In this bulletin:
1. UN — ‘The world is not ready’: Climate adaptation cash falls far short as warming heads past 1.5°C
2.COMMONWEALTH — New Commonwealth cancer report warns of rising cases, calls for urgent investment to save lives
3. FIJI — Constitution Review Commission report was never a draft Constitution: Fiji A-G
4. PNG — PNG announces focus on cataract surgical rate
5. FIJI — ‘Third reading does not make Bill a law’: Fiji AG
6. FIJI — Fiji President warns of diabetes risk, urges early screening
7. PACNEWS BIZ — Warm ocean temperatures threaten Tuna industry
8. PACNEWS BIZ — ADB, Bank of the Cook Islands partner to support Trade Finance Access
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Fiji invests $264,000 to modernise national archives
10. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Climate change is undermining our health and the burden falls heaviest on women
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — Pacific countries come together to shape the future of marine spatial planning
UN – CLIMATE CHANGE: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS 2: Thu 05 Nov 2026
‘The world is not ready’: Climate adaptation cash falls far short as warming heads past 1.5°C
NAIROBI/NEW YORK, 05 NOVEMBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —Although global warming is set to exceed 1.5°C, financing to help communities adapt to climate change falls far short of needs, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a report published on Wednesday.
The 2026 Adaptation Gap Report finds that developing countries will require roughly US$305 billion annually by 2035 to build resilience and reduce risks.
Yet even if international public adaptation finance triples only a maximum of 29 percent of needs will be covered.
“The world is not ready to adapt to current climactic conditions, never mind what overshoot of 1.5°C will bring,” warned Inger Andersen, the UNEP Executive Director.
The report was released ahead of the COP31 conference, which opens next week in Antalya, Türkiye.
It reveals that:
* Global efforts to help developing countries adapt to climate change remain underfunded
* Institutional barriers are constraining implementation
* While climate-related losses and damage continue to mount
International public adaptation finance flows reached US$28.2 to US$31.7 billion in 2024, or just a billion dollars more than the previous year.
Growth is flattening; moreover, the US$305 billion estimate excludes the private sector’s own needs, meaning that this figure could double.
The call to triple annual support was agreed at last year’s climate conference in Brazil and is part of a key outcome text known as the Global Mutirão – a Portuguese word based on an indigenous expression for “collective task”.
Even if this goal is achieved, projected funding of US$85 billion to US$120 billion annually would cover only 20 to 29 percent of estimated needs after inflation.
“At climate COP31 in Türkiye and beyond, nations must focus on intensifying efforts to achieve the COP30 Global Mutirão aspiration of tripling adaptation finance by 2035 – while understanding that they will need to go even higher to save lives, avoid losses and damages and protect economies,” Andersen said.
The report stressed that countries could still meet the goal of doubling finance from 2019 levels to US$40 billion by 2025 as outlined in the 2021 Glasgow Climate Pact, adopted at COP26 in Scotland.
Multilateral development banks likely increased their financing significantly last year and flows between developing countries have also increased, rising from US$3.8 billion in 2019 to US$9.6 billion in 2024.
However, finance alone is not enough, and the report underlined the need to strengthen institutions and accelerate implementation to protect vulnerable communities, build resilience and address growing climate-related losses and damage.
The UN World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday urged countries to scale up six proven climate-resilience measures that it insists could save 1.6 million lives a year.
The appeal comes ahead of UN COP31 climate talks in Türkiye beginning next week.
One of the key messages is that climate change is a health crisis, but much of the harm it causes can be prevented with affordable solutions that are already available.
An estimated 3.3 to 3.6 billion people live in contexts highly vulnerable to climate change.
The six prevention measures that WHO wants to see implemented include early warning systems for heatwaves, water and sanitation services that are resilient to climate change and cleaner household fuels and technologies, for cooking and heating.
The agency is also calling for governments to ensure that fossil fuel prices reflect the damage that they cause to people’s health everywhere.
This could save 1.2 million lives a year from reduced air pollution and have the added benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while generating US$5.4 trillion in tax annually, on top of US$3 trillion in overall economic welfare gains, annually….PACNEWS
ATG – CHOGM/HEALTH: PACNEWS/COMSEC PACNEWS 2: Thu 05 Nov 2026
New Commonwealth cancer report warns of rising cases, calls for urgent investment to save lives
ST JOHN’S, 05 NOVEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS/COMSEC) — The Commonwealth must urgently increase investment in cancer diagnosis, treatment and health services, with global cancer cases projected to rise by 77 percent to 35 million annually by 2050, a new report warns.
