments.
By 2031, the project is expected to have directly benefited at least 23,400 people, including 11,700 women, through improved access to resilient urban assets and services.
ADB’s financing for the project began in 2020 with a US$9.6 million grant, followed by a US$2.9 million grant in 2022, which helped expand urban resilience planning and infrastructure investments and launched nature-based coastal protection measures in Greater Port Vila.
The ADF supports countries most in need to meet today’s challenges while building the foundations for lasting growth…. PACNEWS
NZ – LOAN BILL: PMN PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Pacific students want help beyond a growing loan bill in New Zealand
WELLINGTON, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PMN) — A student leader says Labour’s debt write-off in New Zealand could help after graduation but rent, food, unpaid placements and family commitments are making it harder for Pacific students to get there in the first place.
For Pacific students, the biggest financial pressure may come long before they have to repay a student loan.
That is the message from Pacific student leader Tautalaleleia Sa’u, after Labour announced it would wipe 10 percent off eligible student loan balances if it wins the election.
Sa’u, who studies at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington and was a Youth MP for Labour MP Ginny Andersen in 2025, told Pacific Mornings the policy would make a difference for some graduates.
“For some, that could mean thousands or hundreds of dollars less to repay, a quicker path towards their financial goals.”
But Sa’u says the bigger challenge for many Pacific students is having enough money to stay in study and graduate.
“They’re worried more about rent, food, transport and supporting their families. So, while debt relief does help a bit, we also need to address the barriers that stop students from getting through university in the first place.”
Labour’s policy would apply to current and future graduates who remain New Zealand-based for tax purposes, did not benefit from Fees Free and still have a student loan. Balances of $2000 (US$1,131) or less would be cleared entirely.
Labour estimates the policy would cost $583.4 million (US$330 million) over five years.
National has instead promised to cut the compulsory student loan repayment rate from 12 cents to 10 cents in every dollar earned above $24,128(US$13,655) from 1 April 2027.
National campaign chair Simeon Brown has criticised Labour’s plan as “yet another enormous bill on top of more than $18 billion (US$10 billion) in new spending promises” while ACT leader David Seymour has called it a bribe and questioned who will ultimately carry the cost.
Sa’u says the focus needs to go beyond what graduates owe.
“Our teachers, our nurses, our social workers and our health professionals will spend hundreds of hours on unpaid placements while trying to figure out how they’re going to pay rent, groceries and transport costs. These are our essential workers that we need to help keep things going in our public sector.”
He says Pacific students can be balancing study with work, family, church and community responsibilities.
“We can get our foot through the door, but what about getting our bodies completely in.”
This election is Sa’u’s first time voting.
The pressure on students reflects wider concerns among Pacific families. Ninety per cent of respondents to the PMN-Horizon Research Pacific Issues Election Survey say the cost of living will be a major factor in how they vote in this election.
The cost of taking part in tertiary education is also tied to a wider election issue: whether Pacific people can access and take part in the political system itself.
At the Pacific Knowing Election 2026 Project Symposium, in Wainuiomata on Saturday, Samoana Nokise, a Researcher and Community Worker, told PMN News she plans to vote because of the pressure facing Pacific families.
“I need to vote because I need change. I think our families need change, our community needs change and we need people who make these decisions for us to make them with us and with us in mind.”
Nokise says access to information and the voting process can be barriers for Pacific communities.
“I’ve actually brought friends to vote on the day who weren’t enrolled, and now that’s been taken away.”
She rejects the idea that Pacific and young people are not interested in politics.
“When you’re a Pacific person, especially in Aotearoa, you have no choice but to be political.”
Her message to young people is simple. “You should get out and vote because you deserve better. We all deserve better.”
Under the new rules, voters must be enrolled before voting starts.
The deadline is midnight on Sunday 25 October with advance voting starting the following day. Election day is Saturday 7 November…. PACNEWS
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Cook Islands advances geospatial action for climate resilience and sustainable development
RAROTONGA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SPC) — The Cook Islands has agreed on national priorities and next steps to strengthen geospatial information management and support better decision-making on infrastructure, climate resilience and ocean governance.
The National Geospatial Workshop and Technical Training, held in Rarotonga from 14 to 18 September, brought together representatives from government, state-owned enterprises, the private sector, academia and Pa Enua communities, including women and youth. Their participation helped bring diverse needs and perspectives into national planning.
Participants agreed to develop actions across all nine strategic pathways of the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-IGIF).
“The UN-IGIF is a strategic framework developed to help countries strengthen their national geospatial information management arrangements,” said Meizyanne Hicks of Fiji’s Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, who provided UN-IGIF resource support.
“Its purpose is to help governments use geospatial information more effectively to support policies, public services, economic development, environmental management and national development priorities.”
The Cook Islands identified five areas for immediate attention: governance and institutions, policy and legal frameworks, financial sustainability, data, and communication and engagement. These priorities will help clarify responsibilities, improve data sharing and guide investment in trusted location-based information. The remaining pathways will be advanced through linked actions and technical capacity development.
“This is our plan, a Cook Islands plan,” said Vaipo Mataora of Infrastructure Cook Islands, Chair of the Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Council (PGSC).
“It must reflect our national priorities, our institutional arrangements, our technical capabilities and the needs of both Rarotonga and our Pa Enua.”
The workshop also included a three-day, hands-on technical training component. Participants strengthened their skills in satellite positioning, reference station technology, the Online GPS Processing Service (AUSPOS) processing, Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) mapping and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-derived data. They applied these skills through the national Geoportal, Maritime Boundaries Dashboard and Ocean Portal, linking technical training to practical tools for land, coastal and ocean management.
“Effective geospatial information management relies on technology, partnerships, collaboration and a shared vision,” said Andrick Lal of the Pacific Community (SPC), speaking on behalf of the Climate and Oceans Support Programme in the Pacific (COSPPac) and of the UNEP-implemented project, Enhancing Climate Information and Knowledge Services for Resilience in Five Island Countries of the Pacific Ocean (CIS-Pac5).
As a next step, participants will finalise a resourced National Geospatial Action Plan, setting out defined actions, timeframes and responsible agencies for the five priority areas. The plan will provide a practical basis for coordinating implementation and guiding future investment in geospatial information.
SPC delivered the workshop through PGSC, with support from COSPPac, funded by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, and from the Green Climate Fund-supported, CIS-Pac5…. PACNEWS
In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Vanuatu raises West Papua rights, Kanaky decolonisation, Matthew and Hunter dispute at UN
2. PACIFIC — Pacific newsrooms urged to keep AI dependency in check
3. SOL — Public institutions must put merit ahead of connections: Dr Aqorau
4. FIJI — Let Fiji Parliament decide PM term cap: Rabuka
5. PACIFIC — PNG’s senior leader Garry Juffa warns “criminal cartels” and “colonial laws” are robbing Solomon Islands, PNG landowners
6. TONGA — Solar desalination brings water security to remote Tongan islands
7. FIJI — Former FBC GM Hugh Leonard dies at 88
8. USA — UN leaders renew push to defeat racism, 25 years after Durban
9. PACNEWS BIZ — New ADB grant to strengthen urban resilience and disaster preparedness in Vanuatu
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific students want help beyond a growing loan bill in New Zealand
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — Cook Islands advances geospatial action for climate resilience and sustainable development
PACIFIC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Vanuatu raises West Papua rights, Kanaky decolonisation, Matthew and Hunter dispute at UN
NEW YORK, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Vanuatu has raised concerns over alleged human rights violations in West Papua, called for the decolonisation of Kanaky New Caledonia and urged France to accept the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the disputed Matthew and Hunter Islands.
Vanuatu’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Odo Tevi, raised the three issues in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Tevi said peace and security could not be separated from human rights and called for renewed international attention to the situation of indigenous Papuans in West Papua.
“Vanuatu remains deeply concerned about reports of serious human rights violations affecting indigenous Papuans in West Papua,” Tevi said.
He said United Nations special procedures had raised concerns over indigenous rights, displacement, cultural rights, environmental impacts and the treatment of human rights defenders in Papua.
“The call from the Pacific Forum leaders for the UN Human Rights Commissioner visit to West Papua remains unheeded and needs to be action,” he said.
