Tonga making waves in Pacific Netball
In light of their recent success in the PacificAus tournament earlier in March this year, the Tonga Netball team will be hoping to continue top performance in the Netball World Cup Pacific Qualifiers this week in Suva,
COVID-free Marshall Islands prepares to rejoin the world
The Marshall Islands will remove it’s managed quarantine system after October 1st. The Marshall Islands is one of only a handful of nations left in the world that is COVID free and has remained so due to strict
Severe coastal flooding hits American Samoa and the Cook Islands
The full impact of huge sea swells across American Samoa and the Cook Islands is only starting to come to light. Severe weather conditions in American Samoa have resulted in damage to roads, infrastructure, property and
Samoa at PIF2022: on gender and geopolitics
Samoa’s Fiame Naomi Mata’afa is attending her first Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting as Prime Minister in Suva this week. As leaders gather for their retreat today, Islands Business contributor, Sera
Cook Islands: “Uphold the decision making process of our Forum leaders”
The Cook Islands representative to the Pacific Islands Forum, Tepaeru Herrmann says they respect Kiribati’s decision to withdraw from the Forum, but that upholding the decision to appoint former Henry Puna to the
Vote buying is expected in PNG: Sinai
Papua New Guinea Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai has told media that vote buying and other corruption related offences are expected in any election in PNG. He said the 2022 National General Election is no exception,
Historic deals on maritime boundaries at the Forum
Many Pacific island states are really large ocean states, with vast Exclusive Economic Zones. As local enterprises and overseas corporations seek to exploit the region’s vast ocean resources – from fisheries to deep
USP “students are hurting” says Pro Chancellor
As Pacific leaders meet in Suva to discuss deepening regionalism through the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, USP, the region’s university continues to suffer the impacts of continued funding
Promising future for Pacific exporters: PTI Australia
Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Australia says despite half of the businesses responding to its export survey noting a decline in export orders over the past year, businesses are optimistic about the future. The most recent
Legal jostling over Marshall Islands’ Forum status derailing unity efforts
Marshall Islands President David Kabua will not be in Suva for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting this week because members of his own government have “derailed” an effort to reverse the country’s
“We absolutely must preserve the unity of the Forum”
French Polynesia at the regional summit For Jean-Christophe Bouissou, Vice President of French Polynesia, the 51st Pacific Islands Forum is an opportunity to highlight the ongoing challenge of climate change for the
Forum leaders meet to consolidate Blue Pacific agenda
For the first time since 2019, presidents and prime ministers from around the region will gather face-to-face in Suva this week, to continue the 51st Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting. The centrepiece of the summit
Forum mission questions credibility of New Caledonia referendum
Last December, the Pacific Islands Forum sent a ministerial mission to New Caledonia, to monitor the conduct of the third referendum on self-determination under the Noumea Accord. Their report, obtained by Islands
Cop that! Preparing for climate talks in Egypt – and the Pacific?
As leaders gather in Suva for the 51st Pacific Islands Forum, island nations are also gearing up for the next round of global climate negotiations, to be held in November in Egypt. This week’s Forum summit in Fiji
PIF: Women leaders seek to breathe new life into old commitments
The message from the first ever Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders meeting last month was clear, commitments they made a decade ago to gender equality need revitalisation. In the decade since the signing the Pacific
FNPF soaks up unwanted Fiji Airways shares, buys 30% of airline for F$93.1m
The Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) has confirmed its acquisition of 30.02% of Fiji Airways was an outright F$93.1 million purchase of new shares and not a debt-to-equity swap as had been widely speculated since
Pacific digital toolbox needs expanding to hammer out misinformation
By Romitesh Kant, The Australian National University in Canberra A shortage of resources and investment from major digital platforms has left the Pacific region battling a campaign of misinformation and
Partners in the Blue Pacific’ initiative rides roughshod over established regional processes
On June 24, the White House announced the establishment of the Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP), an initiative by Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States “for more effective and
Pacific Sustainable Tourism Criteria in the works: SPTO
The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) will be working with TRC Tourism to develop the PacificSustainable Tourism Criteria. “Sustainable tourism development is now more important than ever as we begin to plan tourism
PNG election update: Voting starts
Prime Minister James Marape cast his vote at Tari Urban yesterday on the first day of polling in the PNH election, saying he was confident he would come home victorious. He repeated that he will resign as a member of
PNG elections and the economy: Marape vs O’Neill
It is often said that PNG elections are fought on local issues, and this is no doubt the case. However, national issues have certainly featured prominently in this year’s election campaign in the run-up to voting,
Access to finance ocean projects ‘very challenging’: Solomons MP Manele
While there are huge commitments being made and offered to assist countries to conserve, protect and manage their ocean resources, accessing finance for ocean projects is still a major obstacle for many Small Island
The future of Pacific ocean science
The Pacific can learn from the Indian Ocean when it comes to ocean science. Last week’s UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon devoted a full day to the role of the scientific community. Strong engagement of stakeholders
