PACNEWS ONE, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026

In this bulletin:

1. PACIFIC — UNODC urges Pacific to build anti-corruption safeguards into disaster planning
2. PACIFIC — Pacific Journalists urged to put inclusion at centre of corruption reporting
3. PACIFIC — Giving the ocean a voice: Pacific journalists gather ahead of PINA summit
4. PACIFIC — Fiji calls for climate finance to match Pacific needs
5. FIJI — Constitutional Review Commission review report to be tabled in special Fiji Parliament sitting today
6. PACIFIC — Social media shift challenges traditional news media
7. PACIFIC — Australian Assistant Minister for Defence to lead delegation to Fiji for Pacific defence talks
8. FIJI — MSG, Fiji’s iTaukei Ministry deepen cooperation on Indigenous affairs
9. FIJI — Fiji High Court rejects former deputy PM Prasad’s application for permanent stay
10. VAN — Vanuatu media veteran Stevenson Liu dies after 30 years with VBTC
11. PACNEWS BIZ — ‘Moving into commercial mining would be premature’: American Samoa, Guam put their foot down
12. PACNEWS BIZ — RBF transfers $118m to Government
13. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Pacific peace requires pacific people to be informed, heard and connected
14. PACNEWS DIGEST — Gender equality woefully off track, new UN report reveals

PAC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT/ANTI CORRUPTION: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Tues 22 Sep 2026

UNODC urges Pacific to build anti-corruption safeguards into disaster planning

By Pita Ligaiula in Savusavu

SAVUSAVU, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Pacific governments need to build transparency, accountability and anti-corruption safeguards into disaster preparedness before emergencies strike, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says.

Speaking at a Pre-Pacific Media Summit workshop on Climate Change and Corruption in Savusavu, UNODC Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Adviser Marie Pegie Cauchois said disaster preparedness was not only about food, equipment and response systems, but also about ensuring public funds and decisions were managed with integrity.

“Preparedness is really the key in terms of integrity and accountability, because without integrity and accountability in preparedness, it means that the communities that are needing it the most are more vulnerable when disaster hits,” Cauchois said.

She was discussing the new Pacific Integrity Toolkit for Disaster Planning, developed by UNODC to help national disaster management authorities integrate integrity and accountability measures into disaster preparedness.

Cauchois said the toolkit was being presented to disaster management authorities, with work now being explored specifically with Fiji.

She said the urgency was increasing as Pacific countries faced growing disaster risks, including climate-related events.

While earthquakes and tsunamis were not necessarily caused by climate change, Cauchois said the speed and pressure involved in disaster response created similar risks around funding, procurement and decision-making.

“Some of the elements between disaster and climate change funding, and the imperative for integrity and accountability, are really there,” she said.

Cauchois said journalists had an important role in examining how disaster funds were allocated, who received them and whether communities actually received the assistance intended for them.

She said this could include questions about contracts, tax waivers, the quality of materials and equipment purchased, and who was responsible for monitoring implementation.

“Who is receiving the money? What is the quality of the material being used? Who is reviewing the contract? Who is reviewing the implementation of the contract?” she asked.

A key issue highlighted by Cauchois was inclusivity, particularly whether women, people with disabilities and other communities at higher risk were included in disaster planning.

She said excluding communities from preparedness planning could leave them outside decision-making when a disaster struck.

“If they’re not part, there is no expectation that once the disaster hits and everybody has to respond very quickly, they will be part of the solution,” she said.

Cauchois also highlighted the importance of transparency within community groups established to respond to disasters.

She said if such groups were formed without clear accountability before a disaster, there was a risk that funding and assistance could be directed towards particular churches, families, ethnic groups or other interests once an emergency occurred.

“If already there, before the preparation, these groups are not transparent or don’t have all the elements of transparency, it’s impossible to think that once disaster hits, this group will be transparent,” she said.

The toolkit also promotes practical accountability measures, including access to information, maintaining a paper trail and exploring the use of real-time audits during disaster response.

Cauchois said traditional audits and parliamentary oversight could take too long to address concerns during an emergency.

She said real-time audits could help answer a basic question while assistance was being delivered: whether the communities meant to receive the money were actually receiving it.

She recalled a case in Tonga following the country’s triple crisis of a tsunami, COVID-19 and volcanic eruption, where a young woman repeatedly asked where disaster funds were going.

Cauchois said the woman faced criticism and was eventually discouraged from continuing to ask questions.

“She received so much pushback that she stopped asking, because people were always saying, ‘You’re the troublemaker, you’re always asking for that’,” she said.

Cauchois said media reporting could help change that perception by showing that demands for accountability were part of the public interest.

“When NGOs are saying, ‘OK, I’m not the only one, I’m not the only one to be a troublemaker. There are also the media that are doing this,’” she said.

She stressed that the toolkit was not designed specifically for journalists but could provide a way for the media to engage disaster management authorities on integrity issues.

“It’s perhaps also a document that might be a good door opener,” Cauchois said.

The workshop called on Pacific journalists to strengthen reporting on the links between climate change, disasters, public funding and corruption, while identifying practical steps for holding institutions accountable before, during and after disasters.

Cauchois said stronger media scrutiny could also encourage disaster management authorities to incorporate transparency, accountability and inclusion into preparedness systems before the next emergency.

The Pre-Pacific Media Summit workshop brought together Pacific journalists to examine how corruption risks intersect with climate change, disaster response and climate finance….PACNEWS

PAC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT/GEDSI: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Tues 22 Sep 2026

Pacific Journalists urged to put inclusion at centre of corruption reporting

By Pita Ligaiula in Savusavu

SAVUSAVU, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Pacific journalists need to look beyond the corruption itself and examine how corruption and climate-related disasters disproportionately affect women, people with disabilities, young people and other marginalised groups.

That was the message from anti-corruption consultant John Hyde during a Pre-Pacific Media Summit workshop on Climate Change and Corruption: Mainstreaming Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in Anti-Corruption Reporting.

Hyde said inclusion should be central to how journalists report corruption, particularly when vulnerable communities are already facing barriers to accessing government services, justice and decision-making.

“The really important word in there is inclusion,” Hyde told journalists.

He said GEDSI — Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion — was not simply about identifying groups that were excluded, but about finding ways to ensure they could participate equally in society.

Hyde said the same approach needed to be applied inside newsrooms and in the way journalists source and frame stories.

“It wasn’t enough to say that our newsrooms are open to everybody.

“Our stories are open to any source who wants to give it to us. It’s about what are we doing that will help people who are disempowered get their stories to us,” he said.

Hyde said this was critical to ensuring journalism reflected the experiences of the whole community rather than relying on the voices of people who already had access and influence.

He said evidence increasingly showed a link between corruption, discrimination and vulnerability.

People already facing disadvantage could be “hit over the head twice” when corruption was compounded by discrimination that prevented them from seeking redress or accessing services.

Hyde said the issue extended beyond government leaders to the bureaucracy and private sector, where many government functions had increasingly been outsourced.

“The private sector is where so much corruption is happening

“We do have to move a lot of our focus there,” he said.

Hyde said journalists should also examine whether people affected by corruption could access justice equally, including women, youth, people with disabilities and other groups at risk of being left behind.

“It’s not only for people with disabilities. For women, for youth, for those at risk,” he said.

Hyde also challenged journalists to examine their own assumptions when reporting on vulnerable communities, warning against framing people as victims.

He recalled the traditional newsroom approach of “if it bleeds, it leads”, where images of people suffering were often used to attract attention.

“It’s something that a lot of newsrooms, and I think development partners and many people, that we are having to question ourselves now,” he said.

Hyde said journalists could report inequality without stripping people of their dignity.

He cited examples where women facing economic hardship could be portrayed as capable individuals dealing with difficult circumstances rather than simply as victims.

A journalist participating in the workshop said GEDSI was not adequately covered in journalism training and should be introduced earlier in university curricula.

The journalist said reporting should avoid marginalising communities and should focus on what people do rather than defining them by their circumstances.

Hyde agreed that journalists needed to challenge their own assumptions, including situations they might consider “gender neutral” but which could actually be “gender blind”.

The discussion also highlighted the need for journalists to broaden their pool of sources.

Participants said a platform bringing together women experts, people with disabilities, youth and community leaders could help journalists identify new voices for stories.

Hyde said such initiatives could help break the reliance on the same sources and give journalists access to people with valuable knowledge and experience.

He said community leaders, including women leaders, often had significant institutional knowledge about issues affecting their communities that was not reflected in mainstream reporting.

“It’s not a detriment in our newsrooms to be not only looking at a corruption risk in the story, but also the inclusion risk in a story,” Hyde said.

“If we’re not talking to people who don’t have a strong voice or don’t have access to our newsrooms, are we getting the whole story?”

The workshop was part of the Pre-Pacific Media Summit programme examining the links between climate change, corruption and journalism in the Pacific.

Hyde said the shift from simply identifying exclusion to actively creating inclusion should also be reflected in anti-corruption reporting.

“The focus is on a solution.

“And that’s really comforting to hear that sort of resource is being produced,” Hyde said…. PACNEWS

PAC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT/OCEANS: ISLANDS BUSINESS PACNEWS 1: Tue 22 Sep 2026

Giving the ocean a voice: Pacific journalists gather ahead of PINA summit

By Sera Tikotikovatu- Sefeti in Savusavu

SAVUSAVU, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS)—“We all are in this canoe trying to do what our ancestors did centuries back, settling into new islands from wherever they came from, and for us the challenge is to live under conditions that is new to all of us.”

The words of Fijian climate change activist Dr Joeli Veitayaki in windy Savusavu, Fiji, ahead of the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) summit at a pre-summit workshop hosted by the Waitt Institute.

The Institute brought together journalists from Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, along with Fiji’s Ministry of Information team and technical experts from Waitt and Blue Prosperity Fiji.

The workshop centred on the ocean and the importance of telling ocean stories to Pacific people.

Participants brought together professionals working across ocean conservation, communications and science to discuss the role of storytelling in ocean management and climate adaptation.

A central theme was translating complex climate and ocean science into information that people of different generations and communities can understand.

Dr Veitayaki, who works in the ocean space, reminded journalists that their work reaches far beyond the newsroom.

“I still acknowledge the fact that you are teachers just like myself. Because of your stories and your work, you reach out to a much larger classroom than a teacher like me,” he said.