The Lancet Oncology Commission report on Cancer in the Commonwealth, launched at the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, says stronger cancer control could save lives while delivering significant economic returns.
The report estimates that comprehensive investment in cancer control could generate returns of US$16 to US$24 for every US$1 invested, depending on national income, geography and the valuation method used.
It identifies expanded treatment and medical imaging capacity, alongside improved quality of care, as the areas offering the greatest opportunity to prevent cancer deaths.
Presenting the findings, Commission Chair Professor Rifat Atun said investment in cancer services would deliver substantial health and economic benefits across the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries, which have a combined population of about 2.7 billion.
“A comprehensive scale-up of treatment, imaging, and quality of care will deliver benefits of between US$140 and US$793 billion,” Atun said.
He said cancer control investment also generated economic benefits beyond the health sector.
In 2022, health expenditure on cancer control generated an estimated US$82.9 billion in gross value added across Commonwealth economies through direct, spillover and induced economic activity.
“These benefits strengthen national productivity and fiscal resilience well beyond health ministries,” he said.
The report is the result of a three-year collaboration between The Lancet Oncology Commission and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
It identifies cancer as both a major public health challenge and an economic development issue, calling for sustained investment in prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and health workforce development.
The report also introduces the Commonwealth Observatory for Health Systems and Cancer Control, a database covering about 800 indicators across member countries.
The observatory includes demographic, epidemiological and economic information, health system data and assessments of national cancer control plans to support evidence-based policymaking.
Commonwealth Secretariat Officer-in-Charge of the Social Development, Youth and Gender Division, Jennifer Namgyal, said regional cooperation was essential to improving cancer outcomes.
“The Commonwealth’s strength lies in partnership and collective action. We bring member countries, experts and strategic partners together around shared priorities, connecting evidence, policy and implementation to support country-led solutions,” Namgyal said.
She said the Commission demonstrated how shared expertise and cooperation could help countries strengthen health systems and improve access to cancer care.
More than 14 First Ladies and spouses of Commonwealth Heads of Government attended the launch.
Participants were encouraged to use their public profiles and advocacy work to raise awareness of the growing cancer burden and promote stronger cancer services.
A ministerial and diplomatic panel at CHOGM identified six priorities for improving equitable cancer control across the Commonwealth.
These include expanding access to affordable cancer technologies, improving the availability and quality of care, accelerating innovation in prevention and treatment, and placing patients and civil society at the centre of health policies.
Other priorities include investing in cancer care training and strengthening health data systems and national cancer control plans.
The Commission said implementation would require sustained political leadership, financing, inclusive partnerships and greater cooperation among member countries.
Preliminary findings were presented at the inaugural Commonwealth Health Coordination Forum in Geneva on 16 May 2026.
The report’s launch at CHOGM brings the recommendations before Commonwealth leaders, with a call for greater investment in cancer control to reduce preventable deaths, strengthen health systems and improve economic resilience…..PACNEWS
FIJI – CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Thu 05 Nov 2026
Constitution Review Commission report was never a draft Constitution: Fiji A-G
SUVA, 05 NOVEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Fiji Attorney-General Sevuloni Valenitabua says the Constitution Review Commission’s (CRC) Report should not be regarded as a draft Constitution.
He said the commission was mandated to present recommendations based on public consultations.
Valenitabua, who chaired the CRC, made the clarification amid questions about whether the commission’s proposed draft had been incorporated into the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 32.
He said the commission’s role was to consult the public, identify what people wanted and present its findings and recommendations.
“Whether it was accepted or not, that’s alright because it was only a recommendation,” he said.
“Some people are thinking that our draft should have been used. No, we did not have that mandate.”
Valenitabua said the recommendations were submitted to the President, who then presented them to Government for consideration.
He said about 75 percent of the CRC’s recommendations had been included in Bill 32. However, the Centre for Democratic Dialogue (CDD), in its quantitative assessment, found that only 52 recommendations, or 44.83 percent, had been fully reflected in the Government’s draft.
A further 33 recommendations, or 28.45 percent, had been partially reflected, often with significant changes to their substance, while 31 recommendations, or 26.72 percent, had been omitted or reversed.
