In this bulletin:
1. UN — Climate finance, Just Transition top agenda as World faces 1.5 overhoot
2. VAN — Vanuatu Parliament to debate no-confidence motion on Monday
3. FIJI — PM Rabuka says Fiji prepared for worsening drought as water shortages hit communities
4. PNG — PNG PM Marape suggests reform that allows people to vote for PM
5. NZ— Pacific vote in focus as parties make final pitch before election day
6. FIJI — Fiji Political candidates financial disclosure deadline slashed
7. VAN — Vanuatu Gov’t to appeal court ruling of referendum requirement for constitutional changes
8. PACNEWS BIZ — VT60M to address El Niño impacts in Vanuatu
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Pacific Business Trust faces questions over funding decisions and wider accountability
10. PACNEWS DIGEST — Put the ocean at the centre of COP31
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — Weather Ready Pacific supports tsunami readiness across the Pacific
12. PACNEWS DIGEST — Fiji launches AFD-funded Riverine Trashboom Initiative to tackle marine plastic pollution
UN – COP31: UN NEWS CENTRE PACNEWS 3: Fri 06 Nov 2026
Climate finance, Just Transition top agenda as World faces 1.5 overhoot
ANTALYA, 06 NOVEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Climate finance, adaptation and the transition away from fossil fuels will dominate negotiations at COP31 in Türkiye, as developing countries demand greater access to funding and technology to confront worsening climate impacts.
More than 190 countries will gather in Antalya from 09 to 20 November for the United Nations climate summit, amid warnings that the world is on track to temporarily exceed the 1.5°C global warming threshold set under the Paris Agreement.
The summit comes after a year of devastating floods, heatwaves and prolonged droughts, with an expected El Niño threatening to intensify climate impacts further.
However, despite rapid advances in solar power, electric vehicles and battery storage, developing countries continue to face major barriers in accessing the technology and financing needed to reduce emissions and strengthen climate resilience.
UN Special Adviser on Climate Action and Just Transition Selwin Hart says the challenge is no longer simply developing solutions but ensuring countries can afford and implement them.
“There’s now a clear recognition that addressing the climate crisis requires all hands on deck,” Hart said.
COP31 will be hosted and presided over by Türkiye, while Australia will lead the negotiations in close cooperation with Pacific Island countries.
The annual Conference of the Parties brings together governments that are members of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to assess progress and negotiate collective action on climate change.
The process produced the 2015 Paris Agreement, under which countries committed to keeping global warming well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Hart said the outcome of a COP should not be measured only by the final negotiated agreement, as the conferences also drive practical action and national commitments.
“There’s sometimes this expectation that COPs will always have this big grand deal that will solve the climate crisis. That’s not realistic,” he said.
He identified three areas of action: negotiated agreements on climate finance, emissions reduction and adaptation; partnerships involving governments, development banks and businesses; and national commitments to strengthen climate policies and investment.
Türkiye is placing particular emphasis on implementation, with initiatives covering clean energy, food security, resilient cities, greener industries, oceans and waste reduction.
“I’m running a personal campaign to rename the Action Agenda, the Implementation Agenda,” Hart said, highlighting the need to move from promises to practical results.
Climate finance is expected to be one of the major points of disagreement at COP31, with developing countries pressing wealthier nations to meet their financial commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Negotiators will also address access to funding, responsibility for financing and ways to direct global financial flows towards climate action.
Another priority is the proposed just transition mechanism, which countries agreed to establish last year to support workers and communities as economies move towards cleaner energy and industries.
Negotiations will focus on how the mechanism will operate.
Adaptation will also remain high on the agenda, including how to measure progress and increase financial support for vulnerable developing countries.
Governments will also face pressure to strengthen emissions reduction commitments and implement existing pledges.
COP31 will launch the second global stocktake, the Paris Agreement’s formal process for assessing collective progress towards its long-term climate goals.
Hart said exceeding the 1.5°C threshold should not be treated as a reason to abandon climate action.
“Overshoot is not surrender. Overshoot should really lead to a much greater degree of urgency,” he said.
He called for faster emissions reductions and increased investment to protect communities already experiencing the effects of climate change.
Despite the warning, Hart said the world had more technological options to address the crisis than ever before.
“The good news in this horrible situation of overshoot is that the world has never been better equipped to solve this challenge,” he said.
Global electric vehicle sales, solar power generation and battery storage have expanded rapidly.
Electric vehicles accounted for one in four new cars sold globally in 2025, with the share expected to reach 28percent in 2026.
The world added more than 600 gigawatts of solar power capacity in 2025, accounting for more than three-quarters of new renewable energy capacity.
Global battery storage capacity is now 11 times higher than in 2021. An additional 108 gigawatts was installed in 2025, a 40 percent increase from the previous year.
Despite the growth in clean energy investment, developing economies continue to receive a disproportionately small share of global financing.
Emerging and developing economies outside China, which are home to nearly two-thirds of the world’s population, received only 18percent of global clean energy investment in 2025.
Africa illustrates the gap, attracting a small share of global investment despite its renewable energy potential, while about 600 million people still lack access to electricity.
Hart said the cost of capital was one of the biggest barriers, with renewable energy projects in developing countries often costing several times more to finance than similar projects in wealthier economies.
“So, our task now, in this second decade of the Paris Agreement, is to ensure that we remove the barriers to implementation, the barriers to faster action in these economies,” he said.
He said countries already carrying heavy debt burdens faced additional difficulties in financing climate protection while meeting spending needs in health, education and other development priorities.
“We need solutions on finance that will not increase debt,” Hart said.
For Pacific Island countries, which face rising seas, coastal erosion, extreme weather and growing adaptation costs, access to affordable and predictable climate finance remains a central concern.
COP31 is expected to test whether governments can move beyond existing commitments and address the financial and practical barriers preventing developing countries from implementing climate solutions.
The summit will not resolve the climate crisis, but decisions on finance, adaptation and the just transition could determine how quickly vulnerable countries gain access to the resources needed to respond….PACNEWS
VAN – POLITICS: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS 3: Fri 06 Nov 2026
Vanuatu Parliament to debate no-confidence motion on Monday
PORT VILA, 06 NOVEMBER 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST) —Vanuatu Parliament will debate the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister (PM) Jotham Napat on Monday next week, after Speaker Felix Stephen confirmed that it meets the requirements of the Constitution and Parliament’s Standing Orders.
Speaker Stephen explained that the motion would follow the procedures set out under Standing Order 44, which requires a motion to be moved and seconded before the Speaker opens it for debate.
After the debate, the Speaker puts the motion to Parliament for a decision.
Under Standing Order 58, questions are generally decided by a majority vote of members present, with MPs voting by raising their hands.
However, Opposition MPs questioned the Speaker’s decision to make a determination on the motion before it was formally debated.
MP Gracia Shadrack raised a point of order, while Opposition Leader Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau argued that the motion was not yet ready for the Speaker to make a ruling.
Kalsakau also referred to a Court of Appeal decision in support of his argument.
In response, Speaker Stephen said he was required to explain the parliamentary procedures and guide MPs on how the motion would be handled.
He added that any member who disagreed with his ruling could challenge it through the appropriate legal process.
Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Johnny Koanapo supported the Speaker’s role, saying MPs needed to understand the procedure before the debate took place….PACNEWS
FIJI – WEATHER WATCH/ELNINO: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Fri 06 Nov 2026
PM Rabuka says Fiji prepared for worsening drought as water shortages hit communities
SUVA, 06 NOVEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS) — Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the Government has been preparing for the impact of prolonged dry weather for months, as communities across the country face water shortages linked to El Niño conditions.
Rabuka said 67 water trucks had been deployed and more than 1.69 million litres of water delivered by road and sea to affected communities as Government agencies stepped up their response to the worsening drought.
According to the latest figures presented to Parliament, more than 885,000 litres of water had been delivered by road since 30 October, while another 810,000 litres were transported by sea between 30 September and 30 October.
Rabuka said the Water Authority of Fiji was working daily to maintain supplies and deliver water to communities experiencing shortages.
“I understand the difficulties this is causing families, farmers and businesses,” he said.
“But I want our people to know that we have not been sitting idle.”
He said disaster management teams, regional development officials and other Government agencies were coordinating assistance and preparing for conditions that could become more difficult in the coming months.
“We have been preparing for this situation for months, and we will continue to strengthen our response as necessary,” Rabuka said.
He acknowledged the seriousness of the drought, saying while the Government could not control the weather or bring rain, it could mobilise resources and take measures to protect communities.
Rabuka said Fiji had repeatedly raised concerns about the effects of El Niño and prolonged dry weather at international climate conferences, including the United Nations climate negotiations.
He said climate change was already affecting communities and called on major economies to recognise the growing challenges facing small island developing states.
“That is also why we continue to advocate internationally for greater climate financing and assistance,” he said.
“Small countries like Fiji cannot be expected to carry the growing burden of climate change alone.”
Rabuka said the international community needed to recognise the challenges faced by Pacific communities and support efforts to strengthen their resilience.
Responding to criticism over his previous comments on the drought, Rabuka said some people could choose to use his words for political purposes.
“Some may choose to take my words out of context and use them to score political points. They are free to do so,” he said.
“But while others debate my words, our teams are out there delivering water and helping communities.”
He called for solidarity and cooperation as Fiji navigates the difficult period, urging people to support one another.
“This is a difficult period for our country, and it calls for solidarity, cooperation and a shared determination to look after one another.
“We will get through this together,” said Rabuka……PACNEWS
PNG – CONSTITUTION REVIEW: THE NATIONAL PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 06 Nov 2026
PNG PM Marape suggests reform that allows people to vote for PM
PORT MORESBY, 06 NOVEMBER 2026 (THE NATUIONAL) —-Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has suggested reforms to the constitution to allow the people, rather than members of parliament, to elect the prime minister.
