In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — Pacific AI creator says AI must know when to stop
2. FIJI — Proposed Fiji Constitution timeline risks electoral crisis: CDD
3. FIJI — Don’t rush Fiji constitutional reform: National Federation Party President Prasad
4. PACIFIC — Pacific hosts global Climate Body in historic first for the region
5. FIJI — Fiji needs $10b for national climate plan
6. PACIFIC — Indonesia sends hospital ship on South Pacific humanitarian mission
7. PACIFIC— ‘We need real action’: Pacific campaigners, leaders react to Labour visa-waiver pledge
8. SAMOA — Samoan alleged plotters behind Vietnam gang murder charged
9. PNG– Wisconsin National Guard trains Papua New Guinea Defence Force, local civilians on disaster relief
10. NZ — NZDF arrives in northern Cook Islands for construction, health and hydrography tasks
11. PACNEWS BIZ — World Bank Group mobilises record private capital for developing countries, driving job creation
12. PACNEWS BIZ — El Niño could push food prices higher: Fiji Agriculture Minister
13. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Pacific Climate Change Journal launched at POPCCC, strengthens Pacific climate science and policy
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — Guam’s AI workforce tools need a human handoff scorecard
PAC – ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Pacific AI creator says AI must know when to stop
By Pita Ligaiula
SUVA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— As Pacific leaders move to develop the region’s first AI governance framework, the creator of an independent Pacific-focused AI system says artificial intelligence must be able to show where its answers come from and know when it cannot verify information.
Kevyn Wahuzue, a Kanak from New Caledonia now living and working in Auckland, is the creator of Pasifika AI and founder of Kanaky Tech.
His interview with PACNEWS comes after Pacific Islands Forum Leaders endorsed the region’s first collective position on artificial intelligence, calling for AI to remain human-centred, safe and aligned with Pacific values.
In their 2026 Leaders’ Communiqué, leaders endorsed the Pacific Digital and Artificial Intelligence Technology Principles as the Pacific’s first collective regional position on AI and responsible digital technologies.
They agreed the Principles should guide the development of a Pacific AI Governance Framework for consideration in 2027.
Leaders said AI must remain “human-centred, inclusive and aligned with Pacific values” and stressed that technological advances should narrow, rather than widen, existing inequalities.
They also called for greater Pacific capacity, skills and digital sovereignty, while highlighting the need to protect Pacific languages, cultures and traditional knowledge as AI systems expand across the region.
The Principles also call for transparency, accountability, safety and meaningful human oversight in AI governance.
For Wahuzue, those principles address a problem he encountered personally while testing mainstream AI systems.
He said he repeatedly asked general-purpose AI assistants questions about his own languages and history and received fluent but incorrect answers.
“A fluent wrong answer about a Pacific word or a Pacific practice is not a neutral error. It circulates,” Wahuzue told PACNEWS.
He said the problem was not simply that mainstream AI systems lacked Pacific content, but that they often could not distinguish between information that was well documented and information where reliable material was limited or unavailable.
“They produce the same confident register for a well-documented topic and for one where the material simply does not exist in their training data.
“For a region whose knowledge is unevenly digitised, under-represented in the sources these models learned from, and in many cases deliberately not published, that failure mode is the whole problem,” he told PACNEWS
Wahuzue said Pasifika AI was built around a simple principle: users should be able to trace an answer to its source and see the limits of what can be verified.
The independent project covers Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia. Wahuzue designed and built it himself and funds it through his own resources, with small donations from readers.
“I wanted a tool where the route back to the source stays visible, and where the limits are part of what you see rather than something you discover after quoting it,” he said.
Wahuzue said Pasifika AI currently uses three key safeguards when dealing with culturally sensitive information.
The first is a retrieval boundary that limits web searches to a published list of institutional domains.
“It is not searching the open web, and it is not surfacing what somebody posted in a forum,” he said.
The second is vocabulary verification.
Wahuzue said terms used by the assistant are tied to the institution from which they came, with the reference shown with the answer.
“When a word cannot be traced back to a source the assistant says so instead of presenting it as established,” he said.
Where a dictionary is available, the check can also be automated.
For Kanak languages, Wahuzue said Kanaky Tech maintains a dictionary index containing 19,655 entries.
“Every Kanak word in an answer is compared with a 19,655-entry index and any word that is not in it is flagged to the reader,” he said.
He said the approach could be extended language by language with institutions that hold authoritative Pacific dictionaries and language resources.
But Wahuzue said technical safeguards could not determine whether knowledge was culturally restricted.
“Some knowledge belongs to a family, a clan, a lineage, particular custodians.
“Being able to ask a model a question does not create permission to receive that knowledge,” he told PACNEWS
He said that boundary was stated publicly in the Pasifika AI project statement rather than being treated solely as a technical issue.
Wahuzue also cautioned against presenting his safeguards as a complete solution.
“What I will not claim is that these safeguards are complete,” he said.
Wahuzue said restricting the system to institutional sources reduced the risk of repeating information that should not have been given to it, but did not make the AI capable of deciding what knowledge should remain restricted.
“No automated filter can be.