The CRC recommended retaining Fijians as the common identity temporarily, followed by further consultation and potentially a referendum to determine the majority view on a common identity.
Bill 32 provides for all citizens of Fiji to continue to be known as Fijians, while indigenous Fijians may be referred to as iTaukei ni vanua (landowners) o Viti.
The CRC recommended that religious liberty be recognised as a founding principle of the State, with religious beliefs regarded as personal. It also recommended protecting freedom of religion, conscience and belief.
Bill 32 states that the Republic of Fiji is a sovereign democratic State founded on the values of Christianity. It also recognises religious liberty as a founding principle of the State and religious beliefs as personal.
The CRC recommended prohibiting future immunity for people involved in unconstitutional attempts to establish a government.
It also recommended repealing existing immunity provisions, subject to the constitutional and legal difficulties identified by the Supreme Court. If repeal proved unsuccessful, it proposed an Oath of Reconciliation and Allegiance as a harm-reduction measure.
The commission also proposed a pathway for seeking another Supreme Court determination.
Bill 32, however, contains a chapter on immunity. Chapter 14 includes Section 204, which provides for the continuation of immunity granted under the 1990 Constitution; Section 205, covering immunity under the Limitation of Liability for Prescribed Political Events Act 2010; Section 206 on further immunity; and Section 207 on the entrenchment of immunity.
The CRC proposed a bicameral Parliament comprising a 41-member House of Representatives and a revived 19-member Senate, replacing the current 55-seat, single-chamber Parliament.
Bill 32 provides for a Parliament comprising a House of Representatives and a Senate. The Senate would be able to review legislation and reject a Bill once, subject to the procedures set out in the Bill.
The Bill provides for a 23-member Senate, with 14 members appointed by the President on the advice of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga, six on the advice of the Prime Minister, two on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and one on the advice of the Rotuma Island Council.
The CRC proposed a Mixed Member Proportional system, with 26 seats decided directly by voters in constituencies, including five reserved for Rotuma, Yasawa, Kadavu, Lomaiviti and Lau.
The remaining 15 seats would be allocated to political parties according to their share of the national vote.
Bill 32 provides for 33 constituency seats and 22 party-list seats, with a five percent threshold for proportional representation…. PACNEWS
PNG – HEALTH: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS 2: Thu 05 Nov 2026
PNG announces focus on cataract surgical rate
ST. JOHN’S, 05 NOVEMBER 2026 (THE NATIONAL) —Papua New Guinea has made cataract surgical rate a mandatory indicator in the National Health Plan monitoring framework, says an official.
Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko said for PNG, protecting sight supports national development, enabled children to learn, adults to work and older people to remain independent.
He highlighted this at the Global Summit for eye health on the sidelines of the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Meeting (CHOGM) in Antingua on Wednesday.
“Every Papua New Guinean deserves the opportunity to see clearly, contribute and live with dignity.
“Our National Prevention of Blindness Committee brings government, health professionals and partners together to provide coordinated leadership,” he said.
Tkatchenko said that a comprehensive national eye health survey had informed the new National Eye Health Strategic Plan, developed through a whole-of-government approach with multilaterals, clinical associations and development partners.
In 2025, the World Health Organisation (WHO) validated the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem and by this demonstrating the value of evidence and collaboration.
He said PNG’s new Centre for Eye Health in Port Moresby will strengthen services, training and provincial support.
The Centre for Eye Health in partnership with the Fred Hollows foundation, the NDoH and international supporters is a major specialist eye care and training facility under the school of medicine and health sciences.
“Our task is to ensure these gains reach rural and remote communities, where distance, cost and limited services remain barriers.
“Today, PNG commits to increasing effective cataract surgical coverage and effective refractive error coverage by 15 percentage points each by 2030.
“This means more people are receiving sight-restoring cataract surgery and spectacles and that their needs are met,” he said……PACNEWS
FIJI – CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Thu 05 Nov 2026
‘Third reading does not make Bill a law’: Fiji AG
SUVA, 05 NOVEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—-The Fiji Constitution (Amendment) Bill 32 will remain a Bill even after passing its third reading in Parliament.
It will require a referendum and the President’s assent (approval) before it can become law, Attorney-General (A-G) Sevuloni Valenitabua said.