Tevi also reaffirmed Vanuatu’s support for the decolonisation of Kanaky New Caledonia, which remains on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
“We reiterate the inalienable right of the indigenous Kanak people to self-determination and call for a peaceful, inclusive, transparent and credible process consistent with the Charter of the United Nations and relevant General Assembly resolutions,” he said.
Tevi said Vanuatu remained concerned about persistent socio-economic disparities affecting Kanaks, including inequalities in employment, education, income and access to economic opportunities.
He said the disparities were long-standing structural imbalances that constrained the full and equitable enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by indigenous Kanaks despite New Caledonia’s natural resources and economic potential.
“Addressing these disparities is essential to fostering social cohesion and advancing a just, inclusive and sustainable decolonisation process,” Tevi said.
Vanuatu called for the full implementation of relevant UN resolutions on New Caledonia and continued engagement among all stakeholders, including France as the administering power and representatives of the people.
Tevi also reaffirmed the role of the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation and the Fourth Committee in advancing self-determination.
He said the rights, aspirations and interests of the Kanak people must remain at the centre of the decolonisation process.
Turning to Vanuatu’s territorial dispute with France, Tevi said the Vanuatu Government had initiated proceedings against France before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)at the end of August.
The case concerns sovereignty over Umaenupne and Umaeneg islands, known in English as Matthew and Hunter Islands, as well as maritime boundaries between Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
“These islands are an integral part of Vanuatu’s territory,” Tevi said.
He said Vanuatu’s position was grounded in customary governance, long-standing historical connections and indigenous ownership, which he said formed part of the country’s responsibility as ancestral custodians.
Tevi acknowledged France’s support for the international rules-based order and its backing for international judicial institutions.
He also recognised France’s cooperation with Vanuatu on global climate action, including support for initiatives before the ICJ.
“We greatly value this partnership and France leadership on issues of international importance.
“It is in the same spirit of mutual respect and commitment to international law that we respectfully invite France to consent to the jurisdiction of the court,” Tevi said…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE/MEDIA: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Pacific newsrooms urged to keep AI dependency in check
By Pita Ligaiula
SUVA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Pacific newsrooms should not allow dependence on overseas artificial intelligence companies to undermine editorial independence, says Pasifika AI creator and Kanaky Tech founder Kevyn Wahuzue.
Wahuzue told PACNEWS that while most AI systems used in the Pacific are developed outside the region, news organisations can still control how much they depend on those platforms.
“Start by being honest: almost every AI tool, including the models Pasifika AI runs on, is built outside the region. I don’t pretend otherwise. What you control is how dependent you become,” he said.
Wahuzue said newsrooms should avoid relying on a single AI provider because companies can change their pricing, rules or technology with little notice.
“Never build on a single provider,” he said.
He said his own experience with Pasifika AI had shown the risks of relying on one model.
“This month alone I had to change the main model behind Pasifika AI because the one I used couldn’t write Pacific languages properly,” Wahuzue said.
For Pacific media organisations, he said AI should remain a tool rather than becoming part of the editorial decision-making process.
“If a company changes its prices, its rules or its model tomorrow, you should still be able to publish,” he said.
Wahuzue also urged newsrooms to retain control of their archives, data and workflows rather than placing them entirely inside third-party AI platforms.
“Keep your archive, your data and your workflow on your side, not inside someone else’s product,” he said.
He said editors must also be alert to the way AI tools can shape journalism through their built-in rules and assumptions.
“And never let a tool’s defaults become your editorial line: what it refuses to discuss, how it frames a story, which sources it trusts.
“Those are editorial decisions. They belong to editors,” he told PACNEWS.
Wahuzue said the question of ownership becomes more complicated when Pacific stories, photographs, archives and cultural knowledge are used to develop or train AI systems.
“Legally, it’s unsettled, and it depends on the country. The rules were written for a world where copying took effort,” he said.
But he said the ethical position was clearer.
“A photo belongs to the photographer or the newsroom. A story belongs to the outlet that published it,” Wahuzue told PACNEWS.
He said cultural knowledge should remain under the control of the communities from which it originates, regardless of where that knowledge is recorded or stored.
“Cultural knowledge belongs to the people it comes from, even when someone else recorded it, even when it sits in a museum overseas,” he said.
Wahuzue pointed to Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which recognises Indigenous peoples’ rights over their cultural heritage and traditional knowledge.
He also cited work by Te Mana Raraunga in Aotearoa New Zealand on Māori data sovereignty as an example of how Indigenous data rights can be addressed in practice.
For Pacific newsrooms, Wahuzue said the first step was to establish exactly what their archives contain and determine how that material can be used.
“Know what’s in your archive, decide who can use it and on what terms, and don’t let it be taken by default,” he told PACNEWS
“Your archive is the region’s memory. It shouldn’t be free training data for anyone who asks,” he said…. PACNEWS
SOL – ACCOUNTABILITY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Public institutions must put merit ahead of connections: Dr Aqorau
HONIARA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Public institutions in Solomon Islands must put merit, fairness and accountability ahead of personal connections if they are to earn public trust, Solomon Islands National University (SINU) Vice Chancellor Dr Transform Aqorau has told the Attorney-General’s Conference in Honiara.
Delivering the keynote address titled “Law at the Centre: Building Institutions Worthy of Public Trust last week in Honiara, Dr Aqorau said good governance was not only about laws and court decisions but how public power was exercised every day.
“It is about how public power is exercised every day: whether appointments are fair, public money is properly accounted for, decisions have clear reasons, and people can raise concerns without fear,” he said.
Dr Aqorau drew on his experience as a young legal officer who joined the Solomon Islands public service in 1988, his work helping build the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), and his current role strengthening SINU.
He said political leaders had a legitimate role in setting the country’s direction, but public servants must be able to work professionally and provide honest advice.
“When personal connections begin to determine appointments, we lose capable people, weaken institutions and, ultimately, let down the public,” Aqorau said.
Aqorau also addressed wantokism, saying traditional ties remain an important source of belonging, care and resilience but should not determine access to public positions, contracts or state resources.
“We should value them. But a public position, contract or resource is held on behalf of the whole country,” he said.
“Once we are entrusted with public power, every Solomon Islander becomes our wantok.”
He said merit and fairness must give young Solomon Islanders from every province a genuine opportunity to serve the country.
Aqorau highlighted the PNA as an example of Pacific countries using strong institutions and legal frameworks to turn national interests into practical economic benefits.
Pacific island countries sought a greater return from tuna resources in their waters, leading to the development of the Vessel Day Scheme, fishing access rules and systems to monitor and enforce those rules.
“That experience taught me that a good idea needs sound legal design, reliable information and people willing to stay the course.
“We did not get everything right at once. Members disagreed, some initiatives struggled, and we had to adjust. But we kept working around a shared purpose,” he said.
Dr Aqorau said law helped Pacific countries translate their sovereign rights over marine resources into benefits for their people.
He said institution building also required organisations to examine their own systems, including through audits, complaints and investigations.
“These must be handled fairly and with care. An allegation is not a finding, and every person affected deserves natural justice,” Dr Aqorau said.
But where reviews identify weaknesses, institutions must act on them.
“Receiving a report is only the beginning; its recommendations need owners, deadlines and follow-through,” Dr Aqorau said.
He also linked strong public institutions to national security, warning that organised criminal networks look for weaknesses in public systems.
“Organised criminal networks look for gaps in public systems: an appointment made through influence, a procurement process without proper records, or an officer who is afraid to speak honestly,” he said.
Dr Aqorau said competent and independent public officers, supported by proper records and fair processes, were part of the country’s protection against such risks.
He called on lawyers and public leaders to bring legal advice into decisions early, make merit visible in recruitment, maintain clear records, protect oversight bodies and support public officers who uphold standards.
Dr Aqorau said reform did not have to wait for a major programme.
“Each ministry, province, state-owned enterprise and public institution can begin with its next appointment, contract, investigation or board meeting,” he said.
Dr Aqorau said the test of public institutions was whether they could give young Solomon Islanders confidence that ability and integrity mattered.
“What kind of public service should welcome a young Solomon Islander walking through its doors today?” he asked.
“I hope it is one where ability is recognised, integrity is protected, and service to the public comes before personal connection.”