For him, the responsibility goes beyond reporting the challenges facing Pacific communities.

“It’s important of informing our people not only of the challenges but how we can live with the challenges. That is the most important thing for me.”

He urged journalists to look for the small actions already taking place across the region and share them with others.

“How do we mobilise these little actions taking places in different parts of the region to share with others, so that they may not have to start from ground zero,” he said.

For Taholo Kami, an adviser to the Waitt Institute and Waitt Foundation and former Fiji Special Envoy for Oceans, journalism also has a role in keeping leaders accountable.

“I think the media has a big role to play in holding our leaders accountable in terms of what do we need to achieve for the sake of our people, and then what do we need to achieve in terms of the planet that we live in,” he said.

Journalists from across the region listened to the discussions and raised questions about accessing information, understanding technical data and finding experts who could help explain increasingly complex ocean issues.

For journalists working in smaller Pacific media organisations, access to data can be a challenge.

A journalist from France Télévisions in Wallis & Futuna, Mirna Kilama, raised the difficulty of working with large datasets, maps and technical information.

“If I have a 1000 word document with very dense technical jargons, I will not be able to meet the deadlines, and it will be hard for me to go through that document,” Kilama said, highlighting the challenge of turning technical material into something audiences can understand.

Shayna Brody, Director of Communications at the Waitt Institute, reassures journalists in the room that the organisation could help journalists navigate that complexity.

The Waitt Institute works across areas including blue economy, sustainable fisheries, marine spatial planning and science, while its communications team can help connect journalists with technical experts and information.

“We can really be the point of contact to help you get to the right person,” Brody said.

She also pointed to the Institute’s wider network, including organisations working in fisheries and ocean mapping.

One tool, she explains that brings together information from expeditions, community discussions and traditional knowledge to help inform marine spatial planning.

Brody encouraged journalists to reach out when they are pursuing stories and need access to experts or information.

“If you have a story you’re chasing, let us know what you need and let us know the deadline you’re working on,” she said.

She also offered to work with journalists on follow-up briefings to help make technical information easier to digest.

For Dr Veitayaki, the exchange between scientists, communities and journalists is important because Pacific communities are facing environmental conditions that are changing rapidly.

He pointed to local knowledge and community experience as important sources of information, alongside scientific data.

At the community level, he highlighted the example of mangroves planted decades ago that have grown into what communities describe as “living seawalls”, helping protect coastlines and rebuild eroded land.

He said, “these kinds of initiatives should be shared so communities across the Pacific can learn from one another.”

The workshop ultimately brought the different roles in the room together, journalists asking questions, scientists explaining the evidence and communications specialists helping connect the two.

For the Pacific journalists gathered in Savusavu, the discussions offered an opportunity to strengthen how ocean stories are reported, while creating connections with experts and organisations working across the region.

And as Dr Veitayaki reminded the room, the stories being told have a much larger audience than the newsroom itself. The challenge is making sure those stories reach the communities whose lives are connected to the ocean….PACNEWS

PAC – CLIMATE FINANCE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Tue 22 Sep 2026

Fiji calls for climate finance to match Pacific needs

SYDNEY, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Fiji has called for climate finance to move from commitments to implementation, warning that Pacific island countries need funding at the scale, speed and terms required to protect their water systems, oceans and communities.

Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Sivendra Michael, made the call while opening the 2026 Standing Committee on Finance Forum, co-hosted by Fiji and the Pacific under the theme “Financing Climate Action for Water Systems and the Ocean.” in Sydney.

“For Pacific Small Island Developing States, the focus of this forum and our conversations this week could not be more urgent or timely,” Michael said.

He said the ocean was central to the lives, economies, food systems, cultures and national security of Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS), while freshwater systems were closely connected to the health of the ocean.

Across the Blue Pacific, countries and territories collectively steward about 28 million square kilometres of ocean, making the region one of the world’s major ocean assets.

Dr Michael said Pacific SIDS remained among the countries most exposed to climate impacts despite their role as stewards of these global assets.

They also continue to face barriers to accessing climate finance at the scale, speed and terms needed for adaptation and ocean protection.

But Dr Michael said Pacific countries should not be defined by their vulnerability.

“The Small Island Developing States resist being defined by our vulnerability. We come with experience of proven solutions, leadership, and a call to increase collaboration and partnership,” he said.

He said ocean priorities were already incorporated into SIDS Nationally Determined Contributions, including blue carbon ecosystems, sustainable fisheries, resilient coastal infrastructure and ocean renewable energy.

Water security was also a major priority, with 90 percent of SIDS NDCs identifying freshwater scarcity as a concern and outlining commitments to address it.

“The challenge before us, therefore, is no longer what needs to be done – it is how we finance implementation at scale and at pace,” Dr Michael said.

He said the forum should focus on practical ways to mobilise and deliver finance rather than simply identifying existing financing gaps.

“This Forum must help us move beyond diagnosing financing gaps to defining the means to mobilise, invest, and deliver outcomes,” Dr Michael said.

He called for stronger links between country and community priorities and public finance, multilateral climate funds, development institutions, philanthropy and responsible private capital.

Dr Michael said financing approaches also needed to recognise the links between watersheds, communities, coastlines, reefs and oceans.