Valenitabua made the clarification amid confusion over the process for amending the Constitution compared with the passage of other Bills through Parliament.
Under the usual parliamentary process, a Bill goes through three readings. Once passed, it is presented to the President for assent before becoming law.
However, the process for the Constitution (Amendment) Bill is different.
Valenitabua said once the Bill passed its third reading, the Speaker would notify the President, who must issue a writ for a referendum within seven days.
At that stage, Bill 32 remained a Bill.
“Yeah, still a Bill, and then within seven days, the writ is issued. It can be issued the same day or two days after or whatever. From the date of the issuance of the writ, it should take 30 days, then the referendum,” he said.
The referendum requires a 50 percent plus one majority. If that threshold is met, the Electoral Commission must notify the President that the referendum has been completed.
“Then the Bill, according to the Constitution, it’s still a Bill, then goes up to the President for assent,” Valenitabua said.
If the required majority is not achieved, the Bill will not proceed to presidential assent.
“Once it fails, it fails. That’s it,” he said.
The third reading of Bill 32 has been deferred to the last sitting of Parliament, scheduled for 30 November to 04 December after the Special Parliament Select Committee was granted an additional three weeks for public consultation…..PACNEWS
FIJI – HEALTH: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thu 05 Nov 2026
Fiji President warns of diabetes risk, urges early screening
SUVA, 05 NOVEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — More than one in six Fijian adults is living with diabetes, while almost three in 10 have pre-diabetes, prompting President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu to urge early screening and stronger community action to prevent serious complications.
Speaking at the launch of the National Diabetes Campaign 2026 in Suva Wednesday, Lalabalavu said Fijians must take responsibility for their health through early testing, healthier lifestyles and regular medical check-ups.
Findings from Fiji’s 2025 STEPS Survey show that 16.5 percent of adults have diabetes and 28.6 percent have pre-diabetes.
The survey found that only 46.5 percent of people living with diabetes knew they had the condition before the survey, while just 6.2 percent had their blood glucose levels under control.
It also revealed that 4.7 percent of Fijians aged 18 to 29 are already living with diabetes, highlighting the growing risk among younger people.
Lalabalavu said early diagnosis, treatment and support were critical to preventing complications and ensuring people with diabetes could continue to live productive lives.
“We must never allow a diagnosis of diabetes to become a sentence of despair. With timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment, informed choices and compassionate support, people living with diabetes can continue to lead meaningful, productive and fulfilling lives,” he said.
The National Diabetes Campaign aims to strengthen cooperation between Government, healthcare providers, schools, faith-based organisations, businesses and communities to increase awareness and improve access to screening.
Launched ahead of World Diabetes Day on 14 November, the campaign will continue into early December with support from Diabetes Fiji, donors and corporate partners.
The campaign is urging Fijians to visit their nearest health facility for diabetes screening, make healthier food choices, remain physically active and encourage family members to prioritise their health.
People already diagnosed with diabetes are also being encouraged to attend regular medical check-ups and follow their prescribed treatment….PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
PAC – TUNA INDUSTRY: FBC NEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 05 Nov 2026
Warm ocean temperatures threaten Tuna industry
SUVA, 05 NOVEMBER 2026 (FBC NEWS) —The Pacific’s tuna industry could face annual losses of almost US$210 million (US$105 million) as rising ocean temperatures threaten the movement of tuna stocks across the region.
Fiji Opposition Leader and Pacific COP31 Ocean Envoy Inia Seruiratu warns that continued global warming could force tuna to migrate further east, affecting fishing operations and economies that depend heavily on the industry.
Seruiratu said current temperature overshoot estimates suggest the region could lose about US$93 million in a year from tuna alone.
“The overshoot is very dangerous for us when it comes to economic, because for tuna alone, the estimation is, with the current overshoot, we will lose about US$93 million per year. And if it gets worse, then it’s going to be bad. We’re dealing with a migratory species, and it’s going to go eastwards.”
He said the potential economic impact must be considered in Fiji’s long-term planning, particularly for the fisheries sector and the future of PAFCO.
“This is probably something that we will have to consider in the long term as we plan about PAFCO and all the fisheries sector for that matter, Honorable Speaker. 1.5 is important. Financing, again, is so important.”
Meanwhile, Minister for Climate Change Lynda Tabuya says limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius is also critical to protecting the Pacific’s marine ecosystems.
She warns that coral reefs face significant losses if global temperatures continue to rise.
“The science, of course, tells us that 1.5 degrees of warming, coral reefs are projected to decline by a further 70 to 90 percent, and at 2 degrees, more than 99 percent would be lost.”
Tabuya says Fiji will continue advocating for stronger global commitments to keep the 1.5-degree warming target within reach as countries prepare for COP31 in Türkiye next week…..PACNEWS
PAC – TRADE FINANCE: ADB PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 05 Nov 2026
ADB, Bank of the Cook Islands partner to support Trade Finance Access
NADI, 05 NOVEMBER 2026 (ADB)— The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program (TSCFP) has signed an agreement with the Bank of the Cook Islands (BCI), marking the program’s first engagement in the country.
Under the agreement, BCI will be able to access financing and guarantees through TSCFP to support eligible trade transactions, including imports of essential goods across a range of sectors.
The partnership will help local businesses gain improved access to ADB’s global network of partner banks and more competitive trade finance solutions. This is expected to support smoother and more cost-effective import flows, strengthen links to regional and international trade networks, and lower financing costs for traders, which can contribute to more affordable goods for everyday consumers.
Developing island economies face a distinctive set of constraints in accessing trade finance. Limited domestic market size, reduced connectivity to international banking networks, and the withdrawal of correspondent banking relationships mean that viable trade transactions frequently go unfinanced, not for lack of commercial merit but because the risk capacity is not available locally.
The Cook Islands, as a Pacific small island developing state, is among the markets where these pressures are most acute.
“This partnership represents an important step in expanding trade finance solutions across Pacific developing member economies,” said Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Subregional Office Azusa Sato.
“Working with the Bank of the Cook Islands, this agreement will open a new set of opportunities for businesses across local communities, expand trade connectivity with the Pacific region and beyond, and build wider economic resilience.”
This TSCFP engagement in the Cook Islands forms part of ADB’s wider efforts to strengthen trade finance access in the Pacific. ADB will continue to work with partner banks to support trade flows and economic resilience in the region.
Backed by ADB’s AAA credit rating, TSCFP delivers guarantees and loans through more than 200 partner banks to support trade and create import and export opportunities for businesses.
The programme is a key partner in helping diversify trade both internationally and intra-regionally within Asia and the Pacific. Since 2009, it has supported over US$74 billion in trade, focusing on sectors that promote sustainable growth and regional integration……PACNEWS
FIJI – ARCHIVES: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Thu 05 Nov 2026
Fiji invests $264,000 to modernise national archives
SUVA, 05 NOVEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Fiji is investing $264,000(US$132,000) to upgrade the National Archives’ digital systems and improve access to thousands of hours of historical recordings and more than 100,000 restored photographs.
Minister for Information, Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya told Parliament the investment would support server upgrades and improve access to the country’s historical audio-visual collections, with the project expected to be completed before April 2027.
Tabuya outlined the investment while presenting the Department of Information and National Archives’ 2023–2024 Annual Report in Parliament.
She said improving access to reliable government information and preserving Fiji’s historical records remained priorities for the Ministry.
The Department has been allocated $12 million (US$6 million) for the 2026–2027 financial year, with $7 million (US$3.5 million) directed towards Public Service Broadcasting and $5 million (US$2.5 million) for operational costs.
Tabuya said the expanded public broadcasting programme included nationwide broadcasters and print media outlets, with an emphasis on improving information access for rural and maritime communities.
She also highlighted workforce development, saying staff resignations had declined from nine in 2024 to two in 2025.
The Ministry was reviewing staffing requirements, remuneration and career development opportunities while addressing gaps in media liaison services.
Tabuya said investment in digital communication was also continuing, including the upgrading of ageing production equipment and strengthening the Department’s digital capabilities.
She stressed the importance of providing accurate and timely government information as artificial intelligence and digital platforms increased the spread of misleading content.
The Minister also highlighted the need for public feedback to ensure government communication programmes remained relevant, accessible and easy to understand……PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Climate change is undermining our health and the burden falls heaviest on women
By Veronica Le Nevez, Laura Emily Downey
SYDNEY, 05 NOVEMBER 2026 (THE CONVERSATION)—As sea levels creep higher in the Pacific, salt leaches into the soil, and reduces the land available to grow food. Ocean warming is damaging coral reefs, reducing fish stocks, and salinity has tainted fresh water supplies.
