Now is the time for an independent Pacific foreign policy and security think tank
Good foreign policy, diplomacy and sound national security in the Pacific Islands doesn’t just require solid ideas and good plans. It needs robust evidence of what works and a level of informed public debate on what
“We have been lagging behind quite poorly”
In 2020 as shops and markets all over the world were forced to close due to the coronavirus, people shopped from home, with e-commerce seeing exponential growth in many markets. And the trend will continue. Online
E-Commerce trailblazer: Banz Kofi
Banz Kofi’s online business was transformed when owner Patrick Killoran negotiated a significant reduction in freight rates. Last year during COVID, while regular sales out of the company’s Mount Hagen coffee
“How did my husband die?”
The Parties to the Nauru Agreement ( PNA) has described them as the "eyes of the sea," who help provide critical data to ensure the sustainability of tuna stocks. But while fisheries observers are considered a valuable
Can electronic monitoring improve observer safety and security?
While collectively, Pacific fishing nations do not appear to be in a rush to send fisheries observers back to sea unless their environment is safe, some national programs have continued to deploy observers on fishing
The Forum after Dame Meg
As Henry Puna takes the reins at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Dame Meg Taylor has ended her term as Secretary General after more than six years in the job. In an interview with Islands Business (subscribers
PNG: Coping with COVID
By early June, Papua New Guinea’s COVID-19 cases stood at 15,938 and 15,088 of that number have recovered. There have been 162 deaths, and at the time of reporting, there were 688 active cases. So how is the PNG
Little light on power sale
With Fiji caught in the darkness of a descending cloud of COVID-19, its government has pushed through the sale of a large portion of the national energy company to a Japanese consortium. In its initial announcement, the
Behind the story
Ruben Vulawalu returned to his village of Drue, Kadavu after 20 years for his story, Between a rock and a hard place. He writes about the experience of seeing the devastation caused by Keni and Cyclone Harold. It was
Between a rock and a hard place
In the Fijian village of Drue in Kadavu, locals face a life-changing decision: to remain at the mercy of the rising ocean, or move their entire community to higher ground. Sixty-three-year-old stroke survivor
Fast-tracking PICTA
The Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA), having acquired ratification by signatory Pacific Island Countries (PICs), came into force in 2003. However, some 18 years later, the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is
Julian Aguon’s ‘The Properties of Perpetual Light’
I was invited to write a review of my dear friend Julian Aguon’s book ‘The Properties of Perpetual Light’. The task was a little daunting given his book has received the highest praise from the likes of Alice
Pacific artist soars to the top of the world
Spend a bit of time on TikTok and the chances are you will pretty quickly come across someone dancing to the iconic track “Iko Iko” performed by Pacific music star Justin Wellington, aka ‘JW’. While Pacific
Samoa HRPP seat declared void; election overturned
A Human Rights Protection Party(HRPP) Associate Minister has had his election in the seat of Sagaga No. 2 declared void by the Samoa Supreme Court following a legal challenge, triggering a by-election. This means
RMI, Solomons make a ‘lonely case’ for carbon price on shipping
Pacific island nations made the case for a carbon price to tackle shipping’s climate impact at the UN body responsible for seaborne transport on Wednesday, but found only tepid support. At a environmental committee
How an ASEAN ag visa would undermine Pacific seasonal worker programs
The Australian Federal Agriculture Minister, David Littleproud, announced yesterday morning on the ABC that the National Party had demanded and gained acceptance of a proposed “seasonal agricultural workforce visa”
Probe into Pacific Maritime Industrial Zone project financing
Papua New Guinea Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey has announced a new study aimed at resuming work on the long-delayed Pacific Maritime Industrial Zone project in Madang. PMIZ has been a white elephant sitting on the fringes
Cook Islands swimmer off to Olympics
Cook Islands swimmer Wesley Roberts has broken a national record and qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. Wesley Roberts, also known as the “Atiu Rocket”, broke the national record in the 400 metre freestyle (3.52.50)
Solomon Islands Opposition Leader calls for mining moratorium
Solomon Islands leader of Opposition, Matthew Wale has called for a moratorium on all forms of mining in the country until proper management and regulatory policies are put in place to safeguard the people and their
Violence against women in Pacific politics
As with their sisters around the world, many women in the Pacific Islands are victims of violence. While much of this violence occurs within the family, a socio-cultural environment accustomed to violence against women
Vanuatu Education minister now speaker
The Vanuatu Parliament has elected Seule Simeon as the new speaker just hours after Gracia Shadrack resigned from the position. To stand as candidate for speaker, Simeon resigned his education portfolio in the
Samoan weightlifter Iuniarra Sipaia through to Olympics
Samoan weightlifter Iuniarra Sipaia has confirmed her spot in the Tokyo Olympics next month and says she is honored to be representing the country. Sipaia told the Samoa Observer in an interview on Tuesday that she felt
Bougainville independence date set
Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama has set 1 September, 2025, as the tentative date for the declaration of independence for the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. He told the House of Representatives that the