“Watersheds, communities, coastlines, reefs and the ocean are part of one unified system.

“Financing models must match this reality through integrated water-resource and ridge-to-reef approaches,” he said

Dr Michael stressed regional initiatives including Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity, the Pacific One-Maritime Framework, the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership and Weather Ready Pacific as examples of efforts that recognise the need for interconnected investments.

He also highlighted blue bonds, conservation trust funds, blended finance and parametric insurance as financial tools that could help deliver climate action.

Dr Michael said financing needed to support broader outcomes, including economic resilience, food and water security, resilient livelihoods and protection of global public goods.

He said the Pacific’s priorities had become more urgent as countries looked towards the pre-COP31 and COP31 meetings.

Dr Michael said the upcoming COP would take place against a backdrop of a strengthening Super El Niño across the Pacific and rising global temperatures.

“Preventing the scale and duration of overshoot and delivering the 1.5-degree temperature goal is mission critical,” he said.

Dr Michael said El Niño also demonstrated the close relationship between the ocean and climate.

He warned that the ocean’s capacity to absorb heat and carbon and protect communities from the full impacts of climate change had limits.

“The ocean’s role as a climate regulator, absorbing heat and carbon and buffering us from full exposure to the harm wrought on our climate system has its limits,” he said.

Dr Michael said recognising those limits should drive greater action to protect oceans, freshwater systems and Pacific livelihoods.

He said the finance forum could help build momentum towards the pre-COP31 and COP31 by identifying approaches that work, determining what could be scaled up and establishing the partnerships needed to finance implementation.

The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) has called for the forum to generate momentum for increased finance for climate action focused on oceans and freshwater, recognising the global benefits of such investment.

Dr Michael said the Pacific’s position ahead of the climate negotiations was straightforward.

“The leadership exists. The solutions exist. The investment opportunities exist.

“What we need now is finance at the scale, speed and on the terms required to deliver results,” he said…. PACNEWS

FIJI – CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW REPORT: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Tue 22 Sep 2026

Constitutional Review Commission review report to be tabled in special Fiji Parliament sitting today

SUVA, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) —Fiji’s Constitution Review Commission (CRC) report will be tabled in Parliament Tuesday making it public for the first time.

Speaker Filimone Jitoko called the one-day special sitting at the Government’s request and it is separate from the regular sitting from September 28 to October 2.

Minister for Information Lynda Tabuya had said the report could not be released before it was tabled.

“It needs to be tabled in Parliament. Then everyone can have their views on it,” Tabuya said.

Cabinet has said tabling does not mean it accepts all the recommendations.

Justice Minister and Acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga said the report contained recommendations, not final decisions.

CRC chairperson Sevuloni Valenitabua revealed some recommendations when the report was handed to President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu on August 31.

The report was subsequently tabled in Cabinet on 09 September.

Key recommendations include:

*The return of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga (Great Council of Chiefs);

*The return of the Senate as the Upper House of Parliament;

*The return of the Public Service Commission;

*The continued use of “Fijian” as the national identity for now.

The Constitution Amendment Bill and the National Referendum Bill are expected at the September 28 sitting.

Under the Supreme Court’s 2025 opinion, an amendment needs the support of two-thirds of all members of Parliament at the second and third readings, followed by approval by a majority of registered voters who vote in a referendum.

With the seat of the late National Federation Party (NFP) MP Agni Deo Singh vacant, Parliament has 54 sitting members.

Civil society groups have raised concern about a plan to have a new Constitution by 24 December.

The last date for the writ of elections to be issued is also December 24, and the general election must be held by 06 February 2027.

The election has not yet been called and the writ has not been issued….PACNEWS

PAC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT/SOCIAL MEDIA: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Tue 22 Sep 2026

Social media shift challenges traditional news media

SAVUSAVU, 22 SEPTEMBER 2206 (FIJI SUN)—A survey conducted by BBC Media Action involving more than 6,600 people has revealed that more people are now getting information from social media platforms.

This poses a major challenge to the media industry, especially traditional news organisations such as newspapers, radio and television.

To help news media companies adapt, BBC Media Action organised a four-day innovative storytelling workshop.

The workshop started last Saturday at Wasawasa Hotel in Savusavu, with 18 journalists and media leaders from eight countries attending.

BBC Media Action Pacific Programme Project Director Dipak Bhattarai said the organisation decided to reach out to journalists as the Fijian Media Association was working with the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) on its eighth Pacific Media Summit, being held in Fiji after 14 years.

“When we conducted the survey in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga and Samoa, we asked one question: where are you getting your information from?” Mr Bhattarai said.

“Their response was all the same, which was social media.”

He said the workshop would help journalists learn how to use social media platforms properly so they could provide correct information to their audiences, viewers and readers.

“There are so much misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms as everyone can produce stories,” he said.

“But we want the journalists who know how to verify the information, fact-check and follow the editorial guidelines to assist audiences by providing the information.

“In this way, people will get the information the way they want to receive it.”

He said information should be entertaining, informative and educational…..PACNEWS

PAC – DEFENCE: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Mon 21 Sep 2026

Australian Assistant Minister for Defence to lead delegation to Fiji for Pacific defence talks

CANBERRA 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)– Australian Assistant Minister for Defence Peter Khalil will travel to Fiji this week for the 11th South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM), with regional defence leaders set to focus on maritime security, transnational crime and climate resilience.