The proposal should be discussed in the next parliament and implemented by 2032 to improve political stability and economic development.
Marape said the safeguards, including term limits and constitutional checks and balances, would be essential to prevent excessive concentration of power.
“The relationship between the legislature and executive has sometimes created political instability, he said.
“We must seriously consider whether the people themselves should directly elect their prime minister.”
On 29 October last year, Marape tabled in Parliament a two-volume report by the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC) that recommended seven changes to the current system of government.
The CLRC had conducted a two-year consultative process throughout the country to review and recommended changes to the Constitution and Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Governments.
The recommendations were:
*TO change the current system of government from three-tier to a two-tier system;
*TO change the Head of State from a constitutional monarchy to a non-executive president;
*FOR people of PNG to directly elect the prime minister through the political party with the greatest number of elected MPs endorsed by that party, and the Head of State to sanction the leader of that political party as prime minister with a full term of government;
*TO improve the electoral system and processes in modern-day PNG;
*TO create more opportunities for women’s representation in Parliaments through special measures, including reserved seats, nominated seats and quota system;
*TO improve the political party system; and,
*TO adopt a bicameral parliamentary system.
Marape said: “As a Government, we must not be scared of changes, especially changes that are necessary for our progress.”…PACNEWS
FIJI – ELECTION/POLITICS: PMN PACNEWS 3: Fri 06 Nov 2026
Pacific vote in focus as parties make final pitch before election day
WELLINGTON/AUCKLAND, 06 NOVEMBER 2026 (PMN)—With just hours to go before New Zealanders vote, three senior party candidates have made their final pitches to Pacific voters with sharp differences emerging over representation, the economy and what a new government would mean for Pacific communities.
ACT leader David Seymour says his party would abolish the Ministry for Pacific Peoples if returned to government, arguing that state agencies should deliver services to all Kiwis and not through separate ministries.
“Yes, I think that ministry does not actually deliver for Pacific peoples,” he tells Pacific Mornings.
Seymour says ACT would instead focus on measures such as housing, education, jobs and business opportunities.
But New Zealand First candidate Alfred Ngaro says he would push back against any move to remove the ministry, arguing Pacific communities need a stronger voice inside government.
“I will be advocating for the Ministry of Pacific Peoples because of what it can and should be doing in our nation and so forth,” he tells PMN.
Ngaro says the bigger question is whether Aotearoa recognises the value Pacific people bring to the country.
“For Pasifika people, it’s time for change. It’s time to, again, on this journey, we were voting in one way, which predominantly for Pasifika was Labour. We need to vote in a different way. Vote for change, vote for hope, vote for the future.”
Ngaro is expected to return to Parliament through the NZ First list but says his focus after the election will be on serving than positioning himself for a future leadership role.
His comments come as NZ First seeks another term in government and the final shape of the next coalition remains uncertain.
For Labour, finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds is making a different kind of pitch. She’s promising to put Pacific families and the wider cost of living pressures at the centre of economic decisions if Labour wins.
Edmonds says Pacific unemployment is a particular concern with the rate around twice the national level.
For Pacific voters, she says her approach would be shaped by her own background and the values she was raised with.
“First and foremost, I’m Sāmoan. We have values as Pacific people, as Sāmoan people, around the collective.”
Edmonds is also campaigning to become New Zealand’s first Pacific woman Finance Minister if Labour forms the next government.
She says her priorities would include reducing cost pressures, creating jobs and improving access to public services while maintaining Labour’s plan to return the books to surplus.
The three candidates also face different questions about what happens if their parties do not get the result they want.
Seymour has committed to staying on as ACT leader even if the party ends up in opposition.
Ngaro says he remains fully behind NZ First leader Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters and rejects talk of succession.
Edmonds says she is focused on Labour winning and becoming Finance Minister, rather than discussing what happens if the party falls short.
The latest PMN-Horizon Research survey shows nine in 10 Pacific respondents say the cost of living will influence how they vote, with jobs and wages, health and housing also among their key concerns.
The survey also found a trust gap for the coalition parties, with 72percent saying National does not understand Pacific communities well, compared with 74percent for ACT and 59percent for New Zealand First.
The final pitches have highlighted clear differences between the parties over Pacific representation, government funding and the future of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.
Polling places open from 9am Saturday with voters deciding which parties will have the numbers to shape the next three years. The polls close at 7pm…..PACNEWS
FIJI – ELECTION/POLITICS: FBC NEWS PACNEWS 3: Fri 06 Nov 2026
Fiji Political candidates financial disclosure deadline slashed
SUVA, 06 NOVEMBER 2026 (FBC NEWS) —Fiji Political candidates will have their financial disclosure deadline cut from 60 days to 30 days under proposed changes to the political party laws.