“That judgement belongs to communities,” he told PACNEWS
Wahuzue said this distinction would become increasingly important as Pacific countries develop regional rules for AI.
He said the objective was not simply to build a “Pacific AI”, but to create a system that treats Pacific peoples and knowledge with the same discipline.
“Name the source, keep each people distinct, say when something could not be verified,” Wahuzue said…. PACNEWS
FIJI – CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Proposed Fiji Constitution timeline risks electoral crisis: CDD
SUVA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—The Centre for Democracy and Dialogue (CDD) has warned that the proposed timeline to bring a new Fiji Constitution into force by 24 December 2026, could put Fiji’s next general election at risk and trigger a constitutional crisis.
CDD chief executive officer Nilesh Lal said the proposed timeframe raised serious constitutional, legal and democratic concerns, particularly if significant electoral changes are introduced shortly before the next election.
“The democratic authority of Parliament is time-bound. It is derived from the mandate given by voters at a general election and expires after a defined period, four years in the case of the current Parliament,” Lal said.
He said if a new Constitution were implemented at the end of next year and altered key electoral requirements, authorities could face significant challenges in organising an election within the period required by law.
“If a new Constitution is brought into force at the end of December 2026, and if it changes the electoral system, electoral procedures, nomination rules, party requirements, constituency arrangements, or other legal conditions for the conduct of elections, it may become legally and administratively impossible to hold a general election within the required period following the dissolution of Parliament.”
Lal said such a scenario would be constitutionally unacceptable and would undermine representative democracy. He said the danger was particularly serious because Fiji’s next general election must be conducted within timelines prescribed by law.
“A Constitution cannot be used to defeat democracy. Constitutional reform must not create a legal vacuum, an electoral impossibility, or a situation in which the country is governed after the expiry of Parliament’s democratic authority.”
The organisation is calling on Government to state clearly that the constitutional review process will not affect the timing of the next election.
“The central legal question is simple: will this process preserve the people’s right to elect a new Parliament on time, or will it place that right at risk?” Lal said.
He also stressed that constitutional reform should strengthen, rather than weaken, democratic institutions and electoral certainty….PACNEWS
FIJI – CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM: FBC NEWS PACNEWS 1: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Don’t rush Fiji constitutional reform: National Federation Party President Prasad
SUVA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI TIMES)—Fiji’s coalition government partner, the National Federation Party (NFP), says it will not support any rushed process to amend the country’s 2013 Constitution.
NFP Leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad said while the party welcomes the Constitutional Review Commission’s report, the process of developing a new constitutional framework must be open, transparent and accountable.
Prasad said the NFP is looking forward to the report being tabled in Parliament next week, but is yet to receive feedback from its Cabinet representatives on the draft Constitution Bill.
He said the party made a detailed submission to the Commission and hopes its recommendations have been reflected in the report and the draft legislation.
“But I want to make this very clear from the National Federation Party’s point of view, that we will not be party to any rushed process. We’ve had constitutional upheavals in this country over the last so many years.”
Prasad said Fiji’s history of constitutional upheaval makes it even more important that any new Constitution has broad public support.
He points out that Fiji has had four Constitutions and says the latest review must not be driven by time pressures.
The NFP Leader said the party will participate constructively in the process, but will insist on transparency and accountability.
He also highlights the timing of the review, with Fiji already entering the election period.
Under the current constitutional and electoral framework, the next general election must be held by 6th February 2027 at the latest.
Prasad said the election timetable should not become a reason to accelerate constitutional reform.
“If the process means that it is going to take time, then so be it.”
He said there is already broad support for changes to certain provisions of the 2013 Constitution, but that support should not be used to justify rushing the wider process.
For the NFP, Professor Prasad said the foundation of any new Constitution must be a process that Fijians can trust…..PACNEWS
PAC – LOSS & DAMAGE/CLIMATE CHANGE: PIFS/SPREP PACNEWS 1: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Pacific hosts global Climate Body in historic first for the region
MAJURO, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PIFS/SPREP) —The Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts (WIM ExCom) is meeting in the Pacific for the first time, convening in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) from 14 to 18 September 2026.
The meeting in Majuro comes at a particularly important time for international climate diplomacy. Held in advance of the Pre-COP31 meetings and COP31, it provides an opportunity to build greater visibility and momentum around the Pacific’s priorities on loss and damage, and reinforces the region’s call for climate action that is equitable, responsive, and grounded in lived experience.
“We are looking forward to sharing more about what makes the Marshall Islands who we are – our identity, culture, customs, ocean, and history. Understanding who we are highlights what is at stake in the face of climate change and why we continue to champion the 1.5°C limit, adaptation finance, and the adequate capitalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund. It is so very important to anchor the international work with lived realities, such as our own,” said Minister Jess Gasper, RMI’s Minister-in-Assistance to the President and Environment.
This historic meeting brings one of the key bodies established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to a region on the frontlines of the climate crisis, establishing an important opportunity to place Pacific experiences, priorities, and perspectives at the centre of global discussions on addressing climate change impacts.
Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Divavesi Waqa noted that hosting the WIM Executive Committee in Majuro, following the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in the Republic of Palau, is more than a symbolic milestone.