“Law must be at the centre because our people must be at the centre,” he said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – PARLIAMENT/POLITICS: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Let Fiji Parliament decide PM term cap: Rabuka
SUVA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says it is up to the people and Parliament to decide whether a prime minister should be limited to two terms.
He labelled the Constitution Review Commission’s (CRC) proposal “a good suggestion”.
Rabuka, who has served as prime minister twice, said the recommendation came from people who made submissions to the CRC and must now be voted on by Parliament.
“It is a good suggestion, and it’ll be up to the people,” he said outside his office Monday.
He said the 2013 Constitution stated that no one should be discriminated against on the grounds of health, age and other factors.
“If we do not change that part of the Constitution, then it may be contradicting itself by putting a limit,” Mr Rabuka said.
Rabuka was elected prime minister in 1992, but his government collapsed in 1993 after dissidents in his own party voted down his budget.
He called a snap election in 1994, won it and led a new government until 1999. He returned as prime minister in 2022.
The CRC recommended that the prime minister serve no more than two four-year terms.
It also recommended removing Chapter 10, the immunity clause, which grants “absolute and unconditional immunity” for the 1987 and 2006 coups.
Asked about the CRC’s options on immunity, Rabuka declined to comment.
“I’ll leave it to the debate,” he said.
Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry said his party did not recognise the CRC report because Parliament did not approve the committee.
He still described the term limit as “a good recommendation”.
Unity Fiji Party leader Savenaca Narube did not agree.
“I do not see any reason why a term for a PM, which is elected from within the party that wins, to be limited at all,” he said.
Both men said the process was being rushed, with the general election due by February 6.
“Just leave it for the next government to look at the constitution,” Chaudhry said.
“Now, stop it now, leave the rest of it to after the election,” Narube said.
Rabuka said the process was not rushed, as the Government had taken up the bill before, it was defeated, and it restarted after the Supreme Court ruling.
Rabuka said he could not guarantee the numbers for the second reading vote this week.
“It depends on how well we present the case for the amendment and we leave it to the members to vote,” he said.
He said it was unclear whether two-thirds meant 55 members or two-thirds of the 53 sitting MPs. The Speaker would give the directive, he said…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – CRIMINAL CARTELS/COLONIAL LAWS: INDEPTH SOLOMONS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
PNG’s senior leader Garry Juffa warns “criminal cartels” and “colonial laws” are robbing Solomon Islands, PNG landowners
CAIRNS, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (INDEPTH SOLOMONS) — Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands have been warned that failing to reform colonial resource laws risks losing people’s resources to foreign “criminal cartels. “
Speaking exclusively to In-depth Solomons at the third Asia Pacific Forest Crime Network meeting in Cairns, outspoken Oro Provincial Governor Garry Juffa said both nations remain bound by resource frameworks designed to serve foreign interests rather than empowering native titleholders.
“Many of these laws are outdated colonial laws. They are not our laws; they are their laws,” Juffa said “We have attained political independence, but to attain economic independence, we must have our own laws, especially for resource development.”
Juffa pointed to changes made to PNG’s mining legislation around 2009–2010 as a critical failure.
He argued these amendments were passed without genuine public consultation, effectively reducing customary landowners to mere “surface landowners” while vesting everything beneath the ground to the State.
“For PNG most landowners don’t realise that they are merely surface landowners,” he explained.
“Everything under the land belongs to the State, and the State can then negotiate with developers. And I guess Solomon Islands must be having the same issues.
He cautioned both the Solomon Islands and PNG to urgently re-examine their resources laws to prevent foreign firms and state entities from controlling underground wealth while leaving local communities with minimal benefits.
Juffa did not mince words when describing the actors currently dominating the logging and mining sectors across Melanesia.
He alleged that many companies active in PNG—and increasingly visible in the Solomon Islands—are “not genuine investors but criminal organisations.”
“They will manipulate and threaten anyone in anyway just to get what they want,” Juffa said.
“They will entice, they will intimidate, they will bribe, they will induce. That is what they do, and only criminal organisations do that.”
He said “Genuine investors follow the law, pay taxes, and prioritise the welfare of the host nation’s people.
The organisations currently exploiting the region, he argued, will compromise state agencies, politicians, and public servants without hesitation to maximize their profits.”
The governor warned that Melanesian countries face “State Capture” by powerful forces that target not only natural resources but the very institutions meant to defend the public interest. By funding political parties and infiltrating parliaments, these groups ensure favorable laws are passed.
He urged the Solomon Islands to learn from PNG’s experience, where many state agencies have already been compromised. To fight back, Juffa called for strong, courageous leadership at every level of governance and continuous reform of the public sector so it can act as a true gatekeeper against predatory interests.
“People have to invest in leadership rather than being bought,” Juffa urged voters.
“We need leaders who are willing to fight like warriors to protect the interests of our country, to protect the interests of our people, current and going into the future.”
Without these urgent reforms, Juffa warned, the real wealth of Melanesia will continue to be decided in foreign boardrooms, far from the village communities that rightfully own the land…. PACNEWS
TONGA – WATER SUPPLY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Solar desalination brings water security to remote Tongan islands
NUKU’ALOFA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Two remote communities in Tonga’s Vava’u island group are now producing their own drinking water after solar-powered desalination systems were installed on Hunga and Matamaka.
The systems, delivered by Australian water-solutions company Bluemont Pty Ltd in partnership with Dutch technology provider Elemental Water Makers, convert seawater into fresh water using solar-powered reverse osmosis.
Each unit can produce up to 4,300 litres of drinking water a day, giving the two communities a combined capacity of up to 8,600 litres.
The installations are designed to reduce the communities’ reliance on rainwater harvesting, which can leave remote islands vulnerable when rainfall is low and water tanks run dry.
Residents can otherwise face water rationing or the high cost and logistical challenges of transporting bottled water by boat.
Bluemont Director Paul Hart said the project had made a significant difference to the communities.
“It was life changing for me as well as the villagers who now have a reliable source of clean drinking water for the first time ever,” Hart said.
“With the declaration of the ‘Super El Nino’ this work could not be more important.”
The project also focused on local ownership, with 10 community members on each island trained to operate and maintain the systems.
At least five women from each community were included in the training, along with a representative from the Tonga Water Board.
The solar-powered systems are designed to operate for 15 years and require limited maintenance, while eliminating the need for fossil fuel to produce the drinking water.
Bluemont worked with Elemental Water Makers, Pacific Technologies New Zealand, Tonga Water Board Poate Vai ‘O Tonga and communities on Hunga and Matamaka on the planning, transportation, installation and commissioning.
The project also received grant support through Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO).
Bluemont is now discussing a proposal with the Tongan Government that could seek Asian Development Bank support to introduce solar desalination to another 23 remote communities.
That expansion has not yet been confirmed.
The Hunga and Matamaka installations provide an example of how locally operated solar desalination systems could improve water security in isolated Pacific communities facing increasing climate and rainfall pressures…. PACNEWS
FIJI – OBITUARY: FBC NEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Former FBC GM Hugh Leonard dies at 88
SUVA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FBC NEWS) — Former Fijian Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) General Manager and longest-serving Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, Hugh Leonard, has died in Brisbane at the age of 88.
Leonard died on 21 September 2026, ending a broadcasting career that spanned more than four decades and was closely linked to Fiji and the development of broadcasting across the Asia-Pacific.
Born in Greymouth, New Zealand, Leonard lived in Fiji from 1960 to 1985.
He began his career as a radio announcer and disc jockey before rising to become head of English programmes and later General Manager of FBC.
His association with the ABU began in 1974 when he attended his first General Assembly as an FBC representative.
He later became an ABU Vice President before being elected Secretary-General in 1985, a position he held until 2002.
Leonard served 17 years as the union’s chief executive during a period of major transformation in global broadcasting.
Under his leadership, the ABU navigated the region’s transition to digital broadcasting and the rapid expansion of television and new technologies.
After stepping down, Leonard was asked to remain for another year to document the union’s history.
His book, Four Decades of Unity, became the definitive history of the ABU.
He was elected an ABU honorary councillor in July 2003.
His final ABU General Assembly appearance came in Macau in 2014, when he returned to mark the organisation’s 50th anniversary.
Reflecting on the changing relationship between broadcasters and audiences, Leonard wrote that broadcasting was increasingly becoming a two-way process.