The meeting, themed “Securing the Blue Pacific: Collective Responsibility, Resilient Futures,” will bring together defence ministers and senior officials to strengthen regional cooperation and advance Pacific-led responses to shared security challenges.

Khalil said Australia’s security was closely linked to that of its Pacific neighbours.

“SPDMM provides an important opportunity to work with our regional partners on the challenges we face together and strengthen our collective resilience,” he said.

Khalil said Australia would continue to support Pacific-led solutions and work with regional partners to maintain a peaceful and stable Pacific.

“Australia is a partner the region can count on, which is why we will continue to listen to our neighbours and allies, support Pacific-led solutions and work together to help preserve a peaceful, stable and prosperous Pacific region where sovereignty is respected,” he said.

Discussions will cover maritime security, countering transnational organised crime and efforts to address climate change.

Defence leaders will also consider practical measures to strengthen regional cooperation, including the evolution of the Pacific Response Group and closer coordination among Pacific security institutions.

“From maritime security and transnational crime to climate resilience, this meeting is about turning shared priorities into practical cooperation and delivering tangible outcomes for the Pacific,” Khalil said.

SPDMM members are Australia, Chile, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga.

Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States will participate as observers, while the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat will also take part in the discussions.

Khalil will be accompanied by Secretary of the Australian Department of Defence Meghan Quinn PSM and Chief of the Defence Force Admiral Mark Hammond….PACNEWS

FIJI – DIPLOMACY: FIJI GOVT PACNEWS 1: Tue 22 Sep 2026

MSG, Fiji’s iTaukei Ministry deepen cooperation on Indigenous affairs

SUVA, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI GOVT) —The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat and Fiji’s Ministry of iTaukei Affairs are exploring closer regional cooperation on Indigenous rights, culture, language and traditional governance.

MSG Director General Dr Anna Naupa led a delegation to the Ministry last Thursday for discussions on areas of collaboration and ways to strengthen Indigenous interests across the Melanesian region.

Naupa was accompanied by MSG Youth and Sports Development Officer George Pitakoe.

The Ministry was represented by Acting Permanent Secretary Paula Tuione, Deputy Secretary Policy Joeli Ditoka, Director of the iTaukei Institute of Language and Culture Emosi Caniogo and Senior Administrative Officer for Language Keasi Vatanitawake.

Discussions focused on preserving iTaukei heritage, language and cultural identity while strengthening links with Indigenous communities across MSG member states.

The two sides also discussed possible joint initiatives that could use the MSG regional platform to strengthen Indigenous voices and share experiences and approaches among member countries.

Tuione said regional partnerships were important to protecting traditional institutions and cultural values.

“The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs is committed to ensuring that our traditional institutions and cultural values are safeguarded.

“Engaging with the MSG Secretariat allows us to align our national efforts with regional strategies, ensuring that the iTaukei people benefit from a unified approach to Indigenous empowerment,” Tuione said.

Naupa said the MSG Secretariat recognised the work being carried out by the Ministry and wanted to strengthen cooperation on cultural preservation and policy development.

“We recognise the vital work being undertaken by the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs,” Naupa said.

“This visit underscores our shared commitment to ensuring that Indigenous knowledge systems and governance structures remain central to our regional identity.”

She said closer cooperation could produce stronger outcomes for Indigenous communities across Melanesia.

The meeting ended with an agreement to continue discussions and identify specific areas for future cooperation between the Ministry and the MSG Secretariat….PACNEWS

FIJI – COURTS: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 1: Tue 22 Sep 2026

Fiji High Court rejects former deputy PM Prasad’s application for permanent stay

SUVA, 22 SEPTEMBER 226 (FIJI SUN)—The criminal case against former Fiji deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad will continue after the High Court in Suva rejected his application for a permanent stay.

Justice Thushara Rajasinghe delivered the ruling this morning after Prasad’s lawyers argued that the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC)’s alleged failure to disclose material had affected his right to a fair trial.

Prasad faces charges over alleged breaches of statutory requirements relating to the declaration of his assets, liabilities and income as an officeholder of the National Federation Party(NFP).

FICAC alleges he failed to declare his directorship in Platinum Hotels and Resorts PTE Limited and also provided false information in his declaration.

The stay application arose from a dispute over two witness statements obtained during an earlier FICAC investigation.

Justice Rajasinghe said prosecutors have a duty to disclose relevant material that could help the defence or weaken the prosecution case.

However, the judge found that the delayed disclosure had not affected Prasad’s ability to defend himself.

The statements have now been disclosed, while the prosecution’s first witness is still giving evidence.

The matter will continue in the Suva Magistrate Court….PACNEWS

VAN – OBITUARY: PACNEWS PACNEWS 1: Tue 22 Sep 2026

Vanuatu media veteran Stevenson Liu dies after 30 years with VBTC

PORT VILA/SAVUSAVU, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—Vanuatu’s media industry is mourning the death of veteran journalist and broadcaster Stevenson Liu, who served the Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC) for three decades.

Liu was VBTC’s longest-serving staff member and Head of Content, overseeing the corporation’s broadcast content across television and radio.