“It is critical that we bring global climate decision-making closer to our Pacific island communities living with the consequences of climate change, while strengthening understanding of our countries’ specific challenges and priorities,” said Waqa.
Pacific Islands Forum Leaders endorsed the BELAU Declaration for Urgent and Inclusive Climate Action to Keep 1.5°C Within Reach at their meeting in Palau. Forum Leaders also reaffirmed their collective commitment to keeping the 1.5°C Paris Agreement temperature goal within reach, and to strengthening international action on climate change.
The presence of the WIM ExCom in the Pacific reflects the importance of ensuring that global mechanisms are informed by the realities of those most exposed to climate change. The meeting also provides an important platform for Pacific voices including governments, communities, civil society, and young people to inform international efforts to strengthen approaches to loss and damage.
“Climate change has already had a profoundly negative impact on Pacific families, communities, and nations,” observed Sefanaia Nawadra, Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.
“When it comes to climate change-induced loss and damage, the threat to our cultures, languages, and ways of life is very real. This meeting must consider the loss and damage we are already living through in the Pacific.”
The convening of WIM Executive Committee in the Republic of the Marshall Islands was made possible through the COP31 Australia Pacific Partnership, and provides a fitting backdrop to the discussions on Loss and Damage.
The pre-COP31 is also to be hosted in the Pacific for the second time. The event will be held in Fiji and Tuvalu from 5 to 8 October 2026. This will be followed by the 31st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Antalya, Türkiye from 9 to 20 November 2026…..PACNEWS
FIJI – CLIMATE CHANGE: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Fiji needs $10b for national climate plan
SUVA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Fiji needs about $10 billion(US$5 billion) to deliver its national climate plan, but funding under its new partnership with Australia will cover only a portion of that requirement.
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change permanent secretary Dr Sivendra Michael told Parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence that Fiji was re-costing its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and preparing a costed implementation plan.
He said most of Fiji’s NDC targets were conditional on funding, governance structures and other requirements.
The committee heard that Australia’s 10-year commitment to Fiji exceeds $1.5 billion(US$750 million), comprising about $1.05 billion(US$525 million) in grants and $550 million(US$275 million) in loans.
Dr Michael said the package covered areas including digital transition, national building infrastructure, circular mobility and the Ocean of Peace Centre.
However, he stressed that the exact flow of the funding had not yet been determined.
“We have agreed on the broader areas and the scope under each of it,” he said. “But we have not gone into the specifics of where each of the funding should flow.”
He said that work would be done through the Vuvale Bookmark process and the 10-year work plan.
The figures already identified include $146 million(US$73 million) for digital transition, $228 million(US$114 million) in grants and $550 million(US$275 million) in loans for national building infrastructure, $87 million(US$43.5 million) for circular mobility and $39 million for the Ocean of Peace Centre.
Dr Michael said Fiji must also ensure the funding delivered measurable results.
“I think what really matters to me is what are the direct beneficiaries of these projects,” he said.
He said funding must be properly tracked, audited and reported, including how much was spent and how many people benefited.
The warning comes as Fiji continues to face an estimated $500 million (US$250 million) annual economic hit from climate-induced events, with floods and cyclones accounting for 80 percent of those events…. PACNEWS
PAC – DIPLOMACY: VOICE OF INDONESIA PACNEWS 1: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Indonesia sends hospital ship on South Pacific humanitarian mission
JAKARTA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (VOICE OF INDONESIA)— Indonesia has sent a hospital ship on a 60-day health, humanitarian and diplomatic mission to four South Pacific countries as Jakarta seeks to strengthen ties with regional partners.
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono said the mission aboard the KRI dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo-991 would support humanitarian activities while strengthening Indonesia’s relations with friendly countries.
“Today, I am attending the send-off ceremony for the hospital ship KRI dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo-991, which is embarking on health, humanitarian, and diplomatic missions,” Agus Jabo said at Pier 106, Tanjung Priok.
The Integrated Port Visit 2026 Task Force departed Jakarta on 14 September and will visit Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea before returning on 12 November.
Agus Jabo said he hoped the humanitarian programmes would meet their targets and contribute to stronger relations between Indonesia and the countries visited.
“Hopefully, these humanitarian activities will meet the set targets,” he said.
He also linked the mission to broader efforts to promote peace and security.
“Keep moving forward, TNI. Let us uphold humanity and lasting peace for all mankind,” he said.
Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, General (Retired) Djamari Chaniago, said the deployment was not solely a defence mission, but also part of Indonesia’s diplomatic and humanitarian engagement in the South Pacific.
During the voyage, the task force will provide health and social services, including general medical and dental treatment.
The mission is also carrying 1,000 packages of humanitarian aid and will plant 800 coconut seedlings in communities it visits.
Other planned activities include the renovation of places of worship, open-ship programmes, diplomatic receptions, cultural exchanges and joint sporting activities.
The task force will also conduct social outreach in Wanam, South Papua.
The 2026 Port Visit Task Force is led by Navy Colonel Benedictus Hery Murwanto, commanding officer of KRI dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo-991.
A total of 318 personnel are taking part, including members of the Indonesian military (TNI), Indonesian National Police, government ministries and agencies, volunteers, journalists and university students.