As a result, Pacific communities are being forced to turn to imported food, which is often high in calories but low in nutrients. And this, along with a myriad of intersecting social, cultural, and economic factors, has led to a rise in the rates of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Ahead of the upcoming UN climate conference COP31, discussions by government ministers, civil society advocates, multilateral agencies, and academics at the pre-COP meeting in Fiji and Tuvalu last month emphasised the importance of health for those on the front line of the climate crisis.
Women in the Pacific are disproportionately responsible for family care, and the burden of food and water insecurity falls most heavily on their shoulders. Women at the pre-COP meeting told us replanting crops after extreme weather is increasing their domestic burden, contributing to exhaustion and mental ill-health.
But these women are not passive bystanders. Again and again in Fiji we heard incredible stories of women developing and implementing their own climate solutions. Australia can learn from their leadership and make health a central part of the global agenda at COP31.
What’s the focus of COP31?
This year’s summit is being promoted as the “implementation COP”: acting on existing promises (rather than making new ones) to keep the critical threshold of 1.5°C of warming within reach. There will be a push to increase climate finance – funding for activities to mitigate or adapt to the impacts of climate change.
But health needs to be higher up the agenda. Global warming is worsening chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer, which are the primary cause of death and disability, both in the Pacific and globally. As an amplifier of inequity, it is women who bear the greatest health burden.
The Pacific has the highest rates of these chronic diseases in the world. They are responsible for 87% of deaths in the Western Pacific region, with mortality rates in Kiribati five times those of Singapore, and yet they have largely absent from the wider COP agenda.
Throughout the pre-COP talks, Pacific leaders repeatedly emphasised the need for climate action to reflect the everyday health realities facing communities. Too often, conversations focus on disasters and emergencies and the acute injuries and infectious disease outbreaks that ensue. The less visible ways climate change is undermining population health are often overlooked.
Chronic disease prevention and treatment is shaped by interwoven systems, such as food, water, housing, gender equity and economic security. But policies designed to support the systems are fragmented across sectors and institutions.
There was a welcome focus on gender and women’s health at the Fiji meeting, including discussions about how extreme heat is making pregnancy more dangerous for mothers, and women are facing poorer health outcomes and heightened care giving.
Tuvalu prime minister Feleti Teo said it best: Ensuring that gender and health are fully integrated into climate financing is not just an ambition; it is an urgent necessity for the survival and wellbeing of our island communities.
What needs to happen
Fortunately, many Pacific Island nations are making inroads at addressing these challenges.
The Pacific Resilience Facility, a climate finance mechanism owned and led by Pacific people, is funding women-led climate projects, such as installing community water tanks. One community leader at pre-CoP spoke about the value of having a clean and reliable water supply for their village in remote Fiji for the first time, for the modest cost of US$6,000 (A$8,600). Projects like this demonstrate climate adaptation can drive health and economic development that creates broader prosperity.
Other changes that should be reflected at the COP31 meetings in Turkey include:
1. chronic diseases should be included in national climate and health action plans
2. climate action must include strengthening primary health care
3. climate action must be gender-responsive, with women included in climate leadership
4. most importantly, emissions reduction must be accelerated to keep 1.5°C within reach.
The Pacific has shown the world what climate leadership looks like. Now the priorities discussed at Fiji must be taken up at COP31. Climate change is multi-faceted and our response must be the same; connecting climate action, health equity and sustainable development….PACNEWS
Veronica Le Nevez, Co-Director, Impact and Engagement, The George Institute for Global Health, George Institute for Global Health
Laura Emily Downey, Associate professor, George Institute for Global Health
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific countries come together to shape the future of marine spatial planning
NADI, 05 NOVEMBER 2026 (SPC)—The Pacific Ocean connects diverse island nations across millions of square kilometres, yet this week in Nadi, Fiji, conversations around marine spatial planning revealed how many of their challenges, aspirations and questions are remarkably similar.
From the Cook Islands to Palau, Tonga to Niue, participants from 14 countries shared common stories about balancing economic development, biodiversity conservation, and cultural values within the same ocean space, often while facing limited resources and growing demands on marine environments.
For many participants, the conversations on day one of the workshop started with a simple reality: the ocean is central to Pacific identity, livelihoods, and culture.