VBTC described Liu as a “brother, colleague and friend” whose dedication, resourcefulness and commitment had made a lasting contribution to the organisation, Vanuatu and the wider Pacific.

Vanuatu Prime Minister and Minister responsible for Media, Jotham Napat, said Liu’s death had left a major gap in the country’s media industry.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Stevenson Liu – a journalist, a friend, and a popular radio and television producer and host,” Napat said.

Liu graduated in journalism in 1996 and joined VBTC at a time when fewer than five Ni-Vanuatu held a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, according to the Prime Minister.

Napat said Liu spent about 30 years with VBTC and became a respected journalist, producer and presenter while also mentoring younger media workers.

“During his 30 years of service to VBTC, Stevenson truly mastered the art of balancing his role as a journalist with adherence to what is sometimes a strong cultural background, where it can be difficult to speak truth to power,” Napat said.

He said Liu’s long career demonstrated his commitment to journalism and to developing the next generation of media professionals.

“His longevity in the media industry is testament to his firm commitment to journalism and grooming so many who have come under his wings,” Napat said.

The Prime Minister extended condolences to Liu’s family, his colleagues at VBTC and the wider media fraternity.

“His loss will be felt throughout the industry,” Napat said.

The Fijian Media Association (FMA) also expressed its condolences, describing Liu as a colleague who had served Vanuatu and the Pacific for decades.

The association said a moment of silence would be held in Liu’s honour before the opening session of the Pacific Media Summit on Wednesday.

It has also called on colleagues to identify other Pacific media workers who have died since the previous Summit in Niue in 2024 so their contributions can also be recognised.

VBTC said funeral arrangements for Liu would be announced once his family had finalised arrangements.

Liu’s death comes as Pacific journalists and media organisations gather in Savusavu, Fiji for regional discussions on the future of journalism, media development and the challenges facing the industry…..PACNEWS

PACNEWS BIZ

PAC – DEEP SEA MINING: PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 22 Sep 2026

‘Moving into commercial mining would be premature’: American Samoa, Guam put their foot down

HAGATNA/PAGOPAGO, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE)—Leaders of American Samoa and Guam are pushing back against federal efforts to open surrounding oceans to deep-sea mining, saying Washington cannot just rush into the uncharted depths of commercial seabed mining without regard for the island communities that rely on the ocean for their survival.

The pushback comes as the federal government ratchets up ambitious plans to issue exploration leases in federal waters across the outer continental shelf—areas outside each territory’s exclusive economic zones.

For Pacific islanders, whose history, culture and economies are intrinsically tied to the ocean, the risks of destruction from deep-sea mining outweigh any speculative financial gains, according to Guam and American Samoa governors.

Their message to federal officials is crystal clear: the Pacific Ocean is neither a petri dish nor a sacrificial zone for industrial experimentation.

In a 12-page letter to Douglas Boren, regional director for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the Pacific, American Samoa Governor Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula warned against being blinded to immediate opportunities and overlooking the looming hazards posed by the federal proposal.

Pula said that large-scale commercial deep-sea mineral extraction is an untested threat.

“My position remains clear: American Samoa does not support commercial deep-sea mineral extraction at this time,” Pula told Boren.

He said there remain too many unanswered questions about the potential effects of large-scale mineral extraction on deep-ocean ecosystems, fisheries and the broader marine environment.

“Until those questions are better understood, moving into commercial mining would be premature,” Pula said.

At the G20 energy ministers meeting in Houston on 14 September, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced that the Trump administration would begin issuing deep-sea mining permits “within months” as part of the United States’ drive to accelerate access to the critical minerals used across much of the country’s economy.

The Metals Company, which sits at the front of the process, expects the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to issue the final decision in the first quarter of 2027.

Pula acknowledges that the decision to issue leases in federal waters technically rests with the U.S. government, but insists that American Samoa will not be passive bystanders.

If the federal government insists on moving forward with preliminary survey activities, Pula said those activities must be strictly for scientific and environmental research—not for mining.

He emphasised that any award of an exploration license does not mean the lease awardee will also be entitled to a mining license later.

If the leaseholder wants to move from research to commercial mining, that step must be treated as a completely different matter, subject to comprehensive, independent environmental reviews and full territorial consultation, he added.

American Samoa’s concerns extend beyond the seabed itself.

Pula highlighted severe potential impacts on local infrastructure, operations of the Pago Pago Harbor and protected marine reserves.

Pula said American Samoa’s main harbor already operates under strict limits as a designated special management area under the local Coastal Management Programme. Adding survey vessels and support ships of seabed mining companies could easily overwhelm local wastewater systems, waste disposal and berthing capacities, he added.

Pula also demanded rigorous environmental baseline monitoring, strict protections against gear conflicts with local fishing fleets, explicit safeguards for American Samoa’s Rose Atoll Marine National Monument and financial guarantees that local taxpayers are not left holding the bill for potential environmental disasters.

“Costs created by lease activities should not simply be transferred to the American Samoa government. Where lease activities necessitate improvements, repairs or additional infrastructure capacity, BOEM should establish the principle that reasonable costs attributable to those activities are the responsibility of the lessee,” Pula said.