The deployment comes as Indonesia continues to expand its diplomatic and humanitarian engagement with Pacific Island countries through health, development, cultural and people-to-people programmes……PACNEWS
PAC – VISA WAIVER: PMN PACNEWS 1: Fri 18 Sep 2026
‘We need real action’: Pacific campaigners, leaders react to Labour visa-waiver pledge
WELLINGTON, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PMN)—For Anae Arthur Anae, Labour’s visa-waiver announcement Thursday is more than another election promise.
The long-time campaigner became emotional speaking on Pacific Mornings after Labour pledged to expand visa-waiver access to citizens of Pacific Islands Forum countries.
“Absolutely brilliant, mate. Brilliant, I just, I don’t want to be over the top with it. Yeah, no, I’m just feeling quite emotional about it.”
If elected, Labour says the proposed policy would allow eligible Pacific visitors to travel to New Zealand using an Electronic Travel Authority rather than applying for a visitor visa.
The party says the change would make it easier for Pacific families to visit loved ones, with the system to be phased in with Pacific governments if Labour forms the next government.
Anae delivered a petition of almost 50,000 signatures to Parliament earlier this year calling for easier visa access for Pacific people.
He says the campaign has exposed years of frustration among Pacific families trying to visit New Zealand.
“Pacific people have been mistreated for too long,” he said. “And the problem is there’s been no voice to get up and fight.”
Anae says the announcement is a major step but his focus remains on whether the policy is actually delivered.
“I’m feeling very confident that the Pacific people will get justice, which is what we’ve been fighting for so long,” he said.
Pakilau Manase Lua, a Tongan community leader, also welcomed the announcement but urged Pacific people not to get ahead of themselves.
“It’s good news, but it’s also an election year, so I am taking it with a grain of salt,” Pakilau told PMN. “The truth is in the pudding. We need to see some real action.”
Pakilau said the change followed years of pressure from Pacific communities and campaigners.
“Labour should have been the first cab off the rank to do something many, many years ago,” he said. “To see them finally do something is great.”
For Deacon Sanele Poluleuligaga, Deputy Chair of the Justice and Peace Commission, the issue is about more than paperwork and visa fees.
Far right, Deacon Sanele Poluleuligaga at the Pacific Justice petition to Parliament. Photo/Justice and Peace Commission/Kathleen Card
He said Pacific families had faced long delays trying to get to New Zealand when loved ones died.
“When someone passed away over here in New Zealand, it’s a very long process for our families to come over just to attend a funeral for our loved ones and say farewell,” he said.
Poluleuligaga said Pacific communities had spent years putting their concerns to Parliament through submissions and petitions.
“It’s great to hear that someone has looked into it and responded to the needs of our Pacific community.”
Green Party Pacific spokesperson Teanau Tuiono said the announcement reflected pressure from both MPs and community campaigners.
“We’ve been pushing for visa waiver access for our Pasifika relatives around the Pacific since I’ve started in Parliament,” he said.
Tuiono pointed to New Zealand’s close ties with Pacific countries including its Treaty of Friendship with Sāmoa.
“Making sure that people can get here without having to jump through a whole lot of hoops to spend time with their families, that’s a good thing,” he told Terite.
Labour Pacific caucus member Lemauga Lydia Sosense also welcomed the announcement. “It’s a wonderful announcement, and something the Labour Pacific caucus and Labour Party have wanted to do for quite some time.”
Labour says the proposed changes would be phased in with Pacific governments if it forms the next government after the 7 November election.
For the campaigners who have pushed the issue for years, however, they believe the focus is now on what happens after the announcement.
The question is whether the promise becomes a change that Pacific families can actually use…PACNEWS
SAMOA – GANG CHARGED: AAP PACNEWS 1: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Samoan alleged plotters behind Vietnam gang murder charged
APIA, 17 SEPTEMBER 2026 (AAP)—Two alleged plotters of the shooting murder of an Australian citizen in Vietnam have been bailed from a Samoan court.
Despite their alleged roles in the shooting, the men were allowed to remain within the community in Samoa, with police earlier arresting one of the men while attempting to leave the country.
Sydney-based gang boss, Lorenzo Lemalu, 24, was gunned down outside a seafood restaurant in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, on 21 May.
Another Australian citizen also sustained serious injuries in the incident.
Vietnamese authorities earlier arrested two Samoan nationals, aged 22 and 26, on May 24 for allegedly carrying out the
Following a four-month international investigation police arrested a charged a 31-year-old New Zealand man and 33-year-old Samoan man on 10 September, who allegedly planned the crime.
The men were granted bail when they faced court on Wednesday, charged with conspiracy to murder.
If found guilty, the men face a maximum penalty of life behind bars.
The New Zealand man was initially charged in May with misleading police and corruption offences as part of their investigation into the alleged murder.
He was arrested while attempting to leave the country.
Lemalu’s funeral in June was also targeted, with two teenagers allegedly unloading 30 rounds from a semi-automatic rifle at the Punchbowl venue in western Sydney.
NSW Police arrested and charged the 17-year-old and a 23-year-old alleged gunmen.
