Opinion: Australia and the Pacific are in prime position to host landmark COP31 summit
An announcement about who will host the 2026 UN climate summit is expected during COP29 discussions in Baku,
Features
Opinion: Donald Trump can’t stop global climate action. If we stick together, it’s the U.S that will lose out
Donald Trump’s re-election to the White House is a major setback for climate action but ultimately, it’s the US that could end up losing out, writes Bill
Opinion: How Azerbaijan put a climate advocate in prison ahead of COP29
The abundance of natural resources has enabled reprisals against those who speak out about the grim future to come. My husband, Farid Mehralizada, is one of those who faced such a consequence, writes Nargiz
Opinion: Is Fiji losing its global standing?
Fiji’s noble banner blue has always flown high at the international level. We have enjoyed the status of a country with a population of less than a million, and as a smaller island developing state, we have punched
Opinion: Biases within the capital flows to the Pacific
Earlier this month, USAID announced additional support to the Pacific Island economies, focusing on inclusive and sustainable economic growth and climate change.
Opinion: The Pacific Islands News Association at 50: part 2
A perspective on the history and future of the Pacific Islands News Association from incoming President Kalafi
Opinion: Two ideas from Fiji for PNG’s upcoming budget
With the 2025 budget due to be delivered next month (November 2024), PNG should look to Fiji to see what else it could do to help the country’s
Opinion: Samoa rolls out red carpet for post-colonial family function
When Commonwealth heads of government gather in Samoa next week it will be their first in the Pacific islands region and the first time with a British
Opinion: Reflections on Pacific regionalism
The Pacific Islands Forum and its secretariat is a complex bureaucracy that will take any individual at least a year to understand.
Opinion: A CHOGM Rorschach Test
Heads of state and senior representatives from all 56 Commonwealth countries will converge in Apia, Samoa next week for the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, known as CHOGM. According to the
Opinion: Harris and the Pacific Islands: Delivering on a Pacific vision
In the whirlwind of speeches to cement Kamala Harris’ presidential credentials, the Pacific Islands have hardly rated a
Opinion: Pacific initiatives need transparency and ground rules to reduce harmful competition
It’s time for the Pacific to talk about ground rules in the security sector, write Blake Johnson and Adam
Opinion: It’s not just police who police
Captured on camera chatting with American diplomat Kurt Campbell in Tonga last month, Anthony Albanese described Pacific leaders’ support for a new Australian-led policing initiative as a big win. “We had a
Opinion: World’s biggest deforestation project gets underway in Papua for sugarcane
Excavators have begun clearing land in the Indonesian region of Papua in what’s been described as the largest deforestation undertaking in the world. A total of 2 million hectares (5 million acres) of forests,
Opinion: Tribute to John Paska: A remarkable trade union leader
I am honoured to write about John Paska’s passing on 9 August 2024 after a short illness. He was 76 years old. Until recently, he was the President of the Papua New Guinea Trade Union Congress (PNGTUC), an elevation
Opinion: Cables under the sea: Pacific island countries need integrated electricity grids
Australia should supercharge the development of Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and contribute to their lasting economic security by investing in inter-island electricity grids and diversified energy sources. A green
Opinion: Samoa rolls out a red-carpet welcome fit for a king
‘Leave your suits at home.’ That’s the travel advisory message from Samoa’s prime minister ahead of her tiny Pacific nation hosting one of the world’s most prestigious meeting of world leaders next month, in
Opinion: Not merely ‘exploration’: PNG deep-sea mining riles critics & surprises officials
A deep-sea mining operation that recently took place off the coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has raised alarm bells for environmentalists and called into question the validity of the country’s moratorium on such
Opinion: Albanese government’s Pacific policing deal is a masterstroke of diplomacy
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese may be attempting to backpedal from a “hot mic” moment at the Pacific Islands Forum this week in which he joked the United States “go halvies” on a new regional
Opinion: Travel recovery in the Pacific: worrying signs
As the pandemic recedes and gradually fades from people’s memories, travel in the Pacific is rebounding. However, the Pacific’s travel recovery is highly variable. Comparing visitor arrivals in 2023 with those in
Opinion: As Western banks leave the Pacific, a new player emerges
Australian banks are gradually withdrawing from the Pacific Islands, leaving the region at risk of being totally disconnected from the global banking system. Bendigo Bank is exiting Nauru, while Westpac has floated
Opinion: Bougainville in Transition
It is now 35 years since the Bougainville crisis erupted and 23 years after it officially ended through the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement in August 2001. Children in Primary school in 1989 are now in their
Opinion: Free(r) movement at the Forum
The annual Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) always has a wide-ranging agenda. This year the FEMM, which was held at the start of August in Suva, endorsed the now-finalised but yet-to-be-released