Economic diplomacy: Banking on the Pacific
Rebuilding regional banking is unlikely to pay dividends without an underlying business revival. Australia’s oldest bank changed its name from the Bank of New South Wales to Westpac in 1982, reflecting apparent
Opinion: Fiji’s emigration boom: will it last?
The spike in migration out of Fiji since the end of COVID has been widely commented on. It is certainly real. Prior to 2018 there were on average about 9,000 more departures than arrivals of Fijian residents every year.
Opinion: The fifth-child rule: Marshall Islands’ maternity leave policy affronts local customs and tradition
Now that we have the most women (four) in the history of the Marshall Islands in the Nitijela (parliament), including a woman president, Hilda C. Heine, I believe it is time to address and change the archaic Marshall
Opinion: Mixing oil and water
As protests erupt across New Caledonia, a leading Loyalist politician claims indigenous Kanak and the West are like ‘oil and water’ Sonia Backès, the leading conservative anti-independence politician of her
Fiji replaces Vanuatu as top PALM sending country
The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme has been transformed over the last five years. In June 2019, there were 5,886 PALM visa holders in Australia. Five years later, in May 2024, there were 32,513, an
Opinion: Small-Scale Fishers facing Large-Scale Challenges at WTO
A decision whether to conclude negotiations that prohibit subsidies that contribute to overfishing and overcapacity is happening next week at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The WTO General Council meeting follows
Opinion: Bougainville’s home-grown independence constitution: Part 2
The draft of the Constitution of the Republic of Bougainville draws on numerous sources, including the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Constitution, the PNG Constitution, the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA),
Opinion: Bougainville’s home-grown independence constitution: Part 1
This is the first article in a two-part series on the history, context and key features of the proposed independence constitution that is in the process of being developed for Bougainville. On 06 May 2024, the
Pacific islands are being ‘debanked’. What does it mean – and why are Australia, NZ and the U.S concerned?
The withdrawal of major banks from Pacific islands poses significant socio-economic risks to the region, prompting intervention by Australia, the U.S and New Zealand. The so-called debanking of the Pacific – when
EU rebukes African, Caribbean, Pacific org ‘not aligned with reality’
The European Commission is privately threatening to stop propping up the 79-member Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States amid concerns of financial mismanagement, just months after signing a new 20-year
Opinion: The political risk of a failed census in Papua New Guinea
The last reliable national census for Papua New Guinea (PNG) was conducted 24 years ago, therefore the 2024 census is critical. But early signs suggest the latest attempt to count the country’s population will not be
Opinion: Most plastics are made from fossil fuels and end up in the ocean, but marine microbes can’t degrade them
Marine plastic pollution is a massive environmental issue, with a plastic smog of an estimated 170 trillion particles afloat in the world’s oceans. This highlights how urgently we need to develop strategies to
Opinion: Tapestry of Pacific ambiguities: Political tensions against the backdrop of FestPac celebrations
The focus of the Festival of Pacific Arts, or FestPac, is always culture, and the 13th iteration held in June 2024 in Hawai’i was no different. More than two dozen island nations sent delegations of dancers,
Opinion: How the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu drastically cut plastic pollution
With lagoons once choked by rubbish, pressure from the appalled community led the government to ban certain single-use products. For generations, the people of Erakor village in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu would pass
Opinion: Samoa should make the most of the Pacific Engagement Visa
When presented with an opportunity like Australia’s Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) scheme, don’t demur. Grab it with both hands and be grateful. Other Pacific countries including Fiji are all ready to sign
Opinion: Trump vs Biden: the aid dimension
Republican candidate Donald Trump is the favourite to win the US presidential election on 5 November over Democratic incumbent Joe Biden, according to recent forecasts by media outlets such as The Economist. The
Opinion: The real cost of mining in Solomon Islands
The Rennell landowners are questioning the government again about the status of their royalty payments for the 33 bauxite shipments worth millions and their compensation claims for the Kangava Bay oil spill in 2018.
Opinion: Private sector can play a vital role in tackling plastic tsunami
The Pacific Islands, among the most picturesque yet vulnerable regions in the world, are facing an escalating crisis: plastic pollution. The initiation of a global plastics treaty, underpinned by initiatives such as the
Marine species disappear amid dredging works
As dredging works moved downstream in the Sigatoka River, Kulukukulu Village headman Christopher Herbert Work watched as the machines heading towards them dug up the river and spewed out sand and gravel to the
Opinion: FestPAC: Protecting Oceania and charting future voyages
It’s the first time the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, which starts Thursday, will be held in Hawaii. The Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture is the world’s largest celebration of indigenous Pacific
Opinion: Silent epidemic: The devastating impact of drugs on Fiji’s health and wellbeing
Fiji faces a critical mental health crisis, with rising drug abuse cases being one of several contributing factors. Social and economic challenges, along with limited access to mental health services, are also believed
Opinion: How integrating traditional leadership will impact Pacific Islands governance and diplomacy
Pacific Island nations have declared a campaign to move toward recognition of indigenous and traditional leaders in policy development. While it may appear an unconventional move in the Pacific’s contemporary context
Opinion: Increasing women’s political representation in Solomon Islands
On 29 December 2023, the Solomon Islands National Cabinet approved the introduction of temporary special measures (TSMs) to improve women’s political representation in the Provincial Government Assemblies (PGAs).