“The technology is there to make that happen, and it is being used,” he wrote.
After retiring in 2003, Leonard moved to Brisbane to be closer to his family.
Beyond broadcasting, he enjoyed restoring old English motorbikes and flying remote-controlled model aeroplanes.
He also served on an eminent jury panel in 2009 that selected the winner of the University of Queensland’s Communication and Social Change Award.
Leonard is survived by his wife, Pauline, and their three children, Linda, Diane and Brendan, who all live in Australia…. PACNEWS
UN – RACISM: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
UN leaders renew push to defeat racism, 25 years after Durban
NEW YORK, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) — “No country is free of racism.” That warning from U.S youth activist Marley Dias set the tone on Monday as UN Member States reinvigorated global efforts against racism, discrimination and xenophobia with a new declaration.
During the meeting, Dias, founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks, urged States to confront the enduring legacies of slavery, colonialism and discrimination, emphasising many young people have never been taught the histories that shaped the institutions and societies they inherited.
Recalling that she launched #1000BlackGirlBooks when she was 11 – because she could not find girls like herself in books at school – she underscored the power of representation and education.
Further, youth must be central to full implementation of the Durban Declaration, she said, including through accurate and accessible digital educational materials.
“Let’s write a new chapter together,” she said.
The 2001 adoption of the Durban Declaration followed widespread and grave concern over entrenched racism since the UN’s inception, from colonialism to 46 years of South African apartheid.
The United Nations and the international community are continuing to work towards dismantling systemic racism to establish dignity, equality and justice for all.
During the day-long meeting on Monday, some delegates pointed to new and emerging challenges. Voicing deep concern over “the alarming resurgence of all forms of racism”, the representative of Uruguay, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, called on States to combat racism, hate speech and religious intolerance, both online and offline.
Social media enables messages of hatred to spread “at alarming speed”, alongside information and disinformation increasingly amplified by artificial intelligence (AI), she said.
While new technologies can be “extremely beneficial for sustainable development if used responsibly”, countries must work together to ensure that technological developments “contribute to a better world and do not perpetuate or exacerbate existing and structural inequalities”.
Some delegates called for reparations for slavery and colonialism. Adam Tesfaye Abera, Chief of Staff at Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to its Programme of Action, highlighting the urgent need for reparations for colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine, said the Durban Declaration was a reminder that colonialism, genocide, apartheid and slavery have profound and lasting consequences and that “historical injustice cannot be overcome through remembrance alone, it requires justice and reparation”.
The declaration carries particular significance for Palestinians, Mansour said, recalling that 25 years ago it expressed concern over their plight under foreign occupation and recognised their right to self-determination and an independent State.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for stronger laws, inclusive institutions and reparatory justice to combat racism – a “poison” rooted in slavery and colonialism that is still potent today.
The Secretary-General highlighted discrimination faced by people of African descent as well as Indigenous Peoples, migrants, refugees and minorities.
Around the world, “racism continues to poison societies, deepen inequalities and deny people their fundamental rights and freedoms,” he said.
Pointing out that it “is deeply rooted in the entrenched legacies of colonialism, enslavement and oppression”, Guterres said racism takes many forms, from economic, social and political inequalities, both within and across countries, to discriminatory laws, policies and institutions.
Moreover, digital tools and technologies “are amplifying the spread of hate speech and disinformation, perpetuating lies and harmful stereotypes, and fuelling violence and abuse,” he warned.
“The antidote to these poisons is unity and tangible action,” he said.
In this regard, the UN chief called for making concrete change during the Second International Decade for People of African Descent, which began in December 2024.
“And we need to see the universal ratification and full implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,” he added.
“Together, let’s reject injustice,” he said. “Together, let’s build societies where racism and discrimination have no place – today and for all time…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
VAN – GRANT: ADB PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 29 Sep 2026
New ADB grant to strengthen urban resilience and disaster preparedness in Vanuatu
MANILA,29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ADB) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$12.6 million grant—the third financing for the Greater Port Vila Urban Resilience Project—to help further improve urban resilience and disaster preparedness in Vanuatu’s economic centre, the Greater Port Vila area.
The financing is funded through the Asian Development Fund (ADF) and is complemented by a US$5.6 million grant from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through the Community Resilience Partnership Program Investment Fund, and an in-kind contribution of US$700,000 from the Government of Vanuatu.
“Vanuatu is highly exposed to disasters caused by natural hazards which are becoming increasingly frequent and severe. This additional financing will build on the strong foundation already established through the project in providing shelter during such emergent situations,” said Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office Jyotsana Varma.
“We are pleased to be working closely with the government and local communities, including on arrangements to use and maintain the assets already created, so that these investments continue to serve people well into the future.”
The grants will support the construction of three new multipurpose emergency shelters in the communities of Agathis, Freshwind, and Nambatri, designed to provide safe and resilient facilities for vulnerable populations during disasters, and to function as community gathering spaces and markets during normal periods. It will also help develop an emergency shelter strategy to routinely assess shelter capacity, identify service gaps, and guide the planning and prioritization of future emergency shelter investments.
By 2031, the project is expected to have directly benefited at least 23,400 people, including 11,700 women, through improved access to resilient urban assets and services.
ADB’s financing for the project began in 2020 with a US$9.6 million grant, followed by a US$2.9 million grant in 2022, which helped expand urban resilience planning and infrastructure investments and launched nature-based coastal protection measures in Greater Port Vila.
The ADF supports countries most in need to meet today’s challenges while building the foundations for lasting growth…. PACNEWS
NZ – LOAN BILL: PMN PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Pacific students want help beyond a growing loan bill in New Zealand
WELLINGTON, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PMN) — A student leader says Labour’s debt write-off in New Zealand could help after graduation but rent, food, unpaid placements and family commitments are making it harder for Pacific students to get there in the first place.
For Pacific students, the biggest financial pressure may come long before they have to repay a student loan.
That is the message from Pacific student leader Tautalaleleia Sa’u, after Labour announced it would wipe 10 percent off eligible student loan balances if it wins the election.
Sa’u, who studies at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington and was a Youth MP for Labour MP Ginny Andersen in 2025, told Pacific Mornings the policy would make a difference for some graduates.
“For some, that could mean thousands or hundreds of dollars less to repay, a quicker path towards their financial goals.”
But Sa’u says the bigger challenge for many Pacific students is having enough money to stay in study and graduate.
“They’re worried more about rent, food, transport and supporting their families. So, while debt relief does help a bit, we also need to address the barriers that stop students from getting through university in the first place.”
Labour’s policy would apply to current and future graduates who remain New Zealand-based for tax purposes, did not benefit from Fees Free and still have a student loan. Balances of $2000 (US$1,131) or less would be cleared entirely.
Labour estimates the policy would cost $583.4 million (US$330 million) over five years.
National has instead promised to cut the compulsory student loan repayment rate from 12 cents to 10 cents in every dollar earned above $24,128(US$13,655) from 1 April 2027.
National campaign chair Simeon Brown has criticised Labour’s plan as “yet another enormous bill on top of more than $18 billion (US$10 billion) in new spending promises” while ACT leader David Seymour has called it a bribe and questioned who will ultimately carry the cost.
Sa’u says the focus needs to go beyond what graduates owe.
“Our teachers, our nurses, our social workers and our health professionals will spend hundreds of hours on unpaid placements while trying to figure out how they’re going to pay rent, groceries and transport costs. These are our essential workers that we need to help keep things going in our public sector.”
He says Pacific students can be balancing study with work, family, church and community responsibilities.
“We can get our foot through the door, but what about getting our bodies completely in.”
This election is Sa’u’s first time voting.
The pressure on students reflects wider concerns among Pacific families. Ninety per cent of respondents to the PMN-Horizon Research Pacific Issues Election Survey say the cost of living will be a major factor in how they vote in this election.
The cost of taking part in tertiary education is also tied to a wider election issue: whether Pacific people can access and take part in the political system itself.
At the Pacific Knowing Election 2026 Project Symposium, in Wainuiomata on Saturday, Samoana Nokise, a Researcher and Community Worker, told PMN News she plans to vote because of the pressure facing Pacific families.
“I need to vote because I need change. I think our families need change, our community needs change and we need people who make these decisions for us to make them with us and with us in mind.”