To support in the latest arrests, the AFP assisted Samoan Police through the execution of a search warrant, financial inquiries, witness interviews and a forensic review of electronic material.
AFP’s Pacific acting commander Greg Davis said combating organised crime required international law enforcement agencies to work together.
“Organised crime does not respect national boundaries, so law enforcement agencies must work together to combat them,” he said.
“Criminal networks rely on international connections to facilitate serious offending, which is why regional partnerships are critical to disrupting and dismantling them.
“The AFP commends Samoa Police for its commitment, professionalism and determination throughout this investigation,” he said…PACNEWS
PAC – DEFENCE: PACOM PACNEWS 1: Fri 18 Sep 2026
Wisconsin National Guard trains Papua New Guinea Defence Force, local civilians on disaster relief
LAE,18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACOM)— A team of approximately 15 Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers, Airmen and Wisconsin Emergency Management employees, alongside personnel from other government agencies and nongovernment organisations, trained Papua New Guinea Defence Force service members and local civilian volunteers in humanitarian aid and disaster response relief in Lae, Papua New Guinea
The Wisconsin National Guard is partnered with Papua New Guinea through the National Guard’s State Partnership Programme.
Since the official partnership between the two countries in 2020, the Wisconsin National Guard and the PNGDF have expanded cooperation through military exchanges focused on disaster response, engineering, medical readiness, leadership development, and regional security throughout the Indo-Pacific.
This disaster relief field training exercise, sponsored by the Centre for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, also included service members with the U.S Coast Guard and Soldiers from the U.S Army Pacific Command who assisted with the training.
“These last four days have been about understanding the capabilities, being able to work together, being able to have that friendship and really build the trust between the military and civilian community,” said James Kenwolf, Training and Engagements branch chief at the CFE-DM.
“When we do respond, we now know the faces, and we have that empathy within the community,” said Kenwolf. “We’re able to collaborate to do the best we can for a response in that community or any crisis that occurs in Papua New Guinea.”
Volunteers with the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society and employees with the U.S. Embassy to Papua New Guinea, the International Organisation for Migration – United Nations, and other humanitarian organisations were participants in the exercise alongside the PNGDF.
Wisconsin service members trained approximately 90 civilians and PNGDF soldiers on the priorities following a natural disaster, to include search and evacuation, first aid and medical treatment, and site security. The four-day training exercise consisted of a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on training and a culminating exercise to demonstrate the skills the students learned throughout the week.
Three Wisconsin National Guard medical personnel conducted training on basic first aid and medical treatment. U.S. Army Maj. Heather Herbst, commander of the Wisconsin National Guard’s 135th Medical Company, led the medical training. The medical training consisted of instruction on CPR for adults, children and infants, followed by choking hazards and “M.A.R.C.H.,” which includes training on massive hemorrhaging, airway restriction, respiration, circulation, and treating for hypothermia and shock.
“In a disaster, medical professionals may not be the first people on scene,” said Herbst. “Giving the PNGDF and local volunteers basic medical skills gives them the ability to provide lifesaving care until additional help arrives.”
A team of engineers with the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 229th Engineer Vertical Construction Company trained their students on knots used for evacuation procedures, using a mechanical advantage via pulley systems and fulcrums to remove debris, and shoring techniques to stabilize walls and structures. Starting in the classroom, the engineers trained their group of students on basic knot tying, which was then used in practice to create various hauling systems and personnel rescue techniques.
The site security team conducted training for PNGDF military police and local volunteers on how to move back large crowds that might attempt to overtake resupply areas following a natural disaster. This training consisted of numerous movements, techniques and formations to control crowds as well as extracting injured crowd members.
In addition to the training provided by the Wisconsin National Guard, training was conducted by the IOM on camp coordination for displaced people, and a group tabletop exercise was conducted to walk through the response sequence for assisting agencies when a disaster strikes.
Due to Papua New Guinea’s geographical location, the country faces frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions, among others.
Kenwolf emphasised the importance of having community members participate in the disaster relief exercise.
“When a disaster strikes, it’s the community that responds first,” said Kenwolf.
Herbst shared Kenwolf’s sentiment about the importance of community preparedness.
“Disasters can overwhelm resources quickly,” said Herbst.
“What stood out to me was the importance of being able to work with what you have. It builds confidence, preparedness and a more resilient community,” he said……PACNEWS
COOKS- DEFENCE: NZDF PACNEWS 1: Fri 18 Sep 2026
NZDF arrives in northern Cook Islands for construction, health and hydrography tasks
RAROTONGA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (NZDF)—The island of Penrhyn in the northern Cook Islands has welcomed a New Zealand Defence Force contingent for the annual Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief task Exercise Tropic Twilight.
At the request of the Cook Islands Government and supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, more than 50 personnel have deployed to Penrhyn via a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J aircraft to deliver construction, maintenance, health, and hydrography tasks for the communities of Penrhyn.
The New Zealand Army engineers from 25 Engineer Support Squadron, 2 Engineer Regiment, are working alongside five engineers from the Forces Armées en Nouvelle-Calédonie and one engineer from Vanuatu.
