Heart of the spirit: Aboard the Uto ni Yalo
When the Uto ni Yalo docks on any wharf, it demands attention; its double-hull and magnificent traditional design set it proudly apart from modern boats. Wherever this siren of the sea goes, you can’t help but be
Whispers
Tkatchenko returns? Former Papua New Guinea foreign Minister and Moresby South MP, Justin Tkatchenko, is now the minister for national events, reports PNG media. Tkatchenko stepped aside as the minister for foreign
Opinion: We have run out of time
Why Pacific feminists and climate justice activists are boycotting COP28 “COP28 is this year so heavily compromised that a grassroots-led group like DIVA for Equality would be betraying the constituency by
Pacific climate diplomacy moves beyond COPs
As negotiations stutter and stall with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Pacific Island governments and communities are ramping up diplomatic efforts to call for urgent action on fossil fuels.
Not Too Late: Thelma Young-Lutunatabua
Not Too Late is the name, and the message of a new book edited by a woman with strong Fiji connections, for people concerned about climate change. Thelma Young-Lutunatabua and her collaborator, Rebecca Solnit, wrote the
Science and data for ocean prosperity
The Blue Prosperity expedition programme to collect data on ocean health in Fiji is already showing very mixed results at different sites. The programme is a collaborative effort led by the Fiji government and supported
Opinion: FIPIC reaffirms silver lining
The Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) held its third summit in May in Port Moresby, after a postponement. Papua New Guinea’s Post Courier highlighted the meeting by reporting that the
Values, flexibility and digitisation
Global HR trends and the Pacific Global trends in human resources and recruitment include a greater focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts, recruiting for skills and adaptability (not just formal
Labour mobility under research spotlight
When Samoa’s Prime Minister told returning seasonal workers last year, “I want Samoa to be a place where people want to live,” it highlighted the dilemma facing not just Samoa, but a number of other Pacific
Pacific labour mobility: Weaving Fiji-Marshallese links
After six years in the Marshall Islands, Fijian Verenaisi Bavadra says, “I feel to have contributed to the development of education in the Marshall Islands in my own little field.” The Library Director at College of
Briefs
American SamoaThe American Samoa government ordered the closure of all day care centres in the territory on June 14, until further notice to curb the spread of a respiratory virus. The closure was approved by Lt. Gov.
Yoyo Tuki: Proud cultural ambassador of Rapa Nui
Easter Island or Rapa Nui—which lies 3700km from Chile to the east and 4000 from Tahiti to the west—is famous for its ancestral sculptors who created the ancient colossal Moai stone statues. Their progeny, Jorge
Movers and Shakers
Fiji’s Esala Nayasi is the new Deputy Secretary General – Strategic Policy & Programming at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. He joins the Forum from Fiji’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he was
Tourism recovery is going to be harder for Palau
Tourism recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic for Palau will be harder than before due to significant policy changes in some of Palau’s key tourism markets and a more competitive global tourism market. Director Kristy
MSG a vibrant group despite challenge: Vanuatu Foreign Minister
The fever of the gathering of the Melanesian family through the upcoming 7th Melanesian Arts and Cultural Festival (MACFEST) began last week with the gathering of Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) foreign Ministers at
PNG Trade Minister Maru wants Trukai sale probed
The Papua New Guinea Government has directed the Securities Commission of PNG to investigate the sale to an Australian company of a substantial local shareholding in Trukai Industries. International Trade and Investment
Pentagon ordered to probe undersea mining to counter China
The Metals Company, a mineral explorer of the Pacific Ocean floor, is welcoming United States Congressional efforts to elevate contentious undersea mining to help achieve battery metal independence from
“Tough” Budget passed in Cook Islands Parliament
Cook Islands Parliament has officially passed the Budget after a grueling two-week session. Prime Minister Mark Brown praised the work of all parliamentarians over the past fortnight. It was the first time the Budget
Congressmen angry that Bikini islanders’ nuclear trust fund may have been ‘squandered’
Following widespread media coverage of the collapse of what was a more than US$70 million trust fund for Bikini islanders displaced by American nuclear weapons testing, the United States Congress has demanded answers
Australia appoints first special envoy for the Pacific
A new special envoy role will help Australia strengthen its already strong bond with the Pacific, the federal government says. Ewen McDonald, a senior foreign affairs department official, will take on the inaugural role
Latin America leads resistance to global shipping emission tax
At crunch talks in London, Latin American nations led by Brazil have fought against a tax on the emissions of the global shipping sector. The media is not allowed to watch the talks, hosted by the United Nation’s
Gulf oil states on a Pacific charm offensive
Gulf oil states are using their vast wealth to build influence across the far-flung South Pacific, experts have told AFP, tearing a page straight out of China’s Belt and Road playbook. Saudi Arabia and the United
IAEA chief to visit South Korea, Cook Islands, NZ over Japan’s treated nuclear plant water
The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plans to visit South Korea, the Cook Islands and New Zealand in July, regarding the ocean discharge of treated water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear
