Samoa PM Fiame Mata’afa’s inaugural FDC Pacific Lecture
Talofa Lava and warm Pacific greetings. I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to deliver this Pacific Lecture, as has been the tradition for the Lowy Institute to host world leaders in order to foster positive
If we value human rights and the rule of law, then we must fight for climate justice
Human life is sacred and every individual deserves an equal chance in life. We have a common desire, we all want to lead a free, fulfilling existence, with dignity, where our basic needs are met, with opportunities to
Is 1.5C still realistic? The crumbling consensus over key climate target
Sultan al-Jaber, chief executive of Abu Dhabi’s state oil company, has put one message front and centre since being named president of the UN COP28 climate summit: the world must not give up on the 1.5C target for
Underwater critical infrastructure needs protection
According to recent reports, a Russian spy ship was part of a sabotage operation targeting underwater cables, gas pipelines and wind farms in the North Sea. The vessel was spotted entering Belgian and Dutch
Sea of Western flags in Oceania?
In his recently published article “Sea of many flags”, the Head of the ANU National Security College Rory Medcalf makes the case for why Pacific Island states should regard the deep regional involvement of a Western
Probing political analysis needed for 2050 strategy
Work on the Pacific Islands Forum 2050 Strategy’s implementation and monitoring plan, and review of regional architecture, would have started after the Strategy was launched at the 51st Pacific Islands Forum Leaders
Countering China’s Pacific Ambitions
Like empires past, Xi Jinping’s China seeks three grand prizes in the Pacific: wealth, control and presence. Australia and other Pacific nations have recognised the nature and scope of this neocolonial ambition and
Answers needed on the Pacific Engagement Visa
Beyond practicalities, it’s unclear whether this is a genuine “Pacific family” partnership or geopolitical convenience? After a recent ministerial meeting, Australia agreed to expedite visa applications from Papua
Why has a Canadian company partnered with Nauru to fast-track deep sea mining?
Brown-black discharge gushed out of a pipe from a hulking ship, dispersing murky clouds of sediment into the international waters of the Pacific Ocean. The scene, captured in a video that’s garnered international
New PNG media policy will lead to government control of media
The new media development policy being proposed by the Papua New Guinea Communications Minister, Timothy Masiu, could lead to more government control over the country’s relatively free media. The new policy
PNG: Concerns raised at swift review period for media policy
Concerns for media independence and press freedom in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have been raised following the government’s announcement of a swift 12-day period for public review of the country’s draft National
Marine protected areas don’t help tuna, new paper shows
A new study published in Frontiers in Marine Science has found that Kiribati’s Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA), which banned all fishing in 2015, has not had a significant impact on the skipjack and bigeye tuna
Opinion: Where now for Tokelau after the 2023 election?
The voters, fewer than 1000, selected the 11th Parliament (General Fono of Tokelau) on January 26, 2023 during the general election. Twenty members, a mixture of experienced elders, new young blood, and including three
In the midst of neocolonialism – What are the threats to Pacific solidarity?
The state of Pacific island solidarity in the midst of a serious crisis pertaining to climate change and the strategic competition between the United States and China seems to be weak. At a time when solidarity may be
Rules-based order: Whose order?
Rules-based order and rules-based approaches are synonymous. The ‘Indo-Pacific Strategy of the US’ (IPSUS), specifically under ‘Our Indo-Pacific Strategy’, Objective No. 1: Advance a free and open Indo-Pacific,
Chinese aid to the Pacific: decreasing, but not disappearing
Chinese engagement in the Pacific regularly hit the headlines in 2022, sometimes with dire warnings. The recent China–Solomon Islands security agreement sent shock waves across the region. Concern reached new highs
Thirty years of the Vanuatu Women’s Centre: Her Story
On 30 August 1992, three ni-Vanuatu women were on a plane back home to Port Vila, after attending a workshop in Suva with grassroots women from across the Pacific region. Three days later, the Vanuatu Women’s Centre
Marshall Islands could receive billions in U.S. assistance
U.S. negotiators have agreed to drastically increase funding for the Marshall Islands as part of ongoing efforts to renegotiate for a third time the terms of a decades-old treaty between the two nations. The talks are
Opinion: Fiji’s fragile new coalition needs the support of Australia
Sitiveni Rabuka is Fiji’s prime minister again after assembling last month a coalition with a majority of three seats, ending Frank Bainimarama’s 16 years in power. Like Gaul, the new coalition government of
Opinion: Japan must work with the Pacific to find a solution to the Fukushima water release issue – otherwise we face disaster
Over the past 20 months, Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) members have been in dialogue with the government of Japan on its proposed plans to release over a million tonnes of contaminated nuclear wastewater into
Opinion: Republic of Korea-Pacific Islands relations step up
The Republic of Korea (ROK) and 12 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) opted to step-up their relations after the fifth meeting of their respective Ministers of Foreign Affairs that was held in Busan, ROK, last October.
Punching above its weight, Pacific pushes for ship polluters to pay
Punching above our weight has been the statement echoed in London this week to describe the tiny Pacific’s bold push against some of the global heavyweights to have polluters (ship) pay-up for their pollution. This
While West Papua faces an ‘existential threat’, PNG plans defence pact with Jakarta: Kogoya
“We are part of them and they are part of us,” declared politician Augustine Rapa, founder and president of the PNG Liberal Democratic Party, on the 61st anniversary of the struggle for West Papuan independence