They will carry out a range of tasks on Penrhyn, including constructing and upgrading facilities at Omoka and Te Tautua Schools, upgrading the roof on the Omoka Market building, installing solar water stills and assisting local mechanics to service island plant machinery and vehicles.
Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Littoral Warfare Unit HMNZS Matataua personnel will undertake hydrographic surveys of the navigational approaches, lagoon transit routes, and maritime infrastructure to provide updated data to the Cook Islands Government.
Health personnel from the both the RNZN and NZ Army will work with local medical staff to deliver services to the community.
Deputy Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, Brigadier Michael Bassingthwaighte, says the long-standing exercise continues the good work in the Cook Islands, following last year’s deployment to Ma’uke.
“For more than 25 years, Tropic Twilight has reinforced New Zealand’s commitment to the Pacific through practical support and enduring partnerships.
“We are proud to return to the Cook Islands this year, working alongside local communities and regional partners to deliver infrastructure, health and hydrographic projects that will leave a lasting positive impact for Penrhyn.”
Before transit to Penrhyn from the main island of Rarotonga, RNZN hydrographers took the opportunity to support the Cook Islands Government with a boat ramp survey at Avatiu Harbour.
NZ Army personnel also conducted cleaning and plumbing of the roof at Aotearoa Marae to enable water collection and helped the National Environment Service with their reusable plastics sustainability project…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
USA – PRIVATE CAPITAL/JOB CREATION: WORLD BANK PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 18 Sep 2026
World Bank Group mobilises record private capital for developing countries, driving job creation
WASHINGTON, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (WORLD BANK)—The World Bank Group mobilised more private capital in fiscal year 2026 than in any year in its history and issued a record volume of guarantees, delivering on a goal shareholders and clients have pressed for years: putting more private capital to work alongside its own financing and expertise in developing economies.
Private capital mobilised by the World Bank Group has more than tripled over the past four years, rising from US$35 billion in FY22 to US$112 billion in FY26. Combined with the Group’s own financing, that brought total financing and mobilisation in developing economies to well over US$200 billion in FY26.
The growth was broad-based. PCM to lower-middle-income countries rose from $14 billion in FY22 to US$37 billion in FY26—nearly tripling. In upper-middle-income countries, it increased from US$12 billion to US$50 billion—more than quadrupling. In low-income countries, among the most challenging settings for private capital, PCM was maintained at about US$3 billion. And across Africa, PCM rose from approximately US$9 billion to US$22 billion, an increase of nearly 150 percent.
The results reflect three years of changes across the World Bank Group to work more effectively with the private sector: becoming faster and simpler, bringing the public and private sides of the institution closer together, and expanding the tools available to investors. We brought the World Bank Group together in each country, with a single point of contact across our public and private sector work, and began developing integrated strategies for each country based on its needs and development priorities.
The Private Sector Investment Lab complimented that effort, helping to identify the practical barriers holding back investment in developing economies and developed a work plan to address them.
The World Bank Group has pursued that agenda across the institution: improving the business and regulatory environment, expanding guarantees and local-currency financing, addressing foreign-exchange challenges, increasing equity tools, and advancing new ways for institutional investors to participate at scale.
The Group issued more than US$25 billion in guarantees, surpassing its goal of US$20 billion in annual issuance by 2030 four years ahead of schedule. This growth was led by the World Bank Group Guarantee Platform. Created in 2024, the Platform gives clients and investors a single, simpler point of access to guarantee products from across the institution.
“Three years ago, our shareholders and clients were clear: utilise World Bank Group financing and knowledge to mobilise more private capital and become a better partner to the private sector. We changed how we work to do that—faster, simpler, and as one World Bank,” World Bank Group President Ajay Banga said.
“The result is US$112 billion mobilised this year, more than three times where we started. But the number only matters if the capital goes where it can create opportunity and jobs. That is the work ahead: keep removing barriers, keep expanding the pool of investors, and keep driving more capital into developing economies.”
Job creation is the World Bank Group’s central priority. In developing economies, 1.2 billion young people will reach working age over the next 10 to 15 years, while only around 420 million jobs are projected to be created. The private sector creates nine out of 10 jobs in these economies.
The World Bank Group’s jobs strategy is centreed around three mutually reinforcing drivers: investing in human and physical infrastructure; creating business ready regulatory environments; and helping the private sector scale. It targets five job-rich sectors where these fundamentals can unlock investment and employment at scale: infrastructure and energy, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism, and value-added manufacturing.
In FY26, 55 percent of total financing—own account and capital mobilised—went to these job-rich sectors, helping turn stronger foundations and better policies into private investment, business growth, and jobs. That capital is not just concentrated in the most accessible markets. Private investment is not flowing only to the most accessible markets. It is reaching lower-income economies too, where regional and local investors increasingly complement global capital in financing businesses and creating jobs.
The World Bank Group is now working to build on that progress by expanding the range of investors able to participate. Through its originate-to-distribute (O2D) work, the Group is developing ways to package and distribute investments to institutional investors at greater scale—connecting more of the world’s pools of long-term capital with opportunities in developing economies.