Nokise says access to information and the voting process can be barriers for Pacific communities.
“I’ve actually brought friends to vote on the day who weren’t enrolled, and now that’s been taken away.”
She rejects the idea that Pacific and young people are not interested in politics.
“When you’re a Pacific person, especially in Aotearoa, you have no choice but to be political.”
Her message to young people is simple. “You should get out and vote because you deserve better. We all deserve better.”
Under the new rules, voters must be enrolled before voting starts.
The deadline is midnight on Sunday 25 October with advance voting starting the following day. Election day is Saturday 7 November…. PACNEWS
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Cook Islands advances geospatial action for climate resilience and sustainable development
RAROTONGA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SPC) — The Cook Islands has agreed on national priorities and next steps to strengthen geospatial information management and support better decision-making on infrastructure, climate resilience and ocean governance.
The National Geospatial Workshop and Technical Training, held in Rarotonga from 14 to 18 September, brought together representatives from government, state-owned enterprises, the private sector, academia and Pa Enua communities, including women and youth. Their participation helped bring diverse needs and perspectives into national planning.
Participants agreed to develop actions across all nine strategic pathways of the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-IGIF).
“The UN-IGIF is a strategic framework developed to help countries strengthen their national geospatial information management arrangements,” said Meizyanne Hicks of Fiji’s Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, who provided UN-IGIF resource support.
“Its purpose is to help governments use geospatial information more effectively to support policies, public services, economic development, environmental management and national development priorities.”
The Cook Islands identified five areas for immediate attention: governance and institutions, policy and legal frameworks, financial sustainability, data, and communication and engagement. These priorities will help clarify responsibilities, improve data sharing and guide investment in trusted location-based information. The remaining pathways will be advanced through linked actions and technical capacity development.
“This is our plan, a Cook Islands plan,” said Vaipo Mataora of Infrastructure Cook Islands, Chair of the Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Council (PGSC).
“It must reflect our national priorities, our institutional arrangements, our technical capabilities and the needs of both Rarotonga and our Pa Enua.”
The workshop also included a three-day, hands-on technical training component. Participants strengthened their skills in satellite positioning, reference station technology, the Online GPS Processing Service (AUSPOS) processing, Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) mapping and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-derived data. They applied these skills through the national Geoportal, Maritime Boundaries Dashboard and Ocean Portal, linking technical training to practical tools for land, coastal and ocean management.
“Effective geospatial information management relies on technology, partnerships, collaboration and a shared vision,” said Andrick Lal of the Pacific Community (SPC), speaking on behalf of the Climate and Oceans Support Programme in the Pacific (COSPPac) and of the UNEP-implemented project, Enhancing Climate Information and Knowledge Services for Resilience in Five Island Countries of the Pacific Ocean (CIS-Pac5).
As a next step, participants will finalise a resourced National Geospatial Action Plan, setting out defined actions, timeframes and responsible agencies for the five priority areas. The plan will provide a practical basis for coordinating implementation and guiding future investment in geospatial information.
SPC delivered the workshop through PGSC, with support from COSPPac, funded by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, and from the Green Climate Fund-supported, CIS-Pac5…. PACNEWS
In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Vanuatu raises West Papua rights, Kanaky decolonisation, Matthew and Hunter dispute at UN
2. PACIFIC — Pacific newsrooms urged to keep AI dependency in check
3. SOL — Public institutions must put merit ahead of connections: Dr Aqorau
4. FIJI — Let Fiji Parliament decide PM term cap: Rabuka
5. PACIFIC — PNG’s senior leader Garry Juffa warns “criminal cartels” and “colonial laws” are robbing Solomon Islands, PNG landowners
6. TONGA — Solar desalination brings water security to remote Tongan islands
7. FIJI — Former FBC GM Hugh Leonard dies at 88
8. USA — UN leaders renew push to defeat racism, 25 years after Durban
9. PACNEWS BIZ — New ADB grant to strengthen urban resilience and disaster preparedness in Vanuatu
10. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific students want help beyond a growing loan bill in New Zealand
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — Cook Islands advances geospatial action for climate resilience and sustainable development
PACIFIC – DIPLOMACY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Vanuatu raises West Papua rights, Kanaky decolonisation, Matthew and Hunter dispute at UN
NEW YORK, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Vanuatu has raised concerns over alleged human rights violations in West Papua, called for the decolonisation of Kanaky New Caledonia and urged France to accept the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the disputed Matthew and Hunter Islands.
Vanuatu’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Odo Tevi, raised the three issues in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Tevi said peace and security could not be separated from human rights and called for renewed international attention to the situation of indigenous Papuans in West Papua.
“Vanuatu remains deeply concerned about reports of serious human rights violations affecting indigenous Papuans in West Papua,” Tevi said.
He said United Nations special procedures had raised concerns over indigenous rights, displacement, cultural rights, environmental impacts and the treatment of human rights defenders in Papua.
“The call from the Pacific Forum leaders for the UN Human Rights Commissioner visit to West Papua remains unheeded and needs to be action,” he said.
Tevi also reaffirmed Vanuatu’s support for the decolonisation of Kanaky New Caledonia, which remains on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
“We reiterate the inalienable right of the indigenous Kanak people to self-determination and call for a peaceful, inclusive, transparent and credible process consistent with the Charter of the United Nations and relevant General Assembly resolutions,” he said.
Tevi said Vanuatu remained concerned about persistent socio-economic disparities affecting Kanaks, including inequalities in employment, education, income and access to economic opportunities.
He said the disparities were long-standing structural imbalances that constrained the full and equitable enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by indigenous Kanaks despite New Caledonia’s natural resources and economic potential.
“Addressing these disparities is essential to fostering social cohesion and advancing a just, inclusive and sustainable decolonisation process,” Tevi said.
Vanuatu called for the full implementation of relevant UN resolutions on New Caledonia and continued engagement among all stakeholders, including France as the administering power and representatives of the people.
Tevi also reaffirmed the role of the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation and the Fourth Committee in advancing self-determination.
He said the rights, aspirations and interests of the Kanak people must remain at the centre of the decolonisation process.
Turning to Vanuatu’s territorial dispute with France, Tevi said the Vanuatu Government had initiated proceedings against France before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)at the end of August.
The case concerns sovereignty over Umaenupne and Umaeneg islands, known in English as Matthew and Hunter Islands, as well as maritime boundaries between Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
“These islands are an integral part of Vanuatu’s territory,” Tevi said.
He said Vanuatu’s position was grounded in customary governance, long-standing historical connections and indigenous ownership, which he said formed part of the country’s responsibility as ancestral custodians.
Tevi acknowledged France’s support for the international rules-based order and its backing for international judicial institutions.
He also recognised France’s cooperation with Vanuatu on global climate action, including support for initiatives before the ICJ.
“We greatly value this partnership and France leadership on issues of international importance.
“It is in the same spirit of mutual respect and commitment to international law that we respectfully invite France to consent to the jurisdiction of the court,” Tevi said…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE/MEDIA: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Pacific newsrooms urged to keep AI dependency in check
By Pita Ligaiula
SUVA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Pacific newsrooms should not allow dependence on overseas artificial intelligence companies to undermine editorial independence, says Pasifika AI creator and Kanaky Tech founder Kevyn Wahuzue.
Wahuzue told PACNEWS that while most AI systems used in the Pacific are developed outside the region, news organisations can still control how much they depend on those platforms.
“Start by being honest: almost every AI tool, including the models Pasifika AI runs on, is built outside the region. I don’t pretend otherwise. What you control is how dependent you become,” he said.
Wahuzue said newsrooms should avoid relying on a single AI provider because companies can change their pricing, rules or technology with little notice.
“Never build on a single provider,” he said.
He said his own experience with Pasifika AI had shown the risks of relying on one model.
“This month alone I had to change the main model behind Pasifika AI because the one I used couldn’t write Pacific languages properly,” Wahuzue said.
For Pacific media organisations, he said AI should remain a tool rather than becoming part of the editorial decision-making process.
“If a company changes its prices, its rules or its model tomorrow, you should still be able to publish,” he said.
Wahuzue also urged newsrooms to retain control of their archives, data and workflows rather than placing them entirely inside third-party AI platforms.
“Keep your archive, your data and your workflow on your side, not inside someone else’s product,” he said.
