Opinion: Pacific Engagement Visa legislation finally through
After months of uncertainty, yesterday the legislation required to implement the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) passed through the Australian Senate, with the Greens and other crossbenchers providing the numbers the
Opinion: The Pacific’s carbon credit market – promise and challenge
The global thrust towards sustainability is irrefutable. From the vantage point of Pacific Island Countries (PICs), we’re poised at the forefront of a market with vast potential: the carbon credit market. As the
Opinion: 29 years of independence: Palau at a crossroads
Every year on the first of October, the U.S government marks the beginning of a new fiscal year, and so does the Palau government. But what appears to be a lost detail, yet historically significant, event marks the
Opinion: Government shutdown threatens key U.S. effort to counter China in Pacific
A looming government shutdown threatens to upend a major multibillion-dollar diplomatic initiative between the United States and three Pacific Island nations that the Biden administration views as a cornerstone of its
Opinion: U.S. under pressure to conclude compact agreements in the North Pacific
Little information has emerged about how negotiations for the renewal of the Compact of Free Association (COFA) between the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the United States are progressing. The United States
Opinion: U.S. claims to Central Pacific flout International law
In defiance of international norms and rules, U.S. officials are laying claim to the large oceanic area in the central Pacific Ocean that is home to the compact states. Now that they are renewing the economic provisions
Opinion: ‘Strategic Manipulation’
Was it a faux pas? Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Henry Puna has referred to the United States’ return to the region after 10 years of neglect with “the proliferation of regional strategies and
Opinion: Pacific labour mobility over the last year: continued growth
Following the reopening of borders across the Pacific region in mid-2022 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a quick recovery in temporary labour migration flows to Australia and New Zealand. A
Opinion: The costs of logging in Solomon Islands
In the years following the 1998-2003 ethnic tensions in Solomon Islands, the World Bank assisted the Solomon Islands government in planning a project to support rural communities. This resulted in the Rural Development
Opinion: A call for medical détente in the Pacific Islands
Pooling the expertise and resources of development partners is a win not only for regional healthcare but soft diplomacy, Eileen Natuzzi writes. As U.S. and China competition increases in the region, perhaps it is time
Opinion: Reflecting on the 20th anniversary of RAMSI in Solomon Islands
A significant milestone in the history of Solomon Islands and the South Pacific was marked this week, on 24 July 2023. It was the 20th anniversary of the start of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands
Opinion: Geopolitical competition and Solomon Islands: navigating the middle ground
Geopolitical competition can have adverse impact on third-party countries. We are seeing this in Solomon Islands, where domestic political discourses – at least in Honiara and on social media – are dominated by the
Opinion: Vital to protect pro-Israel UN votes from Pacific nations
It is no secret that Israel is disproportionately singled out at the United Nations. Last year, the General Assembly approved 15 anti-Israel resolutions. That was two more than all of the other resolutions criticising
Opinion: High seas treaty too late to stop seabed mining
When the International Seabed Authority begins accepting applications for deep-sea mining operations in the coming weeks, there will remain a lingering question. How much control will authorities have over operations to
Opinion: Pacific treaties must be built with care and nurtured once they’re in place
Security agreements are an increasingly hot topic in the Pacific as Australia, the U.S, China and New Zealand seek broad arrangements across the region. Melanesian countries have attracted the most attention; over the
Opinion: Who will dare break the vicious cycle of corruption in the Pacific?
“When you don’t take a stand against corruption you tacitly support it.” ― Kamal Haasa The first instinct of a person responsible for the care of their loved ones in a modern-day Pacific society is to survive by
Opinion: You can’t mine the seabed without proper rules
Mining the seabed without proper regulations seems outlandish. But it could happen sooner than we think. 10 July, 2023 is shaping as D-Day for the world’s oceans. That is the day after a two-year deadline placed on
Fiji Budget: Reactions from the House
While the formal budget debate on the budget in Parliament commences on July 10, some MPS and stakeholders have given their initial responses to the Budget. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said the budget is “the
Fiji Budget: ‘It’s a tough but fair budget’ says Finance Minister
Presenting government’s Fiji Budget 2023-2024 to parliament this morning, Finance Minister Biman Prasad said the fiscal deficit of $639 million dollars was “higher than I personally wanted.” Prasad said
Fiji budget: Education, health get budget boosts
The Fiji government budget 2023-2024 presented today has prioritised spending on education and health. Education The education sector has been allocated $768.9 million with $505.4 million to the Ministry of
Fiji Budget: Increasing revenue, simplifying tax
The 2023/2024 Budget, which is themed ‘Rebuilding our future together’, is focused on reducing debt to sustainable levels, promoting private sector economic rejuvenation and taking care of the low income and
Fiji Budget: A focus on debt sustainability
The drive to reducing Fiji’s debt underpins many of the measures included in the 2023-2024 Fiji budget, with the coalition government hoping to bring it down to 79% of GDP by July 2024. Government debt is projected to
Opinion: The Pacific – Securing the Future
Submarine cables are a vital element of infrastructure for Pacific Island countries. Over the last five years, a focus on the Pacific region submarine cable development has demonstrated enormous growth in the number of