The ambition is straightforward: mobilise more capital, from more sources, and put more of it to work creating jobs and economic opportunity….PACNEWS
FIJI – AGRICULTURE: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Fri 18 Sep 2026
El Niño could push food prices higher: Fiji Agriculture Minister
SUVA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Fijians could face higher food prices in the coming months as prolonged dry weather linked to El Niño reduces agricultural production across the country.
Minister for Agriculture and Waterways Tomasi Tunabuna said the dry spell was affecting all divisions, with crop, vegetable and livestock farmers already reporting reduced productivity.
He said declining output from farms would likely result in lower supplies reaching local markets.
Tunabuna warned that reduced availability of commonly grown vegetables and food crops would place upward pressure on prices.
The minister said the effects of El Niño were being felt nationwide, with boreholes drying up in many rural farming communities.
He called for stronger collaboration between government ministries to respond to worsening water shortages.
Tunabuna said the ministry had activated contingency plans to lessen the impacts of the prolonged dry conditions, which are expected to continue through the end of the year and into early 2027.
He also encouraged consumers to prepare for potential supply disruptions by preserving and storing essential vegetables and root crops.
“Customers need to prioritise freezing and stocking up on essential vegetables and root crops to prepare for uncertain supply,” he said.
Technical officers stationed around the country have been directed to step up farmer awareness programmes and promote best practices aimed at minimising the effects of El Niño on agricultural operations.
The minister said preparation would be key to reducing losses and maintaining food security during the challenging months ahead.
Meanwhile, El Niño is putting farmers under pressure as reduced rainfall threatens water supplies and agricultural production.
Speaking at the 31st Northern Farmers Awards in Labasa , Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Mosese Bulitavu warned that prolonged dry conditions could increase pressure on agricultural communities.
Bulitavu said reduced rainfall could affect productivity while increasing pressure on irrigation, household food supplies and water resources.
He urged farmers to strengthen water conservation, improve water management and adopt climate-smart farming practices to prepare for prolonged dry conditions.
“We should not look at El Niño only as a challenge, we should see it as a reminder that we must prepare better,” Bulitavu said.
Bulitavu said farmers needed to make better use of climate information, improve planning and adopt water-efficient technologies and practices.
He also highlighted the importance of Government working with the private sector, communities and development partners to strengthen climate resilience in rural and maritime areas.
Despite the challenges, farmers continued to harvest, invest and contribute to the agricultural sector. That resilience was celebrated at the Northern Farmers Awards, which has recognised farmers since 1993.
Bulitavu said the award recipients represented the hard work, innovation and determination needed to build a stronger agricultural sector.
The National Agriculture Show theme of “green growth and rural gains” also emphasised sustainable farming, water conservation, climate-smart practices, value addition, diversification and access to new markets.
Bulitavu also recognised the contribution of women in agriculture and their role as farmers, producers, entrepreneurs and decision-makers.
He congratulated the award recipients and said every farmer’s contribution to food, income, employment and their communities mattered…. PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Pacific Climate Change Journal launched at POPCCC, strengthens Pacific climate science and policy
HONIARA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SPREP)—17 September 2026, Honiara – A new Pacific Climate Change Journal envisioned to be a dedicated platform for Pacific climate research, knowledge and solutions to reach policymakers, communities and the international scientific community, has been launched in the Solomon Islands.
The launch was held on the first day of the 5th Pacific Ocean Pacific Climate Change Conference (POPCCC) taking place from 14-18 September in Honiara.
The journal responds to a longstanding challenge across the region: while Pacific Island countries are generating substantial climate change knowledge through research, government programmes, community initiatives and development projects, much of this evidence never reaches peer-reviewed academic literature.
Professor Transform Aqorau, Vice-Chancellor, Solomon Islands National University, who delivered the official declaration to launch the journal said: “If our research is not published, visible and accessible, it risks being overlooked.”
The Pacific Climate Change Journal aims to address this gap by providing a dedicated regional pathway for climate literature generated within the Pacific to be developed, peer-reviewed, published and shared.
The significance of the journal extends beyond creating another academic publication. A central objective is to strengthen the pathway between Pacific-generated evidence and major regional and international climate science processes, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) assessments.
Professor Transform emphasised that when Pacific research remains outside peer-reviewed literature, it has fewer opportunities to contribute directly to the evidence used in major international climate assessments. This can mean that knowledge generated within the region is not fully reflected in global discussions about climate risks, impacts, adaptation and resilience.
The journal’s long-term ambition is therefore to become a trusted and credible pathway through which Pacific climate evidence can enter these wider scientific processes.
Easter Chu Shing, Deputy Director General of SPREP, echoed this point.
She added that valuable Pacific research is often held in conference papers, project reports, student theses and institutional records. This can make important evidence difficult to find, cite and use, including by those responsible for national and regional climate policy.
“By integrating our own science and knowledge, we ensure that global evidence bases accurately reflect specific world views, priorities, and contextual realities,” she said.
This is particularly important for the Pacific, where climate change is experienced through distinctive geographical, social, economic and cultural contexts.
Strengthening the availability of peer-reviewed research from the region can help ensure that global climate science reflects those realities, while also providing governments and regional organisations with a stronger evidence base for climate policy and decision-making.