He said editors must also be alert to the way AI tools can shape journalism through their built-in rules and assumptions.
“And never let a tool’s defaults become your editorial line: what it refuses to discuss, how it frames a story, which sources it trusts.
“Those are editorial decisions. They belong to editors,” he told PACNEWS.
Wahuzue said the question of ownership becomes more complicated when Pacific stories, photographs, archives and cultural knowledge are used to develop or train AI systems.
“Legally, it’s unsettled, and it depends on the country. The rules were written for a world where copying took effort,” he said.
But he said the ethical position was clearer.
“A photo belongs to the photographer or the newsroom. A story belongs to the outlet that published it,” Wahuzue told PACNEWS.
He said cultural knowledge should remain under the control of the communities from which it originates, regardless of where that knowledge is recorded or stored.
“Cultural knowledge belongs to the people it comes from, even when someone else recorded it, even when it sits in a museum overseas,” he said.
Wahuzue pointed to Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which recognises Indigenous peoples’ rights over their cultural heritage and traditional knowledge.
He also cited work by Te Mana Raraunga in Aotearoa New Zealand on Māori data sovereignty as an example of how Indigenous data rights can be addressed in practice.
For Pacific newsrooms, Wahuzue said the first step was to establish exactly what their archives contain and determine how that material can be used.
“Know what’s in your archive, decide who can use it and on what terms, and don’t let it be taken by default,” he told PACNEWS
“Your archive is the region’s memory. It shouldn’t be free training data for anyone who asks,” he said…. PACNEWS
SOL – ACCOUNTABILITY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Public institutions must put merit ahead of connections: Dr Aqorau
HONIARA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Public institutions in Solomon Islands must put merit, fairness and accountability ahead of personal connections if they are to earn public trust, Solomon Islands National University (SINU) Vice Chancellor Dr Transform Aqorau has told the Attorney-General’s Conference in Honiara.
Delivering the keynote address titled “Law at the Centre: Building Institutions Worthy of Public Trust last week in Honiara, Dr Aqorau said good governance was not only about laws and court decisions but how public power was exercised every day.
“It is about how public power is exercised every day: whether appointments are fair, public money is properly accounted for, decisions have clear reasons, and people can raise concerns without fear,” he said.
Dr Aqorau drew on his experience as a young legal officer who joined the Solomon Islands public service in 1988, his work helping build the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), and his current role strengthening SINU.
He said political leaders had a legitimate role in setting the country’s direction, but public servants must be able to work professionally and provide honest advice.
“When personal connections begin to determine appointments, we lose capable people, weaken institutions and, ultimately, let down the public,” Aqorau said.
Aqorau also addressed wantokism, saying traditional ties remain an important source of belonging, care and resilience but should not determine access to public positions, contracts or state resources.
“We should value them. But a public position, contract or resource is held on behalf of the whole country,” he said.
“Once we are entrusted with public power, every Solomon Islander becomes our wantok.”
He said merit and fairness must give young Solomon Islanders from every province a genuine opportunity to serve the country.
Aqorau highlighted the PNA as an example of Pacific countries using strong institutions and legal frameworks to turn national interests into practical economic benefits.
Pacific island countries sought a greater return from tuna resources in their waters, leading to the development of the Vessel Day Scheme, fishing access rules and systems to monitor and enforce those rules.
“That experience taught me that a good idea needs sound legal design, reliable information and people willing to stay the course.
“We did not get everything right at once. Members disagreed, some initiatives struggled, and we had to adjust. But we kept working around a shared purpose,” he said.
Dr Aqorau said law helped Pacific countries translate their sovereign rights over marine resources into benefits for their people.
He said institution building also required organisations to examine their own systems, including through audits, complaints and investigations.
“These must be handled fairly and with care. An allegation is not a finding, and every person affected deserves natural justice,” Dr Aqorau said.
But where reviews identify weaknesses, institutions must act on them.
“Receiving a report is only the beginning; its recommendations need owners, deadlines and follow-through,” Dr Aqorau said.
He also linked strong public institutions to national security, warning that organised criminal networks look for weaknesses in public systems.
“Organised criminal networks look for gaps in public systems: an appointment made through influence, a procurement process without proper records, or an officer who is afraid to speak honestly,” he said.
Dr Aqorau said competent and independent public officers, supported by proper records and fair processes, were part of the country’s protection against such risks.
He called on lawyers and public leaders to bring legal advice into decisions early, make merit visible in recruitment, maintain clear records, protect oversight bodies and support public officers who uphold standards.
Dr Aqorau said reform did not have to wait for a major programme.
“Each ministry, province, state-owned enterprise and public institution can begin with its next appointment, contract, investigation or board meeting,” he said.
Dr Aqorau said the test of public institutions was whether they could give young Solomon Islanders confidence that ability and integrity mattered.
“What kind of public service should welcome a young Solomon Islander walking through its doors today?” he asked.
“I hope it is one where ability is recognised, integrity is protected, and service to the public comes before personal connection.”
“Law must be at the centre because our people must be at the centre,” he said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – PARLIAMENT/POLITICS: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Let Fiji Parliament decide PM term cap: Rabuka
SUVA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) — Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says it is up to the people and Parliament to decide whether a prime minister should be limited to two terms.
He labelled the Constitution Review Commission’s (CRC) proposal “a good suggestion”.
Rabuka, who has served as prime minister twice, said the recommendation came from people who made submissions to the CRC and must now be voted on by Parliament.
“It is a good suggestion, and it’ll be up to the people,” he said outside his office Monday.
He said the 2013 Constitution stated that no one should be discriminated against on the grounds of health, age and other factors.
“If we do not change that part of the Constitution, then it may be contradicting itself by putting a limit,” Mr Rabuka said.
Rabuka was elected prime minister in 1992, but his government collapsed in 1993 after dissidents in his own party voted down his budget.
He called a snap election in 1994, won it and led a new government until 1999. He returned as prime minister in 2022.
The CRC recommended that the prime minister serve no more than two four-year terms.
It also recommended removing Chapter 10, the immunity clause, which grants “absolute and unconditional immunity” for the 1987 and 2006 coups.
Asked about the CRC’s options on immunity, Rabuka declined to comment.
“I’ll leave it to the debate,” he said.
Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry said his party did not recognise the CRC report because Parliament did not approve the committee.
He still described the term limit as “a good recommendation”.
Unity Fiji Party leader Savenaca Narube did not agree.
“I do not see any reason why a term for a PM, which is elected from within the party that wins, to be limited at all,” he said.
Both men said the process was being rushed, with the general election due by February 6.
“Just leave it for the next government to look at the constitution,” Chaudhry said.
“Now, stop it now, leave the rest of it to after the election,” Narube said.
Rabuka said the process was not rushed, as the Government had taken up the bill before, it was defeated, and it restarted after the Supreme Court ruling.
Rabuka said he could not guarantee the numbers for the second reading vote this week.
“It depends on how well we present the case for the amendment and we leave it to the members to vote,” he said.
He said it was unclear whether two-thirds meant 55 members or two-thirds of the 53 sitting MPs. The Speaker would give the directive, he said…. PACNEWS
PACIFIC – CRIMINAL CARTELS/COLONIAL LAWS: INDEPTH SOLOMONS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
PNG’s senior leader Garry Juffa warns “criminal cartels” and “colonial laws” are robbing Solomon Islands, PNG landowners
CAIRNS, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (INDEPTH SOLOMONS) — Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands have been warned that failing to reform colonial resource laws risks losing people’s resources to foreign “criminal cartels. “
Speaking exclusively to In-depth Solomons at the third Asia Pacific Forest Crime Network meeting in Cairns, outspoken Oro Provincial Governor Garry Juffa said both nations remain bound by resource frameworks designed to serve foreign interests rather than empowering native titleholders.
“Many of these laws are outdated colonial laws. They are not our laws; they are their laws,” Juffa said “We have attained political independence, but to attain economic independence, we must have our own laws, especially for resource development.”
Juffa pointed to changes made to PNG’s mining legislation around 2009–2010 as a critical failure.
He argued these amendments were passed without genuine public consultation, effectively reducing customary landowners to mere “surface landowners” while vesting everything beneath the ground to the State.
“For PNG most landowners don’t realise that they are merely surface landowners,” he explained.