The amendments also seek to strengthen accountability by clearly classifying electoral offences as either corrupt or illegal practices.
Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo introduced the Political Parties Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosure (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2026, saying the change would align candidates’ financial disclosure deadlines with other reporting requirements under the Act.
The amendment also identifies specific offences under the Political Parties Act as either corrupt electoral practices or illegal electoral practices.
Vosarogo said the changes address provisions that were not covered by previous amendments and would ensure electoral offences are classified consistently across Fiji’s electoral laws.
Changes are also being made to the Electoral Registration of Voters Act.
Vosarogo said two amendments would ensure voter qualification requirements under the legislation are consistent with those set out in the Constitution.
A further amendment would classify an offence under the voter registration legislation as a corrupt electoral practice.
He said the three Bills were intended to strengthen accountability, improve compliance with financial disclosure requirements and promote consistency in the regulation of political parties.
Parliament has approved a motion allowing all three electoral amendment Bills to proceed through a single stage at one sitting, without referral to a standing committee or any other parliamentary committee.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission could be given the authority to move ballot counting from individual polling stations to designated counting centres under changes to Fiji’s Electoral Act 2014.
Vosarogo states the Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2026 would allow the Commission, with its approval, to authorise ballot papers to be counted at one or more designated centres.
This would give the Commission an alternative to counting ballot papers at individual polling stations, allowing greater flexibility in how the counting process is organised.
Vosarogo said the amendment would also bring the Electoral Act into line with the National Referendum Act 2026.
The Bill further addresses foreign assistance during election campaigns, with provisions to clarify restrictions on assistance received from foreign individuals and organisations.
Vosarogo said the amendment would provide greater clarity on the restrictions, although he did not detail the specific forms of assistance covered.
Another change concerns the legal effect of announcing an election date, particularly when an election is subsequently postponed or cancelled.
The Bill also clarifies the meaning of a certified list to include the voter list, register of postal voters and other registers used to determine eligibility under special voting arrangements.
Vosarogo further outlined changes concerning the finality of decisions made by the Electoral Commission under Section 115(2)(b). The relevant offences would also be reclassified as illegal electoral practices.
He said the amendments were intended to improve legal clarity, strengthen election administration and ensure consistency across Fiji’s electoral laws.
Parliament approved Vosarogo’s motion to fast-track this Bill alongside the two other electoral amendment Bills, with all three to be debated and voted on at one sitting, without committee referral and with one hour allocated for debate.
The motion, moved by Vosarogo under Standing Order 51 and seconded by Ro Filipe Tuisawau, also limits debate on the three Bills to one hour, with a vote scheduled for today…..PACNEWS
VAN – COURTS: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS 3: Fri 06 Nov 2026
Vanuatu Gov’t to appeal court ruling of referendum requirement for constitutional changes
PORT VILA, 06 NOVEMBER 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST)—-The Vanuatu government will appeal the Supreme Court’s decision requiring a national referendum for proposed constitutional amendments affecting the Public Service Commission (PSC) and Electoral Commission.
Prime Minister Jotham Napat said the government wants the Court of Appeal (COA) to clarify why a national referendum is necessary, particularly in relation to the proposed changes to the appointment of PSC members.
He said the government intends to amend the provisions relating to the appointment of PSC members while seeking clarification from the higher court on the referendum requirement.
He explained that if the COA rules that a national referendum is required, Parliament will have to address the matter again.
The ruling, delivered by Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek on October 30, found that the Constitution (Tenth) (Amendment) Bill No. 16 of 2026 affects both the electoral system and the parliamentary system.
The constitutional amendments sought to change the appointment process for PSC members, giving the PM a greater role through recommendations to the President instead of the existing consultation process.
The Bill also proposed allowing Parliament to legislate on the removal, qualifications and disqualifications of PSC members, as well as making the Commission subject to the policies and lawful directions of the Council of Ministers.
In his judgment, Lunabek ruled that these proposed changes would reduce the constitutional independence of the PSC and increase executive control over the Public Service.
The Court also found that the proposed amendment allowing Parliament to provide for the removal of Electoral Commission members would affect the independence of the institution responsible for supervising elections.
It concluded that both sets of amendments fall within Article 86 of the Constitution, which requires constitutional changes concerning the electoral system or parliamentary system to receive support through a national referendum before coming into effect.
The ruling followed a constitutional referral by President Nikenike Vurobaravu under Article 16(4) of the Constitution after he questioned whether the proposed amendments could receive presidential assent without a referendum.
The amendment had already received the required special majority support in Parliament, with 39 votes in favour at its second reading. However, it had not been submitted to a national referendum.
Supreme Court therefore ruled that the Bill should not be assented to unless the requirements of Article 86 are satisfied.