On Guam, Governor Lou Leon-Guerrero is spearheading a parallel campaign to ensure that island communities have a decisive voice in federal plans for underwater mineral leases in the Mariana archipelago.

In a letter to federal officials, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Boren, Leon-Guerrero demanded that the Department of the Interior honor federal mandates recognising Guam as an adjacent state, thereby granting Guam formal, mandatory consultation rights.

“The leasing of seabed minerals is unprecedented, and makes careful, formal consultation all the more necessary to safeguard Guam’s environment, economy, and people,” Leon-Guerrero said.

CNMI Governor David Apatang is also expected to issue his comments on BOEM’s plan in the next few days.

He said in an earlier press release that the commonwealth’s evaluation will remain firmly anchored in protecting its people, environment, and the CNMI’s marine resources.

“Our administration approaches this announcement with extreme caution,” Apatang said. “We must ensure that no activity, survey or otherwise, takes place without rigorous scientific baseline studies, complete transparency, and explicit protections for our marine resources.”

In July 2026, it announced a plan to sell leases to 31 million acres of the continental shelf off American Samoa. A month later, MMA also issued a similar notice of plans to auction off leases for more than 67 million acres of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coasts of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam……PACNEWS

FIJI – PAYOUT PAYMENT: FIJI SUN PACNEWS BIZ: Mon 21 Sep 2026

RBF transfers $118m to Government

SUVA, 21 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN) —The Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) will transfer $118 million (US$59 million) to Government after recording a $120.6 million (US$60 million) profit, marking its fourth consecutive year of profits above $100 million (US$50 million).

The RBF Board approved its financial accounts last weekfor the financial year ended in July.

Governor Ariff Ali said the accounts were signed in less than two months, ahead of the three-month requirement under the Reserve Bank of Fiji Act.

Ali said the RBF’s role was not to make a profit, but strong financial results were important for maintaining the institution’s credibility and reputation.

He said almost 75 percent of the Bank’s income came from foreign reserves, while almost a quarter came from domestic bond interest or other interest income.

Lower global interest rates in key markets had affected the Bank’s income.

The RBF had initially expected a profit of close to $100 million (US50 million), but an increase in interest rates helped lift the final result to $120.6 million (US$60 million).

Minister for Finance, Commerce and Business Development Esrom Immanuel said the strong financial performance reflected the RBF’s prudent financial management, investment of foreign reserves, monetary policy and financial sector oversight.

Immanuel said the $118 million (US$59 million) transfer would form part of Government’s revenue pool for the 2026–2027 financial year and had already been accounted for in the national budget.

He said the result came despite global uncertainty, including geopolitical tensions, volatile commodity prices, changing monetary policies and the fuel crisis.

“Over the past five years, the Reserve Bank had contributed about $548 million (US$274 million) to Government,” Immanuel said.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka welcomed the $118 million (US$59 million) transfer to Government, describing it as another positive indicator for the economy and a boost to confidence in Fiji’s economic outlook.

“I am proud of the work being done by our Reserve Bank and our economic institutions, but above all, I am proud of the resilience of the Fijian people,” Rabuka said.

He said Fiji had faced significant global challenges but its economy continued to move forward.

“There is more work to do, and we remain focused on building on this progress for all Fijians,” he said.

Ali said the RBF expected profits to be slightly lower in the new financial year because of lower global interest rates.

He said foreign reserves remained strong at about $3.9 billion (US$1.95 million).

Ali also assured the public that Fiji’s financial system remained stable, with total assets of just below $40 billion (US$20 billion), and that savings held in banks and the Fiji National Provident Fund were safe and secure…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 peace requires pacific people to be informed, heard and connected

By Leila Parina and Antonia Bhagwan

SUVA, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 (ISLANDS BUSINESS)—Peace in the Pacific has always been built through communication.

Here, peace is built through talanoa, through church gatherings, through storytelling and song, through women within our communities, and through young people organising collective action.

Communication is a tool within a relational definition of peace.

Today, information and communication technologies (ICT) play a strong hand in shaping how Pacific peoples access information, participate in public life, and connect across our vast ocean continent.

They are also reshaping how Pacific peoples experience security and peace.

As the Ocean of Peace Declaration is being implemented, we have to ask what it means:

*To a young person who cannot access reliable information during a climate-related disaster?

*To a woman experiencing violence in her community and online?

*To a person with a disability excluded from digital spaces because information is inaccessible?

*Or to communities where colonial and nuclear legacies, and struggles for self-determination continue to shape their understanding of security?

The Ocean of Peace Declaration rightly reaffirms the sovereign equality of Pacific nations and recognises the importance of dialogue, mediation, conflict prevention and the responsible use of technology.

It acknowledges the contributions of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, civil society, faith-based organisations, women, youth, persons with disabilities and other historically marginalised groups in sustaining peace across the Blue Pacific.

This is why the Pacific Women Mediators Network Programme (PWMN) Associates, through the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC), are undertaking research exploring the role of communication, media and ICTs as tools for peacebuilding.

The research builds on baseline work completed in 2025 with young people from the Northern Pacific, where they expressed their understandings of peace and human security through art.

It was a reminder that, above all, peace is expressed through lived experience, and we must listen to forms of communication that allow communities to express their realities in ways that feel safe and authentic.