“Everything under the land belongs to the State, and the State can then negotiate with developers. And I guess Solomon Islands must be having the same issues.
He cautioned both the Solomon Islands and PNG to urgently re-examine their resources laws to prevent foreign firms and state entities from controlling underground wealth while leaving local communities with minimal benefits.
Juffa did not mince words when describing the actors currently dominating the logging and mining sectors across Melanesia.
He alleged that many companies active in PNG—and increasingly visible in the Solomon Islands—are “not genuine investors but criminal organisations.”
“They will manipulate and threaten anyone in anyway just to get what they want,” Juffa said.
“They will entice, they will intimidate, they will bribe, they will induce. That is what they do, and only criminal organisations do that.”
He said “Genuine investors follow the law, pay taxes, and prioritise the welfare of the host nation’s people.
The organisations currently exploiting the region, he argued, will compromise state agencies, politicians, and public servants without hesitation to maximize their profits.”
The governor warned that Melanesian countries face “State Capture” by powerful forces that target not only natural resources but the very institutions meant to defend the public interest. By funding political parties and infiltrating parliaments, these groups ensure favorable laws are passed.
He urged the Solomon Islands to learn from PNG’s experience, where many state agencies have already been compromised. To fight back, Juffa called for strong, courageous leadership at every level of governance and continuous reform of the public sector so it can act as a true gatekeeper against predatory interests.
“People have to invest in leadership rather than being bought,” Juffa urged voters.
“We need leaders who are willing to fight like warriors to protect the interests of our country, to protect the interests of our people, current and going into the future.”
Without these urgent reforms, Juffa warned, the real wealth of Melanesia will continue to be decided in foreign boardrooms, far from the village communities that rightfully own the land…. PACNEWS
TONGA – WATER SUPPLY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Solar desalination brings water security to remote Tongan islands
NUKU’ALOFA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Two remote communities in Tonga’s Vava’u island group are now producing their own drinking water after solar-powered desalination systems were installed on Hunga and Matamaka.
The systems, delivered by Australian water-solutions company Bluemont Pty Ltd in partnership with Dutch technology provider Elemental Water Makers, convert seawater into fresh water using solar-powered reverse osmosis.
Each unit can produce up to 4,300 litres of drinking water a day, giving the two communities a combined capacity of up to 8,600 litres.
The installations are designed to reduce the communities’ reliance on rainwater harvesting, which can leave remote islands vulnerable when rainfall is low and water tanks run dry.
Residents can otherwise face water rationing or the high cost and logistical challenges of transporting bottled water by boat.
Bluemont Director Paul Hart said the project had made a significant difference to the communities.
“It was life changing for me as well as the villagers who now have a reliable source of clean drinking water for the first time ever,” Hart said.
“With the declaration of the ‘Super El Nino’ this work could not be more important.”
The project also focused on local ownership, with 10 community members on each island trained to operate and maintain the systems.
At least five women from each community were included in the training, along with a representative from the Tonga Water Board.
The solar-powered systems are designed to operate for 15 years and require limited maintenance, while eliminating the need for fossil fuel to produce the drinking water.
Bluemont worked with Elemental Water Makers, Pacific Technologies New Zealand, Tonga Water Board Poate Vai ‘O Tonga and communities on Hunga and Matamaka on the planning, transportation, installation and commissioning.
The project also received grant support through Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO).
Bluemont is now discussing a proposal with the Tongan Government that could seek Asian Development Bank support to introduce solar desalination to another 23 remote communities.
That expansion has not yet been confirmed.
The Hunga and Matamaka installations provide an example of how locally operated solar desalination systems could improve water security in isolated Pacific communities facing increasing climate and rainfall pressures…. PACNEWS
FIJI – OBITUARY: FBC NEWS PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Former FBC GM Hugh Leonard dies at 88
SUVA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FBC NEWS) — Former Fijian Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) General Manager and longest-serving Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, Hugh Leonard, has died in Brisbane at the age of 88.
Leonard died on 21 September 2026, ending a broadcasting career that spanned more than four decades and was closely linked to Fiji and the development of broadcasting across the Asia-Pacific.
Born in Greymouth, New Zealand, Leonard lived in Fiji from 1960 to 1985.
He began his career as a radio announcer and disc jockey before rising to become head of English programmes and later General Manager of FBC.
His association with the ABU began in 1974 when he attended his first General Assembly as an FBC representative.
He later became an ABU Vice President before being elected Secretary-General in 1985, a position he held until 2002.
Leonard served 17 years as the union’s chief executive during a period of major transformation in global broadcasting.
Under his leadership, the ABU navigated the region’s transition to digital broadcasting and the rapid expansion of television and new technologies.
After stepping down, Leonard was asked to remain for another year to document the union’s history.
His book, Four Decades of Unity, became the definitive history of the ABU.
He was elected an ABU honorary councillor in July 2003.
His final ABU General Assembly appearance came in Macau in 2014, when he returned to mark the organisation’s 50th anniversary.
Reflecting on the changing relationship between broadcasters and audiences, Leonard wrote that broadcasting was increasingly becoming a two-way process.
“The technology is there to make that happen, and it is being used,” he wrote.
After retiring in 2003, Leonard moved to Brisbane to be closer to his family.
Beyond broadcasting, he enjoyed restoring old English motorbikes and flying remote-controlled model aeroplanes.
He also served on an eminent jury panel in 2009 that selected the winner of the University of Queensland’s Communication and Social Change Award.
Leonard is survived by his wife, Pauline, and their three children, Linda, Diane and Brendan, who all live in Australia…. PACNEWS
UN – RACISM: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS 3: Tue 29 Sep 2026
UN leaders renew push to defeat racism, 25 years after Durban
NEW YORK, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) — “No country is free of racism.” That warning from U.S youth activist Marley Dias set the tone on Monday as UN Member States reinvigorated global efforts against racism, discrimination and xenophobia with a new declaration.
During the meeting, Dias, founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks, urged States to confront the enduring legacies of slavery, colonialism and discrimination, emphasising many young people have never been taught the histories that shaped the institutions and societies they inherited.
Recalling that she launched #1000BlackGirlBooks when she was 11 – because she could not find girls like herself in books at school – she underscored the power of representation and education.
Further, youth must be central to full implementation of the Durban Declaration, she said, including through accurate and accessible digital educational materials.
“Let’s write a new chapter together,” she said.
The 2001 adoption of the Durban Declaration followed widespread and grave concern over entrenched racism since the UN’s inception, from colonialism to 46 years of South African apartheid.
The United Nations and the international community are continuing to work towards dismantling systemic racism to establish dignity, equality and justice for all.
During the day-long meeting on Monday, some delegates pointed to new and emerging challenges. Voicing deep concern over “the alarming resurgence of all forms of racism”, the representative of Uruguay, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, called on States to combat racism, hate speech and religious intolerance, both online and offline.
Social media enables messages of hatred to spread “at alarming speed”, alongside information and disinformation increasingly amplified by artificial intelligence (AI), she said.
While new technologies can be “extremely beneficial for sustainable development if used responsibly”, countries must work together to ensure that technological developments “contribute to a better world and do not perpetuate or exacerbate existing and structural inequalities”.
Some delegates called for reparations for slavery and colonialism. Adam Tesfaye Abera, Chief of Staff at Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to its Programme of Action, highlighting the urgent need for reparations for colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade.
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine, said the Durban Declaration was a reminder that colonialism, genocide, apartheid and slavery have profound and lasting consequences and that “historical injustice cannot be overcome through remembrance alone, it requires justice and reparation”.
The declaration carries particular significance for Palestinians, Mansour said, recalling that 25 years ago it expressed concern over their plight under foreign occupation and recognised their right to self-determination and an independent State.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for stronger laws, inclusive institutions and reparatory justice to combat racism – a “poison” rooted in slavery and colonialism that is still potent today.
The Secretary-General highlighted discrimination faced by people of African descent as well as Indigenous Peoples, migrants, refugees and minorities.
Around the world, “racism continues to poison societies, deepen inequalities and deny people their fundamental rights and freedoms,” he said.
Pointing out that it “is deeply rooted in the entrenched legacies of colonialism, enslavement and oppression”, Guterres said racism takes many forms, from economic, social and political inequalities, both within and across countries, to discriminatory laws, policies and institutions.