Vensel Margraff, IPCC Regional Coordinator, said: “Greater Pacific engagement strengthens the integration of Pacific science, knowledge, priorities and contextual realities into global science and decision-making.”
The journal’s first edition will include themes aligned with the IPCC assessment process alongside a dedicated focus on the different knowledge systems found across Pacific countries. This gives the journal an opportunity to contribute not only more Pacific data to the global evidence base, but also different ways of understanding climate risk, resilience and adaptation.
The journal will initially be organised around four themes, with an Expression of Interest for papers to follow the launch. Regional write-shops are also planned to support researchers from across the Pacific to develop submissions, with the first edition expected in 2027.
The Journal’s Editorial and management team:
•Dr Morgan Wairiu – Chief Editor; Climate Adaptation and Pacific Resilience
•Associate Professor Awnesh Singh – Editor; Climate Science and Oceanography
•Dr Viliamu Iese – Editor; Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
•Dr Christina Newport – Editor; Climate Mobility and Human Wellbeing
•Dr Kilisimasi Latu – Editor; Water Resources and Hydrology
•Dr Alick Haruhiru – Editor; Meteorology and Tropical Cyclones
•Dr Tumanako Fa’aui – Editor; Infrastructural Systems and Decision Making
•Tagaloa Cooper – Managerial Committee, Advisory; Pacific Climate Change Centre, SPREP
• Professor Timothy Naish – Managerial Committee, Advisory; Victoria University of Wellington
•Fonoti Samani Tupufia – Managerial Committee, Research; National University of Samoa
The Pacific Climate Change Journal can be accessed with the following website: https://pacificclimatechange.com/
The Fifth POPCCC is jointly organised by Solomon Islands National University, the Pacific Climate Change Centre of SPREP, the Solomon Islands Government’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington and the National University of Samoa, continuing a lineage of Pacific-led gatherings held in Wellington in 2016 and 2018, online in 2020 and in Apia in 2024….PACNEWS
For more information, please contact yvettek@sprep.org
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Guam’s AI workforce tools need a human handoff scorecard
By Gleb Tsipursky
HAGATNA, 17 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES) — Pacific leaders have just elevated workforce governance across the region. Their endorsement of a permanent regional Labour Ministers Meeting puts skills, employment, labor mobility, workforce sustainability and the future of work on a standing Blue Pacific agenda.
Guam already has a concrete case that deserves to be measured against that agenda. The Guam Department of Labour plans to add artificial-intelligence capabilities to HIREGUAM, with tools that can help job seekers prepare resumes, identify opportunities and practice interviews, help employers develop job descriptions and interview questions and help workforce staff with case notes, reports and correspondence.
Those are sensible uses of AI. The harder question is how Guam will know whether they are actually improving the workforce system rather than simply making parts of it faster.
A good answer starts with a human handoff scorecard.
First, compare outcomes with a baseline. Before the AI tools launch, Guam should record how long common processes take and what results they produce: job matches, successful referrals, interview conversion, employer satisfaction, staff time and return visits from job seekers.
After implementation, the same measures should be tracked. Faster drafting means little if matching quality declines or staff spend the saved time fixing weak outputs.
Second, count verification and rework. The Department of Labour has said AI will remain assistive and that professional judgment and personal service will remain central. That principle needs an operational measure. How often do staff have to correct an AI-generated case note, rewrite a job description, reject a suggested occupation or repair a poor match? Those minutes belong in the productivity calculation.
Third, define the human handoff. A job seeker should know when an AI suggestion is merely informational and when a trained staff member can review it. Employers should know who is accountable if an automated recommendation appears unsuitable. Workforce staff should have clear authority to override the system without having to fight the software. Human oversight works only when people know where the machine’s authority ends.
Fourth, measure whether the technology strengthens staff capability. If AI handles routine correspondence and navigation, the time saved should create room for higher-value work: career counseling, employer relationships, difficult placements, training decisions and judgment-heavy cases. Otherwise, an efficiency gain can quietly become a workload increase rather than better service.
Fifth, watch what happens to worker learning. Job seekers will increasingly encounter AI in the workplace, so HIREGUAM can help teach something more valuable than prompt-writing. Staff can help people learn how to verify AI output, recognise when context is missing, explain a decision and retain responsibility for consequential work. Those skills travel across tools and occupations.
This matters particularly on Guam because the local labor market has less room for mistakes than a large mainland economy. Employers frequently struggle to find specialised talent, while returning residents, military families and career changers need to translate experience into local opportunities. A bad automated match can waste scarce time on both sides. A good human-AI workflow can make the same system more responsive without turning workforce services into a self-service chatbot.
The regional timing makes this worth getting right. Pacific leaders are treating labour and workforce governance as strategic questions rather than administrative ones. Guam can contribute a practical lesson to that discussion by showing how an AI workforce system should be evaluated in the real world.
The measure of success should not be how many people click an AI feature. It should be whether job seekers reach better opportunities, employers find better matches, staff spend more time on high-value service, errors are caught early and people remain responsible for the decisions that matter.
That is the kind of evidence the Pacific’s future-of-work debate needs…..PACNEWS
Gleb Tsipursky, PhD, a behavioral scientist, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, and author of “The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results” (Georgetown University Press, 2026