PACNEWS BIZ
VAN – WEATHER WATCH/ELNINO: VANUATU DAILY POST PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 06 Nov 2026
VT60M to address El Niño impacts in Vanuatu
PORT VILA, 06 NOVEMBER 2026 (VANUATU DAILY POST)—-The Vanuatu government, through the Council of Ministers (COM) has approved VT60 million(US$1.1 million) to help provinces assess and respond to El Niño impacts, particularly water shortages.
When confirming this in Parliament , the Prime Minister (PM) Jotham Napat said VT10 million(US$187,317) is allocated for each province.
He said COM receives regular briefings from the National Disaster Committee (NDC), which provides updates on the current El Niño situation and identifies issues requiring government attention and decisions.
He explained that recommendations must first come from the NDC before being submitted to the COM for consideration and final approval.
Minister of Climate Change, Ralph Regenvanu, said that COM approved VT10 million (US$187,317) for each province following an assessment and recommendation by the NDC.
He said the funding was specifically intended to help provinces assess the effects of El Niño, identify areas most in need of assistance and respond to requests from affected communities.
Regenvanu said provincial operational disaster and climate change committees, chaired by provincial secretaries-general and comprising line agencies, had been carrying out assessments and response activities over the past month.
He said teams were responding to requests from communities and following the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Response Plan, with the minister responsible for water also kept informed of the situation.
He added that preliminary assessments had identified areas requiring assistance, and responses were already underway.
Napat said the government had also approved additional arrangements, with the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) looking at further allocations to provinces to address water-related challenges in particular.
He said his office had also made arrangements to provide water to small islands in the Shepherds group through the vessel HELPER 1.
Napat explained that the vessel has the capacity to carry a desalination system and could provide drinking water to islands experiencing shortages.
Under the proposed arrangement, the government would establish a Memorandum of Understanding with HELPER 1, involving an allocation of VT10 million (US$187,317).
He said the arrangement would support search and rescue operations while also enabling the vessel to deliver water to island communities in need….PACNEWS
NZ – BUSINESS: PMN PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 06 Nov 2026
Pacific Business Trust faces questions over funding decisions and wider accountability
WELLINGTON/AUCKLAND, 06 NOVEMBER 2026 (PMN)–The Pacific Business Trust (PBT) is facing questions over its funding decisions and approach to working with established Pacific business organisations.
Salā Laura Keil-Hall, founder and Chief Executive of the South Auckland-based Pacific Business Hub, is calling on the Trust to improve transparency, accountability and build genuine partnerships with community providers.
The PBT, a government-funded charitable trust established in 1985 to support Pacific business development in New Zealand, recently selected seven providers from 31 applicants for its new Pacific Business Capability Network.
The Pacific Business Hub was among the unsuccessful applicants.
But Keil-Hall insists her concerns go well beyond the decision, pointing to longstanding issues she says have persisted throughout her 15 years working in Pacific business development.
She tells PMN News it is time to speak out.
“I feel like enough is enough. I’ve been in this space for 15 plus years and nothing has really changed in there.”
However, PBT maintains it followed a fair and impartial selection process that respected privacy and public accountability, and considers the concerns resolved following direct correspondence with Keil-Hall.
The dispute became public recently after Keil-Hall issued a statement, widely shared on social media, titled Who Really Holds the Power Over Pacific Business Development in NZ?
In it, she questions how public funding is distributed, who makes decisions affecting Pacific businesses, and whether established community providers have a meaningful voice.
Speaking to PMN News in her first media interview since releasing the statement, Keil-Hall says she has raised concerns with PBT over several years, including during her time at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, where she managed the Trust’s contract.
Her latest criticism follows changes to government-funded Pacific business support, with the former Pacific Business Village programme discontinued and responsibility shifting towards PBT following Budget 2025.
In June, Keil-Hall expressed optimism about PBT’s new board and leadership, saying the Trust appeared to be “on the right path”.
But she says subsequent developments have left her questioning whether meaningful change is taking place.
“Everything leading up to me making that comment was all looking positive, so I was quite hopeful.
“But what has actually happened since then is actually seeing the same thing happening over and over again from the previous leadership.”
She says the Hub had been engaging with PBT in the hope of building stronger working relationships.
“We thought that they would genuinely be working with us, or at least build genuine relationships and partnerships with us.”
“But when we got excluded from their network that they just procured, it kind of paints a different picture, doesn’t it?”
Keil-Hall says genuine partnerships must reflect Pacific cultural values, particularly teu le vā, the Sāmoan principle of nurturing and maintaining respectful relationships.
She argues these principles should guide how organisations work together, especially when difficult decisions are made.
She says community providers should be treated as equal partners rather than simply organisations seeking contracts.
In a statement to PMN News, PBT Chair Dr Uluomato’otua Saulaulu Aiono says the Trust values independent community hubs and remains committed to working with them to support Pacific entrepreneurs, guided by alofa and fa’aaloalo (love and respect).
Aiono says he has responded directly to Keil-Hall in two detailed letters addressing her concerns about the selection process, governance and evaluation of applicants.