Moreover, digital tools and technologies “are amplifying the spread of hate speech and disinformation, perpetuating lies and harmful stereotypes, and fuelling violence and abuse,” he warned.
“The antidote to these poisons is unity and tangible action,” he said.
In this regard, the UN chief called for making concrete change during the Second International Decade for People of African Descent, which began in December 2024.
“And we need to see the universal ratification and full implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,” he added.
“Together, let’s reject injustice,” he said. “Together, let’s build societies where racism and discrimination have no place – today and for all time…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
VAN – GRANT: ADB PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 29 Sep 2026
New ADB grant to strengthen urban resilience and disaster preparedness in Vanuatu
MANILA,29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ADB) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$12.6 million grant—the third financing for the Greater Port Vila Urban Resilience Project—to help further improve urban resilience and disaster preparedness in Vanuatu’s economic centre, the Greater Port Vila area.
The financing is funded through the Asian Development Fund (ADF) and is complemented by a US$5.6 million grant from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through the Community Resilience Partnership Program Investment Fund, and an in-kind contribution of US$700,000 from the Government of Vanuatu.
“Vanuatu is highly exposed to disasters caused by natural hazards which are becoming increasingly frequent and severe. This additional financing will build on the strong foundation already established through the project in providing shelter during such emergent situations,” said Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office Jyotsana Varma.
“We are pleased to be working closely with the government and local communities, including on arrangements to use and maintain the assets already created, so that these investments continue to serve people well into the future.”
The grants will support the construction of three new multipurpose emergency shelters in the communities of Agathis, Freshwind, and Nambatri, designed to provide safe and resilient facilities for vulnerable populations during disasters, and to function as community gathering spaces and markets during normal periods. It will also help develop an emergency shelter strategy to routinely assess shelter capacity, identify service gaps, and guide the planning and prioritization of future emergency shelter investments.
By 2031, the project is expected to have directly benefited at least 23,400 people, including 11,700 women, through improved access to resilient urban assets and services.
ADB’s financing for the project began in 2020 with a US$9.6 million grant, followed by a US$2.9 million grant in 2022, which helped expand urban resilience planning and infrastructure investments and launched nature-based coastal protection measures in Greater Port Vila.
The ADF supports countries most in need to meet today’s challenges while building the foundations for lasting growth…. PACNEWS
NZ – LOAN BILL: PMN PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Pacific students want help beyond a growing loan bill in New Zealand
WELLINGTON, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PMN) — A student leader says Labour’s debt write-off in New Zealand could help after graduation but rent, food, unpaid placements and family commitments are making it harder for Pacific students to get there in the first place.
For Pacific students, the biggest financial pressure may come long before they have to repay a student loan.
That is the message from Pacific student leader Tautalaleleia Sa’u, after Labour announced it would wipe 10 percent off eligible student loan balances if it wins the election.
Sa’u, who studies at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington and was a Youth MP for Labour MP Ginny Andersen in 2025, told Pacific Mornings the policy would make a difference for some graduates.
“For some, that could mean thousands or hundreds of dollars less to repay, a quicker path towards their financial goals.”
But Sa’u says the bigger challenge for many Pacific students is having enough money to stay in study and graduate.
“They’re worried more about rent, food, transport and supporting their families. So, while debt relief does help a bit, we also need to address the barriers that stop students from getting through university in the first place.”
Labour’s policy would apply to current and future graduates who remain New Zealand-based for tax purposes, did not benefit from Fees Free and still have a student loan. Balances of $2000 (US$1,131) or less would be cleared entirely.
Labour estimates the policy would cost $583.4 million (US$330 million) over five years.
National has instead promised to cut the compulsory student loan repayment rate from 12 cents to 10 cents in every dollar earned above $24,128(US$13,655) from 1 April 2027.
National campaign chair Simeon Brown has criticised Labour’s plan as “yet another enormous bill on top of more than $18 billion (US$10 billion) in new spending promises” while ACT leader David Seymour has called it a bribe and questioned who will ultimately carry the cost.
Sa’u says the focus needs to go beyond what graduates owe.
“Our teachers, our nurses, our social workers and our health professionals will spend hundreds of hours on unpaid placements while trying to figure out how they’re going to pay rent, groceries and transport costs. These are our essential workers that we need to help keep things going in our public sector.”
He says Pacific students can be balancing study with work, family, church and community responsibilities.
“We can get our foot through the door, but what about getting our bodies completely in.”
This election is Sa’u’s first time voting.
The pressure on students reflects wider concerns among Pacific families. Ninety per cent of respondents to the PMN-Horizon Research Pacific Issues Election Survey say the cost of living will be a major factor in how they vote in this election.
The cost of taking part in tertiary education is also tied to a wider election issue: whether Pacific people can access and take part in the political system itself.
At the Pacific Knowing Election 2026 Project Symposium, in Wainuiomata on Saturday, Samoana Nokise, a Researcher and Community Worker, told PMN News she plans to vote because of the pressure facing Pacific families.
“I need to vote because I need change. I think our families need change, our community needs change and we need people who make these decisions for us to make them with us and with us in mind.”
Nokise says access to information and the voting process can be barriers for Pacific communities.
“I’ve actually brought friends to vote on the day who weren’t enrolled, and now that’s been taken away.”
She rejects the idea that Pacific and young people are not interested in politics.
“When you’re a Pacific person, especially in Aotearoa, you have no choice but to be political.”
Her message to young people is simple. “You should get out and vote because you deserve better. We all deserve better.”
Under the new rules, voters must be enrolled before voting starts.
The deadline is midnight on Sunday 25 October with advance voting starting the following day. Election day is Saturday 7 November…. PACNEWS
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Cook Islands advances geospatial action for climate resilience and sustainable development
RAROTONGA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SPC) — The Cook Islands has agreed on national priorities and next steps to strengthen geospatial information management and support better decision-making on infrastructure, climate resilience and ocean governance.
The National Geospatial Workshop and Technical Training, held in Rarotonga from 14 to 18 September, brought together representatives from government, state-owned enterprises, the private sector, academia and Pa Enua communities, including women and youth. Their participation helped bring diverse needs and perspectives into national planning.
Participants agreed to develop actions across all nine strategic pathways of the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-IGIF).
“The UN-IGIF is a strategic framework developed to help countries strengthen their national geospatial information management arrangements,” said Meizyanne Hicks of Fiji’s Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, who provided UN-IGIF resource support.
“Its purpose is to help governments use geospatial information more effectively to support policies, public services, economic development, environmental management and national development priorities.”
The Cook Islands identified five areas for immediate attention: governance and institutions, policy and legal frameworks, financial sustainability, data, and communication and engagement. These priorities will help clarify responsibilities, improve data sharing and guide investment in trusted location-based information. The remaining pathways will be advanced through linked actions and technical capacity development.
“This is our plan, a Cook Islands plan,” said Vaipo Mataora of Infrastructure Cook Islands, Chair of the Pacific Geospatial and Surveying Council (PGSC).
“It must reflect our national priorities, our institutional arrangements, our technical capabilities and the needs of both Rarotonga and our Pa Enua.”
The workshop also included a three-day, hands-on technical training component. Participants strengthened their skills in satellite positioning, reference station technology, the Online GPS Processing Service (AUSPOS) processing, Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) mapping and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-derived data. They applied these skills through the national Geoportal, Maritime Boundaries Dashboard and Ocean Portal, linking technical training to practical tools for land, coastal and ocean management.
“Effective geospatial information management relies on technology, partnerships, collaboration and a shared vision,” said Andrick Lal of the Pacific Community (SPC), speaking on behalf of the Climate and Oceans Support Programme in the Pacific (COSPPac) and of the UNEP-implemented project, Enhancing Climate Information and Knowledge Services for Resilience in Five Island Countries of the Pacific Ocean (CIS-Pac5).
As a next step, participants will finalise a resourced National Geospatial Action Plan, setting out defined actions, timeframes and responsible agencies for the five priority areas. The plan will provide a practical basis for coordinating implementation and guiding future investment in geospatial information.
SPC delivered the workshop through PGSC, with support from COSPPac, funded by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand, and from the Green Climate Fund-supported, CIS-Pac5…. PACNEWS