Opening the workshop, Jope Davetanivalu, Director of the Environmental Monitoring and Governance Programme at SPREP, reminded participants why this work matters: “It is no wonder we call the ocean our home,” he said, describing marine spatial planning as “our blueprint for the future.” His message set the tone for a week centred on country experiences, peer learning, and practical collaboration.
A workshop designed by countries, for countries
The Regional Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Learning and Knowledge Exchange Workshop in Nadi from 2 to 6 November 2026 is the culmination of a co-design process initiated by the Pacific Community (SPC) and participating countries during the 2025 Pacific Islands Ocean Conference (PIOC). A series of MSP deep-dive discussions at the conference gave countries an opportunity to reflect on their needs and priorities. Those discussions were followed by surveys, training needs assessments and mapping exercises that examined where countries currently are in their MSP journeys.
One of the recommendations that emerged from these consultations was for countries to have more opportunities to learn directly from each other. As Tony Kabasi, SPC’s Team Leader for Ocean Management and Literacy, told participants: “This workshop places country experience at the centre of the conversation.”Its success, he added, “will come from your willingness to learn and to share.”
Across the Pacific, countries are advancing MSP through a range of governance, policy, and institutional approaches. This work is supported by initiatives including the MSP for a Blue Pacific Economy, funded by the United States Department of State and the Climate and Biodiversity-Smart Marine Spatial Planning (CaB-SMART MSP) Programme, funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).
Different journeys, shared challenges
One of the first exercises invited countries to map their MSP journeys and reflect on where they are today. Participants emphasised that marine spatial planning is not a one-size-fits-all process.
Countries are advancing according to their own national priorities, governance arrangements, and development strategies, while drawing on regional support and shared experience. For example, some activities commonly associated with MSP, such as marine protected areas (MPAs), may already be well established nationally and can form important building blocks within broader marine spatial planning efforts in some countries. For others, fisheries management plans, coastal zoning initiatives, or marine conservation programmes have become foundations upon which broader MSP processes are being built. Yet despite these different starting points, many similarities emerged.
Countries repeatedly highlighted challenges around governance and coordination, limited technical capacity, data gaps, stakeholder engagement and sustaining political support over the long term. During Fiji’s group presentation, Andrew Coriakula, Oceans Specialist at the Ministry for Environment and Climate Change, highlighted a key takeaway from the exercise: “We need to align technical capacity with political priorities and create a shared ocean interest at the community and decision-making level”
Similarly, Pisila Kalolaine Fane Vaopeau, Communications Strategist with Environment Tonga, noted that “a common issue that sits at the heart of marine spatial planning process is how to accommodate multiple uses of the ocean while safeguarding ecosystems and ensuring equitable outcomes for communities.”
Understanding the “why”
For Lukes Isechal, MSP Coordinator with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment (MAFE) of Palau, understanding a country’s motivation for pursuing MSP is just as important as understanding the process itself: “Pacific countries face many challenges on their MSP journeys, including institutional silos, limited technical and human capacity to engaging multiple sectors and stakeholders. It is important to prepare carefully and think long-term before embarking on what is often a complex and resource-intensive undertaking.”
Whether the goal is improving fisheries management, protecting biodiversity, reducing conflicts among ocean users, or supporting sustainable economic development, the reasons behind MSP matter because they shape the choices countries make along the way. The importance of inclusiveness came through as participants emphasised that MSP must engage not only technical experts and government officials, but also vulnerable communities, traditional leaders, faith-based organisations, resource owners and political decision-makers.
Similarly, countries stressed the importance of building their own technical expertise and data systems while improving mechanisms to centralise information nationally and share knowledge regionally.
Building a Pacific community of practice
Over the next four days, participants will continue to exchange experiences through country-led learning sessions, scenario-based problem-solving exercises, technical clinics, and collaborative planning activities. Discussions will focus on practical issues such as governance and coordination, stakeholder engagement, data and spatial information, policy and legislation, traditional knowledge, and implementation support. Behind these activities lies a broader ambition: creating lasting connections among MSP practitioners across the region.
As countries continue along different MSP pathways, the message emerging from the opening day was clear: while pathways may differ, the region’s shared commitment to sustainable ocean management provides a strong foundation working together towards a sustainable Blue Pacific….PACNEWS