“Bound by public stewardship, PBT executed a fair, neutral process respecting privacy and public accountability. Our direct exchanges resolve these matters in full”.
Keil-Hall also questions the Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ oversight of publicly funded business development.
She says she raised concerns about how the Trust’s performance was measured, arguing that too much emphasis was placed on activities such as workshops and attendance rather than improvements in business outcomes.
She also argues that shifting responsibility for Pacific business support towards PBT has concentrated decision-making and resources within one organisation, potentially weakening established community networks.
In a statement to PMN News, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples says it contracts PBT to help Pacific businesses build their capability, but is not involved in its operational decisions.
“The Ministry engages with PBT closely on its governance and statutory requirements, but we are not involved in operational matters. This is the responsibility of PBT.”
Meanwhile, Keil-Hall acknowledges the Pacific Business Hub faces an uncertain future after seven years of supporting Pacific entrepreneurs.
She says the organisation is under increasing financial pressure to find other sources of funding.
“When we got that notification (from PBT), in my mind, I was like, I don’t know, I think we’re going to have to shut down the hub in the next month, because I just have no idea where else we could actually get some financial support.”
Despite the uncertainty, Keil-Hall remains determined to continue.
“We’re holding on, we’re still fighting, I’m still hopeful,” she said…PACNEWS
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Put the ocean at the centre of COP31
By Peter Thomson
SUVA/ANTALYA, 06 NOVEMBER 2026 (OMAN OBSERVER) —For over 30 years, Pacific island countries have issued the same warning at the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference: the warming ocean threatens not just food and energy security, but global survival itself. And almost every year, our warning has been treated as a regional problem, a challenge confined to remote small islands and thus not warranting more than lip service from international leaders.
I wish I could say we were wrong. Instead, the climate devastation unfolding before our eyes, supercharged by an El Nino cycle and record-breaking ocean heat, proves that this crisis does not stop at the shoreline.
Rising sea levels are swallowing fertile farmland, displacing communities, and driving up insurance premiums for families. Ocean warming threatens the energy grids and ports that power the world economy and keep global supply chains running. In the Arctic, 60percent of coastal infrastructure, much of which is used for critical security activities, has become vulnerable to erosion. In 2024, the Mediterranean and Black Sea, major fishing and aquaculture hubs that generate $21.5 billion in direct and indirect revenue per year, experienced marine heat waves with temperatures nearly 5° Celsius above normal, raising concerns about food insecurity.
Another overlooked factor is the ocean’s role as the planet’s largest carbon and heat sink, absorbing 30percent of CO2 emissions — as much as the world’s forests — and capturing 90percent of the excess heat generated by those emissions. But it pays the price: the most heat-sensitive ecosystems are underwater, and every fraction of a degree of global warming beyond the 1.5°C target set by the Paris climate agreement destroys more of them. By 2050, under a 2°C warming scenario, the losses caused by ocean-linked disasters could reach $56 billion, exposing the hard limits of adaptation and the urgent need to keep warming as close to 1.5°C as possible.
These are not trivial problems. They imply major global economic and security risks. And they have existential implications for Pacific island countries: staying below the 1.5°C limit is a matter of survival, which is why we fought so fiercely to secure the Paris climate agreement and, in the intervening years, to stick as closely as possible to that target.
Last year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil, put forests at the centre of the climate agenda. This month’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, can do the same for the ocean. Political support for ocean-based climate action is strong: more than 100 countries signed a letter declaring that the ocean is a core part of the Paris climate agreement and should be treated as such at COP31.
In practice, this means that negotiators should include the ocean prominently in discussions about reducing emissions, building resilience, and climate finance. Moreover, the latest ocean science must inform the next global stocktake, which would add a level of accountability to climate action by creating ocean-related commitments that countries must report on and standards against which they are measured.
Every country with a coastline should join the Blue NDC Challenge, a group of governments committed to meeting their national climate goals through ocean-based solutions. The ocean can help accelerate the energy transition with the greening of ports and shipping, as well as the development of offshore renewables. Of course, the blue whale in the room is the oil and gas industry. Rapidly shifting away from fossil fuels is the most effective way to reduce the pressure on coral reefs, fisheries, coastal economies, and the local communities that depend on them.
Investment flows must reflect this rising ambition. Current financing for marine protection is estimated at $1.8 billion per year, leaving a gap of approximately $14 billion. And while many proven solutions are ready to scale, coalitions must be mobilised to ensure that marine protected areas can deliver returns through sustainable fishing and tourism revenues.
For too long, the message of Pacific island countries has fallen on deaf ears. COP31 offers a chance to change that. The health of the ocean will shape the future for all people. Now is the time for everyone to accept that it is a shared asset — and a shared responsibility….PACNEWS
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Weather Ready Pacific supports tsunami readiness across the Pacific
RAROTONGA, 06 NOVEMBER 2026 (SPREP)—Pacific National Meteorological Services are strengthening their ability to warn communities of tsunami threats.