The next phase of the research expands this conversation to the PCC’s Regional Ecumenical Youth Council (REYC), their youth constituencies, church leaders and women church leaders.

Because the PCC serves communities across the region rather than a single national constituency, there is an opportunity to capture diverse understandings of peace, security and communication across the Blue Pacific.

It is also an opportunity for cross learning between young people and developing solutions that draw from shared experiences.

For communities in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Maʻohi Nui, understandings of security are inseparable from nuclear legacies and ongoing calls for nuclear justice.

In Maʻohi Nui, Kanaky and West Papua, conversations about peace cannot be separated from decolonisation and struggles for political autonomy.

The role of communication itself is political:

*During the 2024 civil unrest in Kanaky, restrictions on communication and social media had direct impacts on young people and how they accessed information. In West Papua, communication and media remain central to challenging narratives imposed upon communities while advocating for self-determination and human rights.

*Overall, many young people are navigating online environments shaped by algorithms they do not fully understand. Misinformation spreads rapidly during disasters and periods of political tension. Online violence disproportionately affects women and girls. Persons with disabilities still encounter barriers to accessible communication and information. Rural and maritime communities continue to face connectivity challenges. Above all, affordability determines who can participate in digital spaces.

If some communities cannot access information during emergencies, cannot participate in digital spaces, or cannot engage in conversations shaping their futures, then they are excluded from processes that sustain peace.

This is why media and ICT literacy must also be understood as peacebuilding, as a means to support participation, protection and conflict prevention.

Community media can act as an early warning system, aiding in disaster risk reduction. Young people can use media and technology to conduct research, document experiences, and participate in peacebuilding efforts.

The Ocean of Peace Declaration acknowledges the importance of inclusive and people-centred peacebuilding. Pacific Forum Leaders now have the opportunity to ensure that implementation reflects those commitments.

This means recognising communication and ICTs as peacebuilding infrastructure rather than only a security infrastructure, and investment in digital inclusion.

It means ensuring that women, young people, persons with disabilities and communities affected by colonial and nuclear legacies, and struggles for self-determination are recognised as leaders in shaping regional peace and security.

If the Ocean of Peace is to remain rooted in Pacific priorities, it must be guided by the everyday experiences of Pacific peoples.

We cannot have an Ocean of Peace unless our people feel informed, heard, connected, protected and able to participate in shaping their futures……PACNEWS

PACNEWS DIGEST

The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS

Gender equality woefully off track, new UN report reveals

NEW YORK, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —At the current rate of progress, gender equality would take 171 years to achieve, a new UN report finds as institutions built to advance gains are being defunded and demobilised.

Strikingly, not a single indicator on the Sustainable Development Goal for gender equality (SDG 5) is on track to be met by 2030, the initial deadline, according to Gender Snapshot 2026.

These targets include ending discrimination, gender-based violence and such harmful practices as forced marriage and female genital mutilation alongside ensuring women’s full participation in leadership and securing economic and property rights.

Who holds the power?

Women continue to face systemic barriers to entering political life.

The UN report highlights the persistent concentration of political power among men, finding that six in seven countries are currently led by men.

Indeed, the cost of running for office can exceed 100 times a country’s average per capita income, excluding many women before the race even begins. In some countries, up to eight in 10 women running for office also face violence in public life.

Even when women do enter government, they are disproportionately steered away from the portfolios that hold the highest security and economic power. Close to nine in 10 defence ministers and more than eight in 10 finance ministers are men.

Beyond government, women make up only six percent of CEOs globally and lead fewer than 20 percent of the highest courts, leaving the decisions shaping business, law, employment, and the global economy overwhelmingly in the hands of men.

This imbalance seriously undermines democracy as a country cannot fully uphold human rights or democratic principles while half its population lacks an equal voice in leadership and decision-making, the report stresses.

Violence and discrimination

Millions of women also continue to endure some extremely severe forms of violence and discrimination across the globe.

Nearly one in five girls is married before the age of 18, and an estimated 230 million women and girls worldwide are survivors of female genital mutilation.

Nearly one in three women globally have survived partner or sexual violence in their lifetime, and in the past 12 months alone, 316 million women experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner.

Importantly, the report finds that not a single country has achieved full legal equality, and 51 percent of the 131 countries studied still have significant legal gaps.

Nearly two thirds of countries provide no or little legal protection for women’s land rights, creating significant barriers to land ownership and secure tenure. Fewer than 30 percent of nations studied ensure joint land registration or women’s participation in land governance.

No longer a priority

Solving these issues has also been removed from priority agendas.

Amid broadening cuts to funding for development aid, programmes addressing gender inequality are amongst the hardest hit, with such funding falling to its lowest level since 2021.

One in four institutional mechanisms for gender equality have seen their operating budgets cut over the past two years, and one in three have had their institutional power eroded over the same period.

Meanwhile, amid funding cuts, 42 percent of UN entities report a weakening of their gender equality efforts.

“What the Gender Snapshot 2026 shows is that this is not inevitable,” said Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

“It is the result of choices, made visible through data. Investing in gender equality, institutions, and the statistical systems that hold them to account is not a cost. It is the fastest route back to the 2030 Agenda’s promise of equal power for all.”……PACNEWS