With support from the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) Programme, implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the Cook Islands Meteorological Service and the Samoa Meteorology Division took part in an international tsunami early warning training programme in Chile, in August this year.
They are now bringing lessons home to improve warning procedures, coordination and community preparedness.
Maara Vaiimene, Director of the Cook Islands Meteorological Service, andAngela Hazelman, Geophysics Officer at the Samoa Meteorology Division, attended the International Training Programme on Tsunami Early Warning Systems (ITP-TEWS Chile 2026). The programme was held in Valparaíso, Chile, from 10–21 August 2026.
It brought together specialists from Pacific and Caribbean countries to share knowledge and strengthen national capacities to prepare for and respond to tsunami hazards.
“Chile’s experience shows that an effective tsunami warning system depends not only on strong science and monitoring, but on clear roles across agencies and warnings that communities understand and act on,” said Director Maara Vaiimene.
“The lessons from this training will directly support our work to review our tsunami procedures, strengthen how we get warnings out to communities, and build tsunami services into the Cook Islands’ national Multi-Hazard Early Warning System.”
Jointly led by the International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC) and the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC), the programme provided practical insights into the full tsunami warning process, from monitoring and assessment to public communication and emergency response.
For Pacific Island countries, the stakes are high. Local-source tsunamis can reach coastlines and coastal communities within minutes, leaving little time for official warnings to be issued and acted upon. Strong technical capabilities, well-practised procedures and public awareness are essential to complement national tsunami warning arrangements and to help communities recognise natural warning signs and move quickly to safety.
For Samoa, the devastating tsunami that struck Samoa on 29 September, 2009 following a powerful undersea earthquake, claiming lives and causing widespread destruction in coastal communities – remains a traumatic memory for many locals who survived, lost loved ones, or helped the national relief effort in the days, weeks and months that followed. The 2009 tsunami, that killed 143 people in Samoa, 34 in American Samoa, and nine in Tonga, highlighted for the Pacific the critical importance of timely warnings, effective coordination and communities knowing how to respond when a tsunami threat arises.
For Hazelman, whose country knows the cost of tsunami firsthand, the training was a chance to deepen her technical knowledge. It was also a chance to explore how international experience could help strengthen Samoa’s tsunami warning and preparedness arrangements.
“The training was incredibly valuable and covered the full end-to-end tsunami warning chain, including tsunami warning centre operations, Standard Operating Procedures, PTWC Enhanced Products, decision-support tools, emergency response, exercises, public communication and the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme,” Hazelman said.
“More importantly, the programme gave me an opportunity to reflect on how these lessons can be applied within Samoa’s own tsunami warning and preparedness arrangements.”
The same tsunami sent waves to Rarotonga and Penrhyn in the Cook Islands, and in 2010 a local tsunami struck Mangaia’s uninhabited south coast. While the Cook Islands has never experienced a devastating tsunami, the threat is real. Reports estimate that over 4,500 people were directly affected by the 2009 tsunami, most of whom were displaced. For every Pacific island country, Samoa’s experience is a reminder that preparedness must be in place before the waves arrive.
Both services will now share lessons with colleagues and identify practical ways to strengthen national preparedness. In the Cook Islands, lessons will be shared with Meteorological Service staff and will support future tsunami exercises and training. In Samoa, following confirmation of the intended next steps with the Samoa Meteorology Division, this may include sharing key lessons, strengthening operational procedures, or contributing to tsunami preparedness and awareness activities.
‘Ofa Fa’anunu, WRP Programme Manager, said professional development and regional collaboration were essential to building the capacity of Pacific Meteorological Services to protect their communities.
“Weather Ready Pacific recognises that investing in people is just as important as investing in technology and systems. By supporting opportunities for professional development, knowledge sharing and regional collaboration, we hope to help all Pacific Meteorological Services strengthen their capabilities and readiness for disasters.
“Every Pacific country has its own needs and challenges, and we want Weather Ready Pacific to provide opportunities that help national services build the capacity they need to deliver effective early warnings and support communities to take action when it matters most.”
Through Weather Ready Pacific, SPREP works alongside Pacific countries, national meteorological services and technical partners to strengthen the people, partnerships and systems needed to ensure that early warnings lead to early action….PACNEWS
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The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Fiji launches AFD-funded Riverine Trashboom Initiative to tackle marine plastic pollution
SUVA, 06 NOVEMBER 2026 (SPREP)—Plastic waste entering Fiji’s rivers and waterways continues to threaten coastal and marine ecosystems, prompting a new initiative funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to intercept litter before it reaches the ocean.
Fiji has officially launched the Fiji Riverine Trashboom Initiative, following the signing of a USD100,000 contract between the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme’s (SPREP), through its Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific Phase 2 (SWAP2) Project, financed by AFD, and Trashboom Pacific.
The initiative will support the installation of ten additional Trashboom systems at priority river and drainage catchments across Fiji, alongside waste monitoring, community engagement and data collection to strengthen national efforts to address marine plastic pollution.
An inception meeting held virtually on 02 November brought together representatives from Trashboom Pacific, Fiji’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC), AFD and the SWAP2 Project Team to mark the commencement of the initiative and strengthen collaboration among partners.
“Stopping plastic before it reaches the reef is vital, but knowing where it comes from is what changes the game. Through SWAP2, AFD supports Fiji along the entire waste chain, from the Naboro landfill to these river barriers. Every Trashboom is also an observatory: by tracing litter back upstream to its source, it gives the Ministry the evidence to design policies that cut waste where it is generated. That is how a pilot becomes public policy,” said Elodie VITALIS, Head of AFD in Fiji.
Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Sivendra Michael, highlighted the importance of the initiative in supporting national waste management priorities.
“Fiji’s ocean health is central to our people’s livelihoods, culture and wellbeing. Initiatives such as the Fiji Riverine TrashBoom Initiative contribute to the priorities of our National Waste Management and Pollution Control Strategy 2026–2035 by intercepting waste before it reaches the marine environment. Through our partnership with SPREP and TrashBoom Pacific, we are strengthening a whole-of-system approach to tackling pollution, combining upstream measures to prevent waste generation with downstream solutions that serve as a final line of defence.”
Trashbooms are floating barrier systems designed to capture plastics and other floating debris moving through rivers and waterways while allowing water to continue flowing. By intercepting waste upstream, the systems help prevent land-based pollution from reaching estuaries, mangroves, coral reefs and the wider marine environment.
The initiative builds on existing Trashboom installations across Fiji, which have demonstrated their potential to intercept significant quantities of waste. Monitoring data from five existing systems at Nausori, Nakasi, Sigatoka, Nabua and the Holiday Inn Creek outlet recorded a combined 341.78 kilograms of solid waste collected between February and March 2026.
Beyond intercepting waste, the initiative will establish a standardised riverine waste monitoring programme using the Sustainable Coastlines methodology, which is also used by the SWAP2 project to monitor marine litter pollution on shorelines. Collected data will be recorded through the Litter Intelligence platform. By bringing together data from both rivers and beaches, the initiative will contribute to a better understanding of marine litter sources, pathways and the movement of waste from land to sea in Fiji.
Formal waste audits will be conducted every six months at the ten project sites through to June 2028, providing information on the quantities and composition of intercepted litter and helping identify potential sources and pollution waterways. The findings will support MECC in identifying pollution hotspots, understanding waste leakage pathways and strengthening evidence-based waste management planning and policy development.
“If using trashbooms to capture and collect debris is all we do then we will always be collecting debris. However, the booms helps us to collect valuable information which will help Fiji to make informed decisions on preventative measures to improve its chemicals waste and pollution management. This data will also add to the ecosystem of useful information such as the coastal debris data already collected,” said Anthony Talouli, SPREP Director of the Waste Management and Pollution Control Programme.
The initiative will also support the continued operation, maintenance and rehabilitation of six existing Trashboom systems to ensure they remain safe and effective in intercepting floating waste and supporting ongoing monitoring.
Community participation will be central to the initiative, with local communities, youth and women’s groups, schools, municipal councils and civil society organisations involved in awareness activities, waste audits and monitoring.
These activities will help communities understand how everyday waste disposal practices contribute to river pollution, while encouraging greater local ownership and collective action to reduce litter at its source.
Beyond removing waste from waterways, the initiative will also explore opportunities to recover and transform suitable plastics collected through the systems into useful products, giving collected materials a second life rather than sending them directly to landfill.
Trashboom Pacific is developing a local upcycling initiative in partnership with Leduas Art Collection, supported by a business-to-business Memorandum of Understanding. The partnership will explore the processing of suitable recovered river plastics into products such as plant pots, detangling combs, carabiners and plastic sheets.
“We want to demonstrate that the plastic waste collected from our waterways does not have to end up in landfill. Where the materials are suitable, we plan to sort, clean and process them into new products such as plant pots, combs, carabiners and plastic sheets. This will give recovered plastics a second life while showing communities the value of resource recovery and responsible waste management,” said Wayne Fuakilau from Trashboom Pacific.
Through its partnership with Ledua’s Art Collection, Trashboom Pacific has invested in granulation and injection moulding equipment to support the processing of suitable recovered plastics. Where economically viable, revenue generated from the sale of upcycled products may also contribute towards the operation, maintenance and future expansion of this upcycling initiative – River Waste Trap to valuable products – business model.
By combining riverine litter interception, standardised waste monitoring, community participation and opportunities for resource recovery, the Fiji Riverine Trashboom Initiative aims to address marine plastic pollution at its source while strengthening Fiji’s capacity to make informed waste management decisions.
The experience and lessons generated through the initiative are also expected to provide a model for similar riverine litter interception efforts in other Pacific Island countries and territories….PACNEWS